James M. Eastham

Partner
Chicago, IL
(312) 275-3030
email James jeastham@tlsslaw.com
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With over two decades of diverse experience providing detailed coverage analysis and representing national and local insurers in all forms of insurance litigation, James is a trusted counselor and resource for third-party and first-party insurers alike.

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Jim’s clients benefit from his clear, confident guidance and his ability to see how the decisions that are made today will impact a client tomorrow.

A partner in the firm’s Chicago office, James Eastham has protected and advanced the interests of national and local insurance companies for over 20 years. Jim’s extensive experience providing detailed coverage analysis and representing insurers in all forms of insurance litigation affords him the ability to give clear, confident guidance and the perspective to see how the decisions that are made today will impact a client tomorrow.

Jim’s practice entails counseling and representing insurance companies in both the first and third-party contexts. Throughout his career, Jim has provided his accessible, responsive, and trusted counsel involving all forms of third-party insurance coverage and a wide range of third-party insurance issues including bad faith, professional liability, construction defects, and environmental contamination.

In addition to his background in third-party matters, Jim also has considerable experience with first-party property issues. Jim has counseled clients on a multitude of first-party property issues and has represented insurance carriers in numerous first-party actions in state and federal courts throughout the United States.

Jim also has experience in policy drafting and has prepared and refined a vast array of exclusionary provisions including those dealing with Chinese drywall, contracted persons, pesticides, and lethal weapons. 

A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who earned his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, Jim takes pride in providing clients with the insights that come from over two decades of counseling insurers. When not serving his clients, Jim enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, playing poker and home improvement projects.

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Education

  • University of Illinois School of Law, J.D.
  • University of Illinois, B.S.

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • 7th Circuit Court of Appeals

Professional & Community Affiliations

  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
  • Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Chicago Bar Association (CBA)

Publications

  • When Is Your Work Really “Your Work?” Construction Defect Claims In The GC Context (ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Newsletter, Fall 2013)
  • Co-Author, Sandy: The Second Wave. Business Interruption Claims Approach Landfall (IACP-Declarations, Fall 2013)
  • First Party Coverage Blog, editor.

Perspectives

Related Services

Bad Faith & Extra-Contractual General Liability Insurance Coverage / Reinsurance Professional Liability