Chicago Business Litigation Lawyers
A Law firm that Clients Trust
The law firm of King & Jones handles significant cases in Chicago and nationwide involving business litigation, trusts & estates litigation, insurance litigation, and more. From representing plaintiffs and defendants in large commercial disputes to helping individual policyholders take on the insurance giants to have their claim covered, our lawyers take on your case and make it our own. Your goals are our goals; we strive to achieve the best result possible and get there efficiently and cost-effectively. For over 40 years, our Chicago business litigation lawyers have successfully handled a wide variety of cases, and we look forward to meeting with you and the opportunity to help you, too.
Practice Areas
Client Testimonials
Highest Quality Legal Representation
I can’t say enough good about King & Jones. HIGHLY recommended. If you’re lucky enough for them to have time to take you as a client, you will be well served. I’d venture to say it’s the highest quality legal representation in the city for the most reasonable price, with no bureaucracy.
William Schreiner
Best Results for their Clients
I am a California attorney and had the pleasure of being co-counsel with Peter King and Bill Jones in a complicated real estate case through a lengthy trial. In my over 30-years of practice, I have rarely met attorneys with the dedication and commitment Peter and Bill have towards the law and getting the best result for their clients. Their preparation, knowledge of the law and ability to advocate was truly impressive. I would have no hesitation in recommending King & Jones to anyone in need of legal assistance!
Toby Magarian
Nothing but admiration
I have nothing but admiration, respect & gratitude for the firm of Canel, King, & Jones. The entire team and in particular, Peter King, handled my case, a complicated suit alleging breach of fiduciary duty with a clear plan, meticulous research, thoughtful execution and concise, compelling arguments. I was consulted, challenged and expertly guided through all phases of the process.
Linda Potter
Experienced Litigators
Peter King and his firm, Canel, King & Jones, have represented me and several of my corporate entities for over thirty years. They are experienced litigators who fight aggressively to achieve the best possible outcome and protect their clients’ business interests. Their area of expertise is not limited to litigating partnership disputes, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud or corporate opportunity disputes. They are litigators and trial lawyers who are dedicated to aggressively fighting for the client. They know litigation is not about them, but about achieving the best outcome and they know how to do it.
Allan Leving
Big Firm Quality
Strongly recommended. They quickly grasped my legal situation and provided me with well thought out options to consider at each decision point of my legal matter. They are smart, tough and has the experience to deal with complex legal matters. The attorneys at Canel, King and Jones, provide big firm quality, but the personal attention only available at a smaller practice. The personal relationship developed with me during my matter provided me with the confidence that they had my interests in mind.
Randy D.
A Wealth Of Trial Experience
Many of the settlements we have entered into for our clients contain confidentiality clauses so in some instances we are prohibited from fully discussing the results.
Breach of Fiduciary Duty Shareholder Litigation
We have successfully defended shareholders and members in many shareholder disputes initiated by minority equity holders for breach of fiduciary duty in Illinois and Missouri. The underlying companies involved in the cases include private equity, cable TV, financial services, hedge funds, home building, and food services, just to name a few. One of our more recent cases involved a trial in the Circuit Court of Cook County, where our trial lawyers defended a client against a $30,000,000 damage claim. After the trial, the court ruled in favor of our client on all claims.
We successfully represented minority members of a Delaware LLC in a suit to obtain books and records of a large hedge fund. The case involved lawsuits in Illinois and Delaware. We were able to successfully obtain a fair price for our clients’ membership interests.
Our experienced trial lawyers obtained a jury verdict for a minority shareholder in a corporate freeze out, and the verdict included an assessment of punitive damages.
One of our trial lawyers obtained a jury verdict against a general partner for breach of fiduciary duty in excess of $18,000,000 after a two-week jury trial. The court later added millions in equitable prejudgment interest to the verdict. The case was eventually settled after an appeal.
TRUST & ESTATE LITIGATION
We obtained summary judgment in favor of our client, a personal representative of a $60,000,000 estate in Florida, successfully defending claims of mismanagement of the Estate’s assets.
We represent litigants in Probate Trust and Estate jury trials and other disputes regularly.
INSURANCE COVERAGE LITIGATION
King & Jones obtained a favorable settlement for a large antique dealer against his property insurer for inventory damage caused by a gas leak.
A King & Jones trial lawyer obtained a verdict against a large insurance company in a bad faith case involving an antique dealer. Based on our legal arguments, the Court ordered the company to pay our client’s attorney’s fees under the Illinois Insurance Code.
We regularly represent policyholders in contract disputes against their insurance companies.
ARBITRATIONS
We succeeded in having the Illinois Appellate Court vacate an arbitration award against our clients on the basis that the arbitrators lacked power to reform a contract.
INJUNCTIONS
Although we are all members of the Illinois Bar, we also handle business and commercial litigation in other states. For example, we obtained an injunction in Marion County, Florida, for a philanthropist who donated a museum, artwork, and millions of dollars to the Florida State University Foundation. The Foundation was sued for breaching its promise to care for the Museum in perpetuity. The case settled on favorable terms while on appeal.
CIVIL RIGHTS LITIGATION
King & Jones has a history of involvement in high-profile civil rights litigation. Together with Gerry L. Spence of Jackson, Wyoming, the firm represented Dennis Williams, one of the “Ford Heights Four,” in a malicious prosecution case against Cook County, Illinois, and certain Sheriff’s deputies. Mr. Williams spent 18 years in prison, 15 of those on death row, for a crime he did not commit. All four cases were settled in April 1999 for $36,000,000. Williams v. County of Cook, Case No. 97 L 4886 (Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois).
Our firm attorneys were appointed to represent James Marshall, a Chicago police torture victim, in his post-conviction proceedings. On February 8, 2019, following a full evidentiary hearing, the Circuit Court granted James’s post-trial motion and vacated his conviction after James served 30 years for a crime he did not commit. The People of the State of Illinois v. James Marshall, Case No. 88 CR 18817 (Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois). That decision was affirmed by the Illinois Appellate Court. Our law firm continues to work diligently for civil rights victims and pursue justice for those wronged at the hands of government representatives.
King & Jones has a passion for serving our clients, protecting their interests, and exceeding their expectations using our extensive experience, diligent work ethic, and dedicated firm support. We have represented clients through a vast array of complex disputes and are not afraid to put our experience to the test in bringing your case to a successful resolution. We understand that solutions require a replete body of knowledge and individualized attention. Our comprehensive understanding of business law and civil litigation practice allows us to provide effective strategies for our clients and work to meet their individual goals.
Attorney Referrals
Because our practice is national in scope, we work with co-counsel on many of our cases. Having a trusting and solid relationship with our co-counsel is critical to our success in any case. We forge strong bonds with lawyers we work with and typically work together with those lawyers more than once. We believe in fair fee and work sharing arrangements with co-counsel, so everyone is on the same page. Testimonials from lawyers we have worked with all over the country are included on this page. Feel free to give these lawyers a call. We are happy to discuss working on a case with you as co-counsel.
