Diane Webster is a trial attorney who concentrates her practice in the defense of professionals and hospitals in malpractice claims. She also practices in the areas of products liability, pharmaceutical liability, premises liability and municipal law. Her clients have included a major league baseball organization, hospitals and insurance companies.

Ms. Webster has defended a number of complex cases involving the professional liability of architects, engineers and realtors. She has been involved in multi-million dollar litigation cases that were successfully resolved to the satisfaction of her clients. Ms. Webster joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP as an associate in September 2004. Previously she was a law clerk with the firm in 2002. Ms. Webster serves on the firm’s Hiring Committee and is a member of Hinshaw’s Hispanic Affinity Network. In addition, she is active in the firm’s mentoring programs, where she mentors both associate attorneys and summer associates.

During law school, Ms. Webster was a legal intern with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in Boston, where she researched consumer protection issues such as the relationship among preemption, ERISA and third-party administrators. As an intern with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois, 9th Congressional District), Ms. Webster served as a liaison between constituents and the Immigration and Naturalization Service and other federal agencies. She was also a constituent advocate for City of Chicago Alderman Eugene Schulter (47th Ward).

In addition to her other law school achievements, Ms. Webster was a New England Scholar and member of the Dean's List. She was a recipient of the Charles Hamilton Houston Scholarship and also a CALI Excellence of the Future Award for Negotiation.

During her undergraduate studies Ms. Webster was a legislative intern for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ms. Webster was selected as a 2011 Fellow in the inaugural year of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s (LCLD) Fellows program. The LCLD Fellows program is designed to increase diversity at the leadership levels of law firms and corporate legal departments throughout the country.

Ms. Webster is a member of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois and the Hispanic National Bar Association. She serves as Executive Vice-President of ALPFA Law Chicago, a not for profit professional organization that builds Latino leaders.

Ms. Webster is proficient in Spanish. Ms. Webster is involved with Hinshaw University, the firm’s nationwide attorney training and education program. She has also participated in the firm’s Trial Advocacy program, demonstrating direct and cross examination techniques in a mock trial setting. Her presentations include:

• “Incivility in the Legal Profession: When Your Client Pays the Price,” American Bar Association, live webinar, February 2012.
• “Catastrophic Injuries Affecting Latinos and Other Minorities,” Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), Chicago, Illinois, June 2011.
• “Transitioning Closely Held Businesses,” Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), Chicago, Illinois, October 2010.

Ms. Webster volunteers at Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly and with the Breast Cancer Network of Strength.