William Cook Honored With the Distinguished Service Award by the Chicago Bar Association

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is proud to announce that partner William (Bill) Cook IV has been honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Chicago Bar Association for his “outstanding volunteer service to the Judicial Evaluation Committee through diligence, discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment.”

About the Judicial Evaluation Committee

The Chicago Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) evaluates judicial candidates and judges seeking retention in Cook County to help voters assess their qualifications, independence, integrity, and fitness for the bench. Through a comprehensive peer-review process, the JEC reviews candidates against seven criteria: integrity, legal knowledge, legal ability, professional experience, judicial temperament, diligence, and punctuality.

The committee conducts extensive investigations, reviews references and professional records, interviews candidates, and holds confidential hearings before issuing ratings of “Highly Qualified,” “Qualified,” or “Not Recommended.” Its findings are published as a public service to promote informed judicial elections and support a high-quality judiciary.

In his volunteer role with the JEC, Bill investigates sitting and prospective judges by reviewing their backgrounds and voting records, contacting references, and assessing their character and fitness to serve on the Cook County bench.

About Bill

Bill represents individuals and commercial enterprises in high-stakes contract disputes and catastrophic tort matters, including wrongful death and survival claims.

Bill advises clients on complex managed care disputes involving life, health, disability, and ERISA-related matters, counseling both in-network and out-of-network providers on payment disputes, coding audits, and denials of treatment. Additionally, he represents employee benefit plans and fiduciaries on health, life, and disability benefit claims, as well as matters involving consumer fraud, bad faith, data privacy, biometric privacy compliance, securities fraud, and corporate disputes.

Active in the legal community, Bill also serves as a member of the Celtic Legal Society of Chicago and the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago.

Media Coverage

• • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: "CDLB People" (August 22, 2026)