Richard C. Harris

Richard C. Harris focuses primarily on defending commercial airline operators and product manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad against claims for personal injury, property damage, and product liability. With an emphasis on litigating critical motions and appeals, he has helped secure numerous favorable rulings and settlements for his clients.

Richard’s past experiences include a four-year clerkship for the Honorable Susan F. Hutchinson of the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District. He began his legal career working for the Office of the State Appellate Defender, representing indigent clients in direct appeals from criminal convictions. Through these appellate experiences, Richard gained valuable exposure to various legal issues and sharpened his knowledge of appellate procedure.

During law school, Richard served as an extern for the Federal Public Defender's Office in Rockford, Illinois, and the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District. He was also a semi-finalist and won the award for best oralist in the Lenny B. Mandell Moot Court Competition and competed in the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law's (formerly The John Marshall Law School) International Moot Court Competition in Information Technology and Privacy Law.

Prior to joining Hinshaw in 2023, Richard spent nearly four years working as an associate attorney with Adler, Murphy & McQuillen, a premier aviation litigation firm in Chicago. Richard also formerly served on the board of the Illinois Appellate Lawyer’s Association.