Attorneys
Attorneys-Litigation Management and Trial Litigation
Daniel P. Costello, Esquire
Founder
Dan Costello, Founder of Daniel P. Costello & Associates, LLC, has years of experience concentrating in construction litigation, complex litigation, litigation management, products liability, and insurance coverage matters. He actively works with insurance companies to improve their litigation management and claims handling protocols.
He has successfully handled over 100 major jury trials, arbitrations, and mediations. He has substantial corporate business experience. In his time working for a Fortune 500 insurance company he became the youngest National Director of Claims Litigation in the history of the 90 year old company rising to the position in only five and half years. During that time he also focused his attention on litigating the most complex and catastrophic loss cases across the country. He has also as acted as general counsel for regional consulting companies, focusing on the strategic and legal challenges. Mr. Costello has also been appointed as a member with the Counsel on Litigation Management(CLM) and has spoken all over the country on their behalf. The CLM is a select group of attorneys, insurance companies, risk managers, and general counsel of some of the nation’s largest businesses, whose mission is to promote the highest standards of performance and ethics in the areas of litigation, risk management, and legal billing. Membership in the CLM is by invitation only and signifies that the Member embodies the combined attributes of legal skill and dedication to ethics that is at the top of the industry.
His bar admissions include the United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Trial and General Bar, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, the Illinois Supreme Court, Pro Hac Vice to the Supreme Court of North Dakota 2005, Pro Hac Vice to the Supreme Court of Louisiana 2005, and other states. Mr. Costello is also a member of the American Bar Association, ABA Trial and Insurance Practice Section, and the Chicago Bar Association.
In addition to the CLM, Mr. Costello has also lectured all over the country to insurance companies, businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. He has presented on litigation management, ethical considerations, and construction contracts. He is recognized as an innovator and leader in integrating law and technology. He has worked with state and federal courts, in the non-profit sector, advising on utilizing the web to promote the spread of information and the rule of law. He is also active in his community contributing legal services and acting as an Executive Council member for the Cara Program.
Email: dcostello@costellolegal.com
James C. Barrow
Partner
James Barrow has extensive litigation experience, including handling over 100 major jury trials, arbitrations and mediations, in Illinois, Indiana, Texas, New Jersey and California Courts. He has focused the last ten years on complex litigation, products liability, premises liability, construction litigation and insurance coverage matters. Mr. Barrow has also led trial teams on many high profile catastrophic loss cases for a major excess liability carrier, where the majority of cases headed toward multi-week trials. While in house counsel for a Fortune 500 insurance company, Mr. Barrow supervised all large loss property subrogation lawsuits in Indiana and Illinois. While working for a nationally recognized firm specializing in property subrogation and insurance coverage, Mr. Barrow successfully litigated numerous multi-million dollar property subrogation matters in Nevada, New Jersey and Illinois. He is also a successful appellate attorney who has argued significant complex trial and insurance coverage issues before the Illinois Appellate Courts.
Mr. Barrow assumed the role as supervising attorney for a large in house firm concentrating in the area of appellate practice and insurance coverage, as well as counsel for several best of breed law firms in the State of Illinois. This experience shapes his practice as one devoted to upfront litigation management, attention to client needs, and collaboration with all clients to exceed their expectations.
His bar admissions include the United States 7th Court of Appeals, 1998; Supreme Court of Indiana, 1998; U.S.D.C for the Northern and Southern District of Indiana, 1998; Supreme Court of Illinois, 1999; U.S.D.C. for the Southern and Northern District of Illinois, 2005; U.S.D.C. for the Central District, 2008; Federal Trial Bar, 2008; U.S.D.C. for the Southern District, Texas, 2002; and, Pro Hac Vice to numerous Federal Districts and State Supreme Courts.
Mr. Barrow has presented lectures and presentations at insurance companies, law schools and businesses in numerous states on insurance coverage matters, trial advocacy and techniques and property subrogation. Mr. Barrow’s past and present professional memberships include: Chicago Bar Association; American Bar Association; Indiana State Bar Association; Illinois State Bar Association; The Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel; and the Korean Bar Association. Mr. Barrow also provides pro bono legal services in both state and federal courts. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching his sons, Ian and Dean’s two soccer teams.
Email: jbarrow@costellolegal.com
Robert E. Youngman
Robert Youngman has over 19 years of experience concentrating in complex litigation, construction litigation, insurance coverage, products liability and premises liability matters. Representing major insurance carriers he has successfully litigated jury trials, arbitrations and meditations in Illinois and defended cases in the neighboring states of Indiana and Wisconsin. Mr. Youngman has also acted as lead attorney responsible for managing trial teams through discovery, motion practice and trial preparation of transportation, school liability and product liability cases for a major excess insurance carrier.
This skill and experience brought him to the position of supervising attorney, managing the day to day operations, of the Chicago office of a Fortune 500 insurance carrier. He also brings the unique perspective of having worked in all aspects of insurance claims and litigation. Mr. Youngman started his career as a claims representative. He then moved on to in-house counsel for regional and then national carriers. He has also worked as an attorney in panel firms handling a vast array of cases. Mr. Youngman has earned a reputation for taking on the most demanding cases and those with the most unusual facts and theories with relish. And he brings this experience to bear on every case employing a strategy of upfront litigation management that consistently brings quality results. Mr. Youngman is a graduate of both the undergraduate and law school of Valparaiso University.
Mr. Youngman’s bar admissions include the U.S.D.C for the Northern District of Illinois, U.S.D.C for the Northern District of Indiana and Pro Hac Vice admission in Wisconsin. But his primary focus is on the State of Illinois, and more importantly Chicago and Cook County where he was born and raised. Based on his experience and knowledge, Mr. Youngman has been invited to speak in various settings, primarily on the topic of insurance coverage litigation.
In addition to his lifelong dedication to insurance defense and coverage issues, Mr. Youngman also provides pro bono services in Cook County and the U.S.D.C. for the Northern District of Illinois. He balances this commitment by spending as much time as possible with his wife Stephanie, also an attorney, and his son Christian.
Email: ryoungman@costellolegal.com
Patricia M. Ross
Patricia’s interest in trial work began during a judicial externship with the Honorable James P. Flannery in the Law Division of the Cook County Circuit Court. She soon became part of John Marshall’s Trial Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Honors Counsel and served as a Board Member where her interest in trial work as well as alternative dispute resolution grew. Patricia began to build her practical trial skills through her work as a law clerk for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in the Child Protection unit at the Juvenile Justice Bureau. She received her license pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711 and was able to participate in various bench trial proceedings.
In addition to her interest in trial work, Patricia was a National Semi-finalist on John Marshall’s ABA Negotiation Team. Patricia also served as a teaching assistant for Magistrate Judge Mason’s Counseling and Negotiations class. .
Patricia excelled in academics as well; she received the CALI award in Conflicts during the Fall semester of 2009 and her grades earned her a place on the Dean’s List for four out of six semesters. She received a Dean’s Scholarship for 2007-2008 as well as the Rosenberg Scholarship, Spring 2009. She also has experience in appellate work through her time in the Criminal Appeals division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Ian Hoffenberg -Of Counsel
Ian Hoffenberg has 9 years of experience in complex litigation matters, including experience in all aspects of business and corporate litigation, insurance coverage matters, bad faith insurance litigation, commercial litigation, and real estate and construction litigation. Prior to coming aboard he worked as inside counsel for one of the largest law firms in the world providing advice to attorneys in the Chicago office on real estate, liens, zoning, and other related matters.
Mr. Hoffenberg’s experience includes writing memorandum opinions on a wide variety of civil cases as a judicial clerk in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, as well as subsequently working in private practice as an advocate attorney on all aspects of complex litigation matters. Mr. Hoffenberg is also a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he completed a bachelor of arts in literature. He is a graduate of Chicago Kent College of Law where he graduated with honors and was recognized for his academic achievement.