Jonathan Barger Email & Phone Number

Jonathan Barger is a Partner working in both the Chicago and Dallas offices of Butler. He is admitted to practice law in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, and Indiana.Jon’s primary focus is first-party property claims and related coverage litigation, from large, complex commercial claims to personal lines claims. He has substantial trial and litigation experience both regionally and nationally. He routinely handles all aspects of litigation and has tried numerous jury trials, including as lead trial counsel. He also has significant experience defending third-party liability claims, advising on third-party liability coverage questions, and litigating international commercial disputes. He has worked on claims in excess of $250 million dollars throughout the United States and internationally.Jon assists insurers with first-party claim issues ranging from legal assistance with claims investigations, conducting examinations under oath, and providing coverage opinions. He defends insurers against allegations of breach of contract, bad faith, and other extra-contractual relief. Jon has significant experience with fire losses and the multiple issues that arise from fire investigation methods and techniques, fire cause and origin determination, fire spread, and fire suppression system performance. In addition to his fire loss background, he has handled cases involving water, mold, wind damage, as well as other types of property damage.Jon advises internationally-based insurers on claims involving significant liability exposures throughout the United States, including product liability, D&O liability, and financial lines claims. His international experience includes working with European market insurers and defending European companies in U.S. Courts. His international background and expertise places him in a unique position to handle cases with complex jurisdictional issues.Jon is a frequent insurance industry speaker and educator, providing training sessions and speaking at insurance industry conferences across the country. He has spoken on a wide range of property and other insurance topics. Jon received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French language and literature from Vanderbilt University. He studied with the Vanderbilt-in-France program in Aix-en-Provence and with the Centre International d’Études Françaises (“CIEF”) at the Université Lumière Lyon 2. He is fluent in French, with full business proficiency. He received a Juris Doctor degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, along with a Certificate in International and Comparative Law.

Listed skills include Litigation, Civil Litigation, Appeals, Trials, and 36 others.