Craig Mathew Derrig

Craig Derrig is the managing partner of WSHB's Chicago office and a partner in the firm's Miami, Florida, office. He is a civil litigator who defends professional liability, employment, property & casualty, environmental, transportation, cybersecurity and data privacy, insurance coverage, construction, medical malpractice and healthcare law, and complex commercial matters. Craig's practice also includes the defense of product liability matters, including sporting goods, medical devices, industrial equipment, and other consumer products.

Craig has built a track record of success representing some of the world's largest insurance carriers, Fortune 500 companies, architects, engineers, medical professionals, contractors, public entities, and regional and local businesses. Craig has trial experience in Illinois state and federal courts and has defended firm clients at numerous arbitration hearings and mediations. He has also successfully briefed and argued numerous summary judgment motions in high-exposure cases, resulting in published opinions in the Illinois state and federal courts.

He has served as Secondment Counsel for a US insurance carrier, where he worked with the claims and underwriting teams on public entity, higher education, and religious organization claims and related coverage issues. As a hard-working team player, Craig demonstrates a high level of responsiveness in his interactions with firm clients. He has built a track record of success in efficiently litigating their matters from pre-suit investigation through trial and appeal. His dedication has earned him repeated recognition by his peers, including multiple selections to the Illinois Super Lawyers' 'Rising Stars' list and his 2026 'Super Lawyers' honor. Beyond his legal and academic achievements, Craig was also a Division I scholarship baseball player.

Newsroom

News

•Contractors on the Hook for Subcontractor Unpaid Wages
Article, 8.3.22
•New Location for Chicago Office is a Homerun for WSHB
Newsroom, 4.9.18
•WSHB Opens Chicago Office
Newsroom, 12.7.16

Events, Seminars & Speaking Engagements

•Navigating and Beating Social Inflation
Speaking Engagement, Chicago, IL, 8.18.22

•How to Hold Plaintiffs Accountable
Events, Chicago, Illinois, 4.11.22

•Wild Card Witnesses: Addressing Challenges with Employees in Litigation
Events, 7.27.21

Publications

•Illinois 2026: What the Next Wave of Laws Says About Where the State is Headed
Article, 1.28.26
•The Insurance Risks of Transporting Lithium Batteries
Article, 5.28.25
•Illinois Court Finds Restaurant May be Liable for Vehicle Crash Through Front Window
Article, 6.18.24
•Illinois Appellate Court Sets Precedent in Freight Broker Liability Case
Case Updates, 10.16.23
•Term 'Reside' Not Ambiguous in Policy for Inherited Property Never Occupied by Insurer
Case Updates, 8.4.23
•Hospital Not Liable for Negligent Acts of Independent Contractor Doctors
Case Updates, 6.19.23
•Illinois Mandates 40 Hours Paid Leave No Questions Asked
Case Updates, 5.5.23
•Insured Entitled to Coverage for Breach of Media Liability Clause in Violation of Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act
Case Updates, 4.14.23
•Absence of a Handrail Near Pedicure Pedestal Sufficient to Establish Proximate Cause
Case Updates, 4.6.23
•Attorneys on the Hook for Professional Malpractice After Obtaining Multi-Million Dollar Verdict for Med Mal Client
Case Updates, 10.27.22

In the News

•Illinois 2026: What the Next Wave of Laws Says About Where the State is Headed
•The Insurance Risks of Transporting Lithium Batteries
•Illinois Court Finds Restaurant May be Liable for Vehicle Crash Through Front Window
•Illinois Appellate Court Sets Precedent in Freight Broker Liability Case

Honors & Recognitions

•Named an Illinois Super Lawyer (2026)
•Top-rated Civil Litigation attorney in Chicago, IL
•Named an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star (2009 - 2010, 2012 - 2016)
•Emerging Lawyers (2015)