IDC Distinguished Member Award

James P. DuChateau

2026
Distinguished Member
Award Recipient

James P. DuChateau of HeplerBroom LLC in Chicago was honored by 2025-2026 President R. Mark Cosimini with the IDC Distinguished Member Award at the Annual Meeting held Friday, June 19, 2026.

In presenting the award, President Cosimini remarked, “Jim has been a valued member of the IDC for at least 15 years. In addition to being a vital member of the board of directors for the past 9 years, Jim served as the Editor in Chief of the Quarterly, served in committee leadership roles, and served as a substantive speaker at IDC seminars. Jim has done everything that was ever asked of him and more. I can’t think of a more deserving member of IDC to receive the Distinguished Member Award.”

DuChateau responded: “Receiving the Distinguished Member Award is an honor, and a wonderful culmination of nine meaningful years serving on the Board of Directors for the IDC. It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve and help guide such a sterling organization; one that continues to set the professional bar for defense counsel extremely high. With the concentration of legal talent in this organization, I was truly touched, humbled and profoundly grateful to the IDC and its members for this award and recognition.”

James P. DuChateau is a partner with HeplerBroom LLC in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice exclusively on insurance coverage litigation, with a particular emphasis on complex first-party property claims and high-exposure coverage disputes. For more than 15 years, he has advised insurers across the country on sophisticated coverage matters involving business interruption, fraud, appraisal, bad faith, and emerging insurance issues, while representing clients in state and federal courts throughout the Midwest and Mountain West.

In addition to his distinguished legal career, Jim has made extraordinary contributions to the Illinois defense bar and to the Illinois Defense Counsel in particular. He has served on the IDC Board of Directors from 2017-2026 and has held numerous leadership positions, including Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee, Editor-in-Chief of the IDC Quarterly, and Editor-in-Chief of the IDC Survey of Law.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, Jim has earned recognition as both an Illinois Super Lawyer and a former IDC Volunteer of the Year recipient. The Distinguished Member Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Illinois Defense Counsel, recognizes his exceptional service, leadership, and enduring contributions to the organization and the defense community throughout Illinois.

Follow this link to view all Previous Distinguished Member Award Recipients.