Untress Quinn is involved with all aspects of trial work, from preparing a case for trial to trying the case. His practice includes general liability, personal injury, commercial, municipal liability, professional liability, medical malpractice and police liability litigation.
Mr. Quinn is a licensed Registered Nurse with extensive experience in both medical and surgical settings, including interventional radiology, ventilator rehabilitation and intensive care. In addition to providing direct patient care, he has also been a nursing supervisor, healthcare manager and healthcare administrator. Mr. Quinn’s extensive medical knowledge and experience are assets he uses in the successful defense of his clients at trial.
Mr. Quinn’s representative clients include Illinois State Medical (ISMIE), State Farm Insurance Company; the Comprehensive Mental Health Center of St. Clair County, Inc.; the Bonner Company; Brown Assistant Living Community, LLC; and the City of East St. Louis, Illinois. Mr. Quinn also serves as the Redevelopment and TIF Commission Attorney for a local municipality focusing on municipal and government finance.
Mr. Quinn has secured defense verdicts and favorable settlements, and obtained positive dispositions of cases, on behalf of his clients. Representative examples of his effective defense counsel include the following:
- Secured defense verdict in a three-week jury trial in a case involving a family practice physician. Claims included alleged failure to diagnose and treat infective endocarditis and plaintiff sought more than $1 million in damages. (Co-Counsel; St. Clair County, Illinois)
- Obtained summary judgment in a Section 1983 civil rights action brought by a plaintiff parent whose son was shot and killed by an East St. Louis police officer after refusing to drop his weapon at the officer’s command. Claims included alleged excessive use of force and involved issues relating to constitutional violations. Following discovery, defense employed strategic motion practice to successfully achieve case dismissal. (Lead Counsel; U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois)
- Successfully briefed and argued an appellate case involving questions of subject matter jurisdiction in a dispute that arose under a collective bargaining agreement subject to the Illinois State Labor Relations Board. (Lead Counsel; 5th District Appellate Court of Illinois)
- Obtained summary judgment in defense of a municipal fire and police board in a case where plaintiff alleged she was not hired because of her sex and was denied equal protection of the law under the 14th Amendment. Mr. Quinn’s successful argument persuaded the court regarding the status of the board’s hiring authority and related issues tied to the Financially Distressed Cities Act that also came into play. (Lead Counsel; St. Clair County, Illinois)
- Secured jury verdict for defense in a liability case following an automobile accident where plaintiff sought more than $100,000 in damages. (Lead Counsel; St. Clair County, Illinois)
- Secured complete dismissal of a case involving allegations that defendant clients committed intentional, willful and wanton acts resulting in plaintiff’s emotional distress. Plaintiff claimed that the defendants wrongly identified the body of decedent and informed the wrong family that the decedent had been a victim of a homicide. (Lead Counsel; St. Clair County, Illinois)
Mr. Quinn joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in May 2006. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Quinn worked for more than 10 years in the health care field. He is a licensed, Registered Nurse in both Missouri and Illinois. During his time in the health care arena, Mr. Quinn served as a director of medical–surgical services, a supervisor of interventional radiology and a healthcare administrator.
Mr. Quinn received a Health Law Certificate from the Health Law program at Saint Louis University School of Law, which was rated the top health law program in the country by a national magazine.
Mr. Quinn was a member of the United States Air Force Reserves for 13 years, where he achieved the rank of First Lieutenant and was awarded the Meritorious Service Award. Mr. Quinn was an honor graduate at the 3790th Medical Service Squadron for Medical Service Specialists at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, in 1990.
He is a member of the St. Clair County Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the National Bar Association. Mr. Quinn is a recipient of the NAACP’s 54th Freedom Fund Awards for excellence in law.
Mr. Quinn is an adjunct Instructor at a local university teaching class involving the interplay between healthcare and the law.
Mr. Quinn regularly contributes to Hinshaw’s
Medical Litigation Newsletter. His publications include:
His presentations include:
- “The Choice of Venue in Illinois as it Relates to Medical Malpractice,” Hinshaw in-house CLE presentation, December 2011.
- “Writing and Maintaining Government Contracts,” “A Current Look at Police Liability” and “Election Law Basics,” National Business Institute seminar “State and Local Government Law: A Look at Hot Topics and Current Issues,” Fairview Heights, Illinois, June 2011.
- “The Best Defense is a Good Documentation Offense,” Touchette Regional Hospital, Centerville, Illinois, January 2009.
- “Collateral Source Rule and District Court Conflicts on Medicaid/Medicare Liens,” Hinshaw seminar, Belleville, Illinois, February 2008.
- "Where the Future Begins, Striving to Set and Meet Goals," Illinois State Senator James F. Clayborne, Jr.'s (D–57th District) Mentor Program, Belleville, Illinois 2007.
- “Legal Aspects of Medical Documentation,” Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital, East St. Louis, Illinois, 2004.
Mr. Quinn is a member of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Center for Autism in Fairview Heights, Illinois. He is also a board member for the Student Nurse Achievement Program (S.N.A.P.) at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.
Untress is an avid golfer and plays trumpet for local blues and jazz bands. He spends time mentoring youth, and also enjoys writing, exercise training, cycling and photography.