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Andre A. Hunter Jr.

Associate

Andre Hunter, Jr., a former Illinois Assistant Attorney General, is a forward-thinking litigator and trial lawyer who mitigates risks and reduces costs for clients. 

An "All-Tort" defense attorney, Andre specializes in product and premises liability, multi-district litigation (MDL), and environmental & toxic torts. Known for his commanding courtroom presence and skill in cross-examining witnesses, physicians, and experts, Andre has secured numerous dismissals and cost-effective victories in high-stakes cases involving asbestos, talc, PFAS/"forever chemicals," and wrongful death and bodily injury claims against property owners and event organizers.

In just his fourth year of practice, Andre began leading key aspects of the National Coordinating Counsel (NCC) team for a multinational industrial manufacturer, contributing to the nationwide defense strategy in PFAS/"forever chemical" litigation, coordinating local counsel, and managing high-profile cases across multiple jurisdictions. Simultaneously, Andre also contributes to the National Discovery Counsel team for a Fortune 500 company in talc litigation, assisting with discovery efforts nationwide.

Beyond his nationwide tort practice, Andre defends clients in complex commercial, employment, and civil rights matters, advising corporations on contractual disputes and labor investigations, and representing elected officials and government employees in civil rights cases. A published author and regular CLE presenter, Andre is also committed to mentoring law students and young attorneys, staying ahead of legal trends to deliver innovative strategies for clients.

In law school, Andre was selected for the Philip H. Corboy Fellowship, a full-time trial law program limited to only 10 law students annually. A member of multiple title-winning mock trial teams, he went undefeated and took 1st Place at the 2019 National Black Law Students Association Mock Trial Tournament in Chicago, Illinois. In 2020, Andre’s team was the #2 ranked mock trial team in the United States. Additionally, Andre served as extern to U.S. District Court Judge LaShonda Hunt, law clerk with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, clinician for the Loyola Federal Tax Clinic, and law clerk to NBA/NCAA basketball agent, Brian Elfus.

As the 2017 Class President at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Andre was awarded the Outstanding Senior Award for his leadership in drafting a new constitution, organizing commencement, and securing funding for a class gift. During college, Andre also interned for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. 

In the legal community, Andre serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, one of the largest young lawyer bar associations in the country, and as Chair of the Tort Law Committee. During his previous term on the Board of Directors, Andre was honored with the "Rising Star Award for Leaders with Exceptional Promise" and appointed as Ambassador to Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Of African-American and Filipino descent, Andre is fluent in Tagalog. Outside of work, he enjoys basketball, the outdoors, and traveling annually to the Philippines to spend time with family.

  • Northern District Court of IL (2021) – achieved a favorable nuisance value resolution for claims of assault and deliberate indifference to medical needs made against government employees and officials.
  • Circuit Court of Madison County, IL (2022) – obtained a favorable value resolution in a toxic tort lawsuit on behalf of a national automotive equipment manufacturer after briefing a motion for summary judgment under Illinois and Iowa law, along with a motion to apply the more favorable substantive laws of Iowa in Madison County, due to significant case-specific connections to Iowa.
  • Circuit Court of Cook County, IL (2023) – achieved a dismissal of a toxic tort lawsuit on behalf of an international automotive manufacturer after Court granted client’s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction.
  • Circuit Court of Cook County, IL (2023) – secured a dismissal of a premises liability lawsuit for a leading property management company in the Chicagoland area for an alleged injury sustained by a tenant.
  • Circuit Court of Cook County, IL (2023) – obtained a favorable global resolution on behalf of a national industrial and factory equipment manufacturer which included the dismissal of multiple pending toxic tort lawsuits made by other plaintiffs.
  • Circuit Court of Cook County, IL (2023) – achieved a dismissal of a toxic tort lawsuit on behalf of an international truck manufacturer by filing a substantive motion to dismiss centered on the Court’s lack of personal jurisdiction.
  • Circuit Court of Cook County, IL (2023) – obtained a favorable nuisance value resolution for a national automotive equipment manufacturer in a toxic tort lawsuit stemming from an alleged terminal illness sustained by the claimant through occupational automotive work completed outside the pending jurisdiction.
  • Circuit Court of Cook County, IL (2023) – achieved a favorable nuisance value resolution for a leading Chicagoland ambulance service in a lawsuit based on negligence in the medical treatment and transportation of a medical patient.
  • Circuit Court of Cook County, IL (2023) – secured a favorable nuisance value resolution for a Chicago music festival stemming from an alleged injury sustained by a visitor during the event.

  • Author, The Foundations of Form: Objection Techniques for Illinois Attorneys in State Court Depositions, CBA Record, March/April 2024
  • Author, Demystifying Asbestos Litigation: a Primer for Illinois Attorneys, CBA Record, November/December 2023
  • Author, Precise Advice: Words of Wisdom for New Attorneys, CBA Record, March/April 2023

Presentations 

  • Speaker, Student Debt Forum, Chicago Bar Association, April 20, 2023.
  • Speaker, Civility in the Profession … How to Play Nice (Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct), Chicago Bar Association CLE Basic Skills Course, December 5, 2023.
  • Speaker, “Navigating Your Career as a Diverse Attorney”, Chicago Bar Association & Black Men Lawyers’ Association, April 15, 2024.

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois

Memberships

  • Chicago Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section
    • Secretary-Treasurer (2024-present)
    • Chair, Tort Law Committee (2024-present)
    • Ambassador, Loyola University Chicago School of Law (2023-present)
    • Director (2022-2024)
    • Chair, Law School Membership Committee (2023-2024)
    • Vice-Chair, Moot Court Committee (2023-2024)
    • CBA Membership Committee (2023-2024)
    • CBA Nominations Committee (2023)
  • Black Men Lawyers’ Association
  • Filipino American Lawyers Association

Community Involvement

  • Former Intern, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
  • Former Intern, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth
  • Former Intern, Democratic Party of Wisconsin

Education

  • J.D. & Certificate in Advocacy; Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2020
    • Loyola Merit Scholar
    • Philip H. Corboy Fellowship in Trial Advocacy
    • BLSA Mock Trial Team
    • Corboy Mock Trial Team
    • Editor, Loyola Consumer Law Review
    • Vice President, Sports & Entertainment Law Society
  • B.A., Political Science; Minor, Entrepreneurship; University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2017
    • Dean’s List
    • President, Class of 2017
    • WI State Vice President, College Democrats of America
    • 2017 Spring Commencement Speaker

Externships

  • Honorable LaShonda A. Hunt, United States Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Illinois

Honors

  • 2023 Rising Star Award, Chicago Bar Association
  • 2022 Co-Rookie of the Year, GRSM (Chicago)
  • 2017 Outstanding Senior Award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • 2016 College Democrat of the Year, College Democrats of Wisconsin

Languages

  • Tagalog (Philippines)