Rick Hammond co-chairs Johnson & Bell's Insurance group, concentrating on property insurance coverage, arson and fraud and bad faith litigation.

Mr. Hammond has held several high-profile posts. He's the past president of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, on the Board of Directors of the Insurance School of Chicago and a columnist for the International Association of Special Investigative Units' publication, SIU Awareness. Mr. Hammond also serves as general counsel for the Insurance Committee for Arson Control, and he has been widely published in numerous journals and magazines. He's a frequent presenter at various insurance industry and bar association conferences.

In 2008, Mr. Hammond won Honorable Mention "Insurance Lawyer of the Year Award" from the Lexis Nexis Insurance Law Center. He is a member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel and a former vice-chair of the Property Insurance Law Committee of the American Bar Association, among other organizational roles.

Honors

Honorable Mention "Insurance Lawyer of the Year Award" from the Lexis Nexis Insurance Law Center, 2008

Presentations & Publications

Publications:

"Avoiding the Pitfalls of Insurance Fraud Investigation and Litigation," 1998

"State Insurance Regulation," (Assistant Editor, Published by the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, 1995)

"Avoiding the Legal Pitfalls of Insurance Fraud Claims Handling," 1994

He also has had numerous featured columns in:

The IDC Quarterly -"Property Insurance" (Published by the Illinois Association of Defense

Counsel) "Comparative Bad Faith (Coming Soon to a Courthouse Near You)" Fourth Quarter, 1997.

The SIU Awareness - "Law Update" (Published by the International Association of Special Investigation Units) "Son with Insured's Power of Attorney" December 1999.

"Insured's Failure to Disclose His Ownership of Home in Bankruptcy Petition Causes Estoppel of His Right to Obtain Coverage for Fire Loss."

Opinion of Fire Origin and Cause Expert Stricken "Fire Labeled as 'Suspicious' is Inconsistent with NFPA 921 Principles".

Insurance Fraud "Ring" Investigation: Ripe Area for Defamation Suits

State Supreme Court Rules that Insurer is Not Required to Prove "Motive" in an "Intentional Acts" (Arson) Coverage Defense

Is There A Statute of Limitations on Bad Faith? "Or Does the Policy of Insurance Control?"; Rescission Based Upon Fraud in the Application of Insurance: Not Appropriate if Injured Third-Party Exists

Insured Admits Fraud in the Presentment of His Claim: Insurer Still Owes Duty to Third-Party

Payment of Claim Doesn't Equate to Waiver of a Fraud Defense: "Rights Were Properly Reserved"

And Target Arson: Update - "Law Update" (Published by the Insurance Committed for Arson Control) "A Procedural Overview of the Appraisal Process in First-Party Property Policies."

Recent Speeches:

American Bar Association, "Earth, Wind, Fire and Water: Cutting Edge Issues in Property Insurance Claims Following a Natural or Man-Made Disaster" St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, April 2001.

National Insurance Crime Bureau Advanced Academy "Examinations Under Oath" Las Vegas, Sacramento, Atlanta 2001.

Insurance Committee for Arson Control 11th Annual National Arson Investigation Training Seminar, Indianapolis, Indiana 1999.

State Farm Insurance Companies' Programs, Speaker at West Central's Fall Special Investigation Unit Meeting, Battendorf, Iowa 1999.

The American Bar Association - National Institute, "Ethical Dilemmas of Representing a Suspected and/or Confirmed Liar" Orlando, Florida 1995.

His local seminar presentations include several for the Illinois State Bar Association Programs.

Affiliations

Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel

Former chair of the Insurance Law Section Council for the Illinois State Bar Association

Community Involvement

Serves on the Board of Trustees of Hales Franciscan High School, recently being inducted into his high school's Hall of Fame

 (Also at Crown Point, Indiana Office)