Jonathan Goken

Managing Partner

Jonathan.Goken@lewisbrisbois.com

Jonathan Goken is the managing partner in the Chicago office of Lewis Brisbois, a co-chair of the First Party Property Practice, and a member of the Insurance Coverage, Bad Faith Litigation, and General Liability Practices. Mr. Goken has significant courtroom experience and has successfully tried to verdict, as lead counsel, countless cases, including first party insurance coverage and bad faith cases, breach of contract, class action, wrongful death, product liability, property damage, premises liability and auto cases. In addition, Mr. Goken has successfully handled and defended various appellate matters.

Mr. Goken began his legal career as a judicial extern for the now Chief Judge of the US Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois, Bruce W. Black, before heading into private practice. Before joining Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, Mr. Goken was a partner at a longstanding regional based Chicago law firm. He is an active member of the Chicago Bar Associates and the Illinois Association of Trial Counsel. He is also involved with the Illinois Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators.

Primary Area(s) of Practice

  • Insurance Coverage
  • Bad Faith Litigation
  • General Liability
  • First Party Property
  • National Trial Practice
  • COVID-19: Insurance Coverage

Admissions

Illinois Supreme Court

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

Education

The John Marshall Law School

Juris Doctor

Illinois State University

Representative Cases

  • Dorner v. Wilmette Real Estate & Management Co. (2013 IL App (1st) 121248-U) (successfully defended property management company at trial and appellate court after plaintiff alleged client was liable for negligent security after a tenant in client’s building was raped and murdered).
  • Lincoln General v. National Wrecking (1st Dist 2013) (successfully secured the dismissal of case brought against insurance broker client alleging professional negligence in the failure to secure insurance for contractor involved in multi-million dollar personal injury lawsuit).
  • Carter & Associates, et. al. v. Sta-Kleen (1st Dist 2012) (defended industrial duct cleaning company at trial in case involving alleged negligence in cleaning restaurant cooking grill and ducts after fire resulted causing approximately $800,000 in alleged damages).
  • Velazquez v. Allstate (1st Dist 2012) (successfully defended national insurer at trial in breach of contract and bad faith case after insurer had denied Plaintiff’s residential fire loss claim pursuant the Intentional Acts and Concealment or Fraud provisions of the insurer’s insurance policy).
  • Harvey v. Fitzpatrick (1st Dist 2012) (successfully secured summary judgment and defended on appeal clients in a rescission case wherein Plaintiffs alleged a series of residential leases should have been rescinded on the basis of material misrepresentation, fraud, violation of the local municipal code, implied warranty of habitability and violation of the state Lead Poisoning Prevention Act).
  • Carter v. Rockford Reachout Jail Ministry (Winnebago Co, IL, 2010) (successfully had case dismissed for failure to state a cause of action in detrimental reliance case).
  • ACR v. JRAW v. FFIC (1st Dist 2009) (successfully tried to defense verdict and defended on appeal breach of contract dispute wherein Plaintiff alleged client failed to pay for rental equipment and services rendered to antique store after an alleged multi-million dollar gas leak claim arose).
  • Glass v. Seidenberg, et. al. (1st Dist. 2009) (secured dismissal of Plaintiff’s personal injury claims by successfully arguing Plaintiff was judicially estopped from asserting her claims as a result of failing to disclose the existence of such claims in another judicial proceeding).
  • State Farm v. Malone (1st Dist. 2008) (secured judgment on the pleadings in client’s favor in first party failure to cooperate case wherein defendant, despite repeated requests, failed and/or refused to produce phone records to client during the course of client’s first party insurance coverage investigation).
  • Baker v. State Farm (1st Dist. 2007) (successfully defended national insurer at trial in breach of contract and bad faith case wherein Plaintiff alleged insurer wrongfully denied Plaintiff’s insurance claim under the policy’s Concealment or Fraud provision).
  • Echelon Property & Casualty v. Jasek (2nd Dist. 2007) (successfully secured summary judgment in declaratory judgment action wherein client disputed coverage pursuant to various policy exclusions following destruction of defendant’s residence).
  • Williams v. State Farm (1st Dist 2006) (successfully tried to defense verdict first party insurance coverage case wherein Plaintiff sued client for wrongful denial of insurance benefits after client denied coverage after residential water loss claim).
  • Addo v. Wilmette Real Estate & Management Co. (1st Dist 2006) (successfully defended class action case involving various alleged residential landlord and tenant ordinance violations at trial and secured denial and subsequent dismissal of class counts prior to trial).
  • Sanchez v. Wilmette Real Estate & Management Co. (1st Dist. 2005) (secured dismissal via summary judgment on behalf of client in alleged negligent security case wherein Plaintiff was assaulted at client’s apartment complex resulting in an alleged traumatic brain injury).
  • Polz v. Daithman (1st Dist 2005) (successfully defended motorist in auto v. pedestrian case wherein plaintiff was struck by client’s car at a crosswalk causing alleged permanent injuries).
  • Saverino v. CSX Intermodal, Inc. (1st Dist 2005) (secured summary judgment in client’s favor in significant personal injury case wherein it was successfully argued that the client did not have adequate notice of any alleged defects on client’s property).
  • Swing One, Inc. v. Hanover Insurance Company (2nd Dist. 2003) (successfully defended insurer at trial in case involving alleged wrongful denial of Plaintiff’s insurance claim after client asserted prior bad acts policy exclusion defense).

Presentations & Publications

  • One’s Alleged Intentional Conduct is Another Insurer’s Loss, National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators, pgs. 17-18, Winter 2012.
  • First District Revisits Cooperation Issues in Recent Third Party Liability Case, Johnson & Bell, Ltd., Insurance Law Alert, Fall 2011.
  • Preparation for the Fire Investigator—At Deposition & Trial, Illinois Chapter of International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc., Glen Ellyn, Illinois, November 1-2, 2011.
  • Examining Foreclosure & Bankruptcy Issues with Property Claims, PLRB/LIRB Regional Adjuster’s Conference, Sacramento, California, November 8-9, 2011.
  • Analyzing the Cooperation Clause Involving First and Third Party Insurance Claims, State Farm Insurance Company, Downers Grove, Illinois, August 25, 2011.
  • Deposing Treating Physicians in Non-MedMal Cases, Johnson & Bell, Ltd. CLE Seminar, June 2011.
  • Equitable Subrogation Claim Dismissed After Insurer Fails to Secure on Assignment of Contractual Right of Subrogation, Johnson & Bell, Ltd., Insurance Law Alert, Fall 2010.
  • Quarterbacking the Loss, Safeco Insurance Company, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, October 28, 2010.
  • Illinois’ First District Examines Uninsured Regular Use Exemption, Johnson & Bell, Ltd., Insurance Law Alert, Winter 2010.
  • What Discovery is Allowed in a Punitive Damages Case, Lexis-Nexis Insurance Law Community, March 23, 2010.
  • The Pre-Litigation Investigation & Role of the Insurer, Johnson & Bell, Ltd. Annual Insurance Coverage Seminar, March 2010.
  • Appellate Court Considers Duty to Defend Trigger Dates & Mend the Hold Doctrine, Johnson & Bell, Ltd., Insurance Coverage Law Alert, Winter 2008.
  • The Preparation of the Fire Investigator for Trial Testimony, Annual Seminar for Illinois Chapter of International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc., Champaign, Illinois, September 2004
  • Nuts & Bolts: Legal Basics for Fire Investigators, Annual Seminar for Illinois Chapter of International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc., Champaign, Illinois, September 2004.