Profile
Presentations
Publications

Terry McAvoy has 35 years of civil litigation experience in state and federal court defending hundreds of attorneys and law firms against claims involving professional liability, legal malpractice and professional negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, common law fraud, violations of the Consumer Fraud Act, defamation and disciplinary action matters.

Previously, he counseled professional liability carriers on lawyers' professional liability insurance coverage and was national claims counsel overseeing defense activities nationwide.

Terry has tried many cases and has significant experience in the appellate courts.

Terry joined Hinshaw in 1987. He is the past chairman of the CBA's Committee on Attorney Malpractice.

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association (CBA)
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
  • Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS)

Honors & Awards

  • Holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability
  • Member of the Leading Lawyers Network, where he was selected by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in Commercial Litigation and Professional Malpractice Defense Law

Presentations

  • "Current Issues in Conflict-of-Interest Situations: Understanding and Managing Conflicts of Interest," Chicago Bar Association Committee Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, May 3, 2017
  • "Three's Company: Navigating the Winding Road of the Insurer, Insured and Defense Counsel," West LegalEdcenter live webcast, March 2013
  • "The Significant New Decisions Affecting Litigation Attorneys," Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2013
  • "What's Your Little Secret? They Want to Know," Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, in Chicago, Illinois, March 2010

Publications

Terry is the editor of Hinshaw's Lawyers for the Profession® alerts and a past editor of The Lawyers' Lawyer Newsletter, which address recent developments and cases in professional liability law, risk management, and malpractice prevention issues.

  • Co-Author, Chapter 4, "Attorney Liability to Adversaries and Other Third Parties," Attorneys' Legal Liability, IICLE 2022 Edition (also the 2018 and 2014 Editions)
  • "Trial Court's Error in Underlying Case Was Superseding Cause of Plaintiffs' Claimed Damages," DRI The Voice 17, October 14, 2016

Hinshaw Publications

J.D., with distinction, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, 1987

B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1983