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Thomas McGarry is a veteran trial lawyer. His civil litigation practice emphasizes the defense of professionals in federal and state courts and disciplinary agencies.

For more than 30 years, Mr. McGarry has focused on representing lawyers and lawyers' professional liability insurers. During that period he has represented and counseled hundreds of lawyers and law firms in actions for civil liability, in professional ethics and responsibility, and in risk management. He has also counseled professional liability carriers on lawyers' malpractice insurance coverage and has acted as national claims counsel overseeing defense activities nationwide.

His extensive experience as a trial lawyer combined with his concentration in the law governing the liabilities and responsibilities of lawyers has enabled him to both counsel and protect his lawyer clients in the challenging environment of legal practice.

Professional Background

Mr. McGarry was a drafter of the Illinois attorney malpractice statute of limitations. He is active in organizations focusing on the law governing lawyers and professional liability and responsibility. He is an associate member of the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability and an active sponsor of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society.

Mr. McGarry is the leader of the firm's Professional Responsibility, Professional Liability and Risk Management Practice Group. He also serves as a member of the firm's Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee. Previously, he served as co-chair of the firm's national Lawyers Professional Liability Practice Group, including its Lawyers for the Profession® practice, and has been a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Mr. McGarry joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in August 1983.

In the Fall of 2005, Mr. McGarry completed intensive training in mediation from the faculty of Pepperdine University School of Law’s top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. He is a certified mediator in the Cook County Court-Annexed Mediation Program.

He served as a judicial law clerk to Hon. James J. Mejda, Illinois Appellate Court.

Honors & Awards

• Holds the AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability
• Recognized by his peers as a "Leading Lawyer" in the area of Professional Malpractice Defense Law: Legal / Technical / Financial
• Recognized on the Super Lawyers list by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2005 – 2006, 2009 – 2010, 2012 – 2020
• Selected as one of the "Top 100" leading business lawyers in Illinois, based upon surveys conducted by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2006 – 2007