Everett J. Cygal

Partner

Everett draws on his extensive trial experience and deep understanding of insurance and reinsurance issues to help his clients achieve successful outcomes.

Everett Cygal Portrait

Everett is a trial lawyer who has represented domestic and global insurance and reinsurance companies (cedents and reinsurers) over the last 25 years in exceptionally complex, high-exposure cases before both trial courts and arbitration panels. Everett’s trials for these clients include a vast array of property and casualty and life and health issues. 

Beyond his work for reinsurers, insurance companies call on Everett to litigate sophisticated declaratory judgment actions concerning estoppel, lost policies, and advertising injury. They entrust him with complex issues of first impression, including the attempted importation of the continuous trigger theory into molestation coverage cases. Everett has successfully litigated leading cases relating to the Federal Arbitration Act, confidentiality, and the conduct of arbitrators and umpires.

Client Work

  • Catholic Mutual Relief Society of Am. v. Arrowood Indemnity Co., No. 17-3141 (JRT/LIB), 2018 WL 3826689 (D. Minn. August 10, 2018) – Everett obtained a denial of the defendant’s motion to dismiss a claim by Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America for a declaratory judgment that the defendant was liable under its predecessor company’s policies and therefore must defend and indemnify the Diocese of St. Cloud against sexual abuse claims covered by both insurers.
  • Lamorak Insurance Co. v. KONE Inc. et al., 2018 IL App (1st) 163398 – Everett obtained affirmance of a successful motion for partial summary judgment in the trial court, which established that a co-insurer’s policies with self-insured retentions should be considered primary coverage for purposes of horizontal exhaustion under Illinois law.
  • Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. v. Rotter, No. 17 C 3562, 2018 WL 1453554 (N.D. Ill. March 23, 2018) – Everett obtained dismissal of claims against American United Life Insurance Company for alleged tortious interference in a dispute related to general agents who terminated their agreements with the plaintiff.
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Professional Activities

Over the years, Everett has devoted a significant part of his practice to pro bono representations that have included several trials. He was the lead trial lawyer in both a statewide class action concerning the treatment and conditions of civilly committed individuals and a later individual action. This latter case is one of the few ever to hold that a state official violated the “professional judgment” standard required to prove a Due Process claim under the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Everett is a current member of the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union Illinois (ACLU) and previously served nine years on the Board of Directors of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAF).

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

  • Chambers USA – Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Reinsurance, Illinois (2021 and 2023-2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers (2021)
  • Illinois Leading Lawyer, Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network (2012-2021)
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Boards, Memberships & Certifications

  • AIDA Reinsurance and Insurance Arbitration Society (ARIAS•U.S.)
  • American Bar Association
  • The Association of Life Insurance Counsel (ALIC)
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Bar & Court Admissions
    • Illinois Bar
    • New York Bar
    • US Supreme Court
    • US Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
    • US District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
    • US District Court, Eastern District of New York
    • US District Court, Southern District of New York
  • Education
    University of Chicago, AB, 1989
    Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, JD, cum laude, 1993

Awards

Awards

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