William P. Hardy

William Hardy is an appellate and trial litigation lawyer. His appellate practice includes emphasis on civil appeals in Illinois intermediate appellate courts, the Supreme Court of Illinois, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Mr. Hardy also maintains an active trial and litigation practice in the areas of constitutional law, civil rights, class actions, intellectual property, contracts and torts, health care, professional liability and various other business and commercial litigation areas. He has tried cases before juries, judges, arbitrators, and various administrative agencies.

In June 2011, Mr. Hardy was installed as the 44th President of the Appellate Lawyers Association. He previously served on the Association’s Board of Directors for two terms, 2003-2005 and 2007-2008, and as Treasurer, Secretary and Vice President during the period from July 2008 through June 2011.In addition, Mr. Hardy chaired the Association’s website committee for two years and currently serves on several committees.

Mr. Hardy joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in May 1989. He formerly served as legislative assistant for State Representative Joel Brunsvold (71st District), Rock Island, Illinois. In that capacity he was responsible for testifying at committee hearings, assisting with drafting of legislation, and working with local charitable organizations to obtain grants of public funding.

From 1994 to 2002, Mr. Hardy served as a contractual administrative law judge for the Illinois Department of Public Health where he presided over more than 50 administrative hearings in cases involving alleged abuse and neglect in nursing homes.

In addition to his other law school achievements Mr. Hardy was the recipient of many awards, including the Illinois Moot Court Competition Oralist, Award 1988-89 and Finalist 1987-88 and 1988-89; Corpus Juris Secundum Award for best overall legal scholarship among second year law students; and Second Place Award, Eastern Mineral Law Foundation Legal Writing Contest.

• Illinois State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Sangamon County Bar Association
• Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel

• Recognized on the Super Lawyers list by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2007, 2009 – 2020
• Recognized by his peers as a "Leading Lawyer" in the area of Civil Appellate Law

• Smith v. Hope School, 560 F. 3d 694 (7th Cir. 2009)
• Wetzler v. Illinois CPA Society & Foundation Retirement Income Plan, et. al., 586 F3d 1053 (7th Cir. 2009)
• Peoples Bank v. BroMenn Healthcare Hospitals et. al., 388 Ill. App. 3d 1097, 905 N.E.2d 339 (4th Dist. 2009)
• Durgins v. City of East St. Louis, 272 F.3d 841 (7th Cir. 2001)
• Pierce v Village of Divernon, 17 F.3d 1074 (7th Cir. 1994)  
• Prairie Eye Center v. Patrick J. Butler, M.D., 329 Ill.App.3d 293, 768 N.E.2d 414 (4 Dist.), appeal denied, 202 Ill.2d 661, 787 N.E.2d 169 (2002)
• Prairie Eye Center v. Patrick J. Butler, M.D., 305 Ill.App.3d 442, 713 N.E.2d 610 (4th Dist.), appeal denied, 185 Ill.2d 665, 720 N.E.2d 1105 (1999)
• Albin v. Illinois Central R.R., 277 Ill. App. 3d 50, 660 N.E.2d 994 (4th Dist. 1996) 
• Walden v. Illinois Central R.R., 975 F.2d 361 (1992)
• Doty v. Illinois Central R.R., 162 F. 3d 460 (7th Cir. 1998)
• Phillips v. Prairie Eye Center, 530 F.3d 22 (1st Cir. 2008)
• Morse v. Illinois Dept. of Professional Regulation, 316 Ill. App. 3d 664, 737 N.E.2d 678 (4th Dist. 2000)
• Hawrelek v Marine Bank, 316 Ill. App. 3d 175, 735 N.E.2d 1066 (4th Dist. 2000)
• Huff v. Enterprise Rent a Car, 307 Ill. App. 3d 773, 718 N.E.2d 235 (4th Dist. 1999)

Mr. Hardy has served as a faculty member and lecturer at programs sponsored by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), the Appellate Lawyers Association, the Lorman Institute, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Topics on which Mr. Hardy has written include:

• "Appeals From Final Judgments That Do Not Dispose of an Entire Proceeding: Illinois Supreme Court Rule 304 and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b)g," author, chapter 11, IICLE's Civil Appeals (Illinois): State and Federal, 2015 edition.
• “Waters and Water Rights,” “Illinois Water Law,” revised edition, 1994, and supplements to present, Michie Company.
• “Survey of Illinois Law—Tort Developments,” co-author with R. Mills, 15 S. Ill. U.L.J. 1111, 1991.
• “Cross-Claims Against Successor Attorneys—Public Policy, Equitable Theories and Ethical Considerations,” 13 S. Ill. U.L.J. 889, 1989.