Jason R. Schulze

Jason Schulze focuses his practice primarily in the representation and counseling of insurance companies in litigation and disputes. He represents insurers in actions filed in jurisdictions throughout the country and in a variety of contexts, including actions regarding coverage for mass tort liability claims, environmental contamination claims, construction claims, and professional liability claims. Jason handles matters and provides counseling to industry clients under a variety of insurance lines, including general, umbrella, and excess liability, professional liability, first-party property, cyber, and errors and omissions (E&O) for a number of professionals, including lawyers, accountants, and medical professionals. He also has extensive experience litigating, arbitrating, and mediating coverage claims, particularly representing insurers in complex, multi-party coverage litigation against product manufacturers for claims under general liability policies. His practice further involves providing counseling and assistance to industry clients regarding all aspects of claims handling, policy drafting and wording, and reinsurance collection and claim handling. Jason also often provides training and educational programs to insurance and reinsurance industry clients.

In addition to his insurance and reinsurance practice, Jason has substantial experience in commercial litigation, including the representation of parties in actions involving false advertising, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and a variety of contractual disputes.

Prior to joining Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Jason was a partner in a litigation firm headquartered in Chicago.

• American Bar Association
  • Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section
• ARIAS US
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)

• Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Insurance Law, 2021 – 2025

• Representation of comprehensive general liability insurer in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in a multi-site environmental coverage dispute involving claimed damages in excess of $9 million and resulting in summary judgment in favor of insurer for all claims at both sites, with the summary judgment in favor of insurer being affirmed by the Seventh Circuit on appeal in Varlen Corp. v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co., 924 F.3d 456 (7th Cir. 2019)
• Representation of the lead excess liability insurer and other excess liability insurers in an asbestos and environmental coverage action involving a multi-national Fortune 500 product manufacturer which resulted in a key number of occurrences ruling by the New York Court of Appeals (New York's highest court)
• Representation of general liability insurer in both the trial court and the Illinois Appellate Court in a contribution action resulting in summary judgment (affirmed on appeal) on the issue of known loss
• Representation of an excess liability insurer in an environmental property damage declaratory judgment action in New Jersey which resulted in key summary judgment rulings allowing for dismissals based on justiciability grounds on key issues of trigger and allocation
• Representation of excess liability insurers in declaratory judgment actions involving coverage for asbestos bodily injury claims in courts located in jurisdictions throughout the country, including New Jersey, Illinois, California, Ohio, and New York
• Representation of general liability, umbrella liability, and excess liability in declaratory judgment actions involving coverage for environmental property damage claims in jurisdictions throughout the country, including New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Arizona, Washington, Alabama, Florida, and Indiana 

Jason is a frequent speaker at insurance-related seminars and conferences. A selection of his presentations includes:

• Panelist, "Forever Chemicals," Global Access Week 2024, London, U.K., March 13, 2024
• Panelist, "Claims Handling Issues and Bad Faith Developments to be Aware of in 2021," Hinshaw's Webinar Series: Insurance Insights – What Insurers Need to Know in 2021, Virtual Event, April 20, 2021

• "Insurance, Indemnity and Contribution: The Complex Interplay in Commercial Transactions: Reconciling Competing Indemnity Obligations and Insurance Provisions," Strafford, 2010 – 2017
• Conference Co-Chair and Speaker, Comprehensive Seminar on Insurance and Reinsurance Issues Relating to Allocation of Losses, West Legalworks, 2008
• Conference Co-Chair and Speaker, The Insurance and Reinsurance Allocation Party’s National Convention, West Legalworks, 2007

Jason has written articles and presentation materials on a variety of issues pertaining to insurance coverage, including issues regarding indemnity agreements, contribution, number of occurrences, policy interpretation, coverage trigger, and allocation of indemnity and defense costs. A selection of his publications as both author and co-author includes:

• "Allocation of Losses In Complex Insurance Claims" (12th Ed. West Thomson Reuters 2024); (11th Ed. West Thomson Reuters 2023); (10th Ed. West Thomson Reuters 2021 – 2022) (supplemented annually)
• Co-Author, "Insurance & Reinsurance – USA Trends and Developments," Chambers and Partners Global Practice Guides, February 2021
• "A Journey Through the Fundamental Requirement of Exhaustion," CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 32, No. 1, January 2014
• "Excess Insurance Coverage," Chapter 17, Environmental Liability and Insurance Recovery, American Bar Association, 2012
• "Number of Occurrences, Policy Periods, Exhaustion and Other Considerations Affecting Allocation Of Losses," CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 30, No. 1, April 2012
• "Insurers Saddled With Disproportionate Share Of Loss Seek Reallocation Through Contribution Claims And 'Other Insurance' Clauses," CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 29, No. 3, December 2011
• "A Primer On Allocation Methodologies – The 'All Sums' And Various 'Pro Rata' Approaches," CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 29, No. 1, March 2011
• "Triggering Occurrence-Based Contracts And Understanding Claims-Made Contract Requirements," CPCU Reinsurance Encounters, Vol. 28, No. 3, December 2010
• "The Illinois Supreme Court's Decision in Kajima Limits Illinois' 'Targeted Tender' Rule and Establishes Illinois as a Pro Rata Allocation Jurisdiction," commentary, Mealey's Litigation Report: Insurance, Vol. 22, No. 10, January 17, 2008
• "United States v. Tucker: Can the Sixth Circuit Really Abolish the Outrageous Government Conduct Defense?" case note, 45 DePaul L. Rev. 943, 1996