Christopher J. Spanos is an experienced trial lawyer who focuses his practice on representing clients in matters throughout Central Illinois. He has successfully tried many jury and bench trials, and regularly appears in matters filed in Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Putnam, Bureau, Woodford, Mason, McLean, Knox, Fulton and McDonough counties, and in the United States District Court, Central District of Illinois.

Mr. Spanos represents clients in a variety of civil matters, including automobile negligence, premises liability, professional liability and products liability. He also handles matters involving allegations of police use of excessive force and religious institution liability, as well as other complex commercial litigation matters including class action litigation. Mr. Spanos also represents individuals in matters involving zoning and land use, matrimonial and family law, and criminal and traffic matters.

Mr. Spanos has served on a national arbitration committee, and has been certified as an automobile liability and general liability special arbitrator. He serves as an expert witness from time to time on insurance procedures, and has represented clients in numerous mediations and arbitrations.

Christopher Spanos has extensive experience in the insurance industry, serving as an adjuster, claim manager and legal counsel. In 2004 he earned the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation from the Insurance Institute of America. Mr. Spanos originally joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in 1996 and was a member of the firm until 2000 when he joined COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services as a litigated claims attorney. He returned to Hinshaw in 2004 and was named partner in 2006.

Mr. Spanos was a member of the United States Navy from 1983 to 1988, and served on the USS Dace, a fast attack submarine out of Groton, Connecticut. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Spanos worked as a claim adjuster and his first position after law school was as a staff attorney RLI. While in law school, he was a teaching assistant for legal writing and appellate advocacy during both his second and third years, and received course honors for contracts, civil procedure and legal ethics.

Mr. Spanos is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Peoria County Bar Association, Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and the National Society of CPCU. He has been rated by Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. Mr. Spanos' presentations include:

• “Insurance Coverage for Contractors: Targeted Tenders and Additional Insured Endorsements,” Peoria County Bar Association Civil Practice Update, Peoria, Illinois, March 2008.
• “Select Legal Issues for the Claim Professional," State Farm Regional Claim Seminar, Bloomington, Illinois, June 2005.
• "Duties of the Insured," Property Loss Research Bureau/Liability Insurance Research Bureau Midwest Adjusters Conference, September 2004.
• “Dealing with the Uncooperative Insured," Property Loss Research Bureau National Conference, Chicago, Illinois, April 2004.
• "Duties of the Insured." Property Loss Research Bureau/Liability Insurance Research Bureau/Western Loss Association Great Lakes Adjusters Conference, Lincolnshire, Illinois, September 2003.
• "MOLD: A Claims Perspective," NODAK Farm Bureau Underwriters Conference, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 2002; and for Country Insurance & Financial Services, Bloomington, Illinois, and MSI Insurance Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2001 and 2002.

Mr. Spanos has served on the Pekin School District 108 School Board since January 2006 and has served as its President since April 2007.

From 1999 to 2003, Mr. Spanos served as a member of the Pekin Fire & Police Commission, chairing the Commission from 2002-03.

Mr. Spanos has served as a volunteer coach for the Pekin Union Mission, and coaches AYBT basketball and JFL football. He has previously served as a volunteer for the United Way and for Special Olympics. Mr. Spanos is a member of the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, and South-West Peoria Kiwanis.