Position: Member

TEL: (219) 924-2427

FAX: 

Email: Click Here

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Admitted: 1976, Indiana and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana; 1980, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana; 1992, U.S. Tax Court

Law School: Loyola University - New Orleans, J.D.

College: University of Notre Dame, B.A.

Birth Date and Place: 

Practice Areas: Plaintiff Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Automobile Accidents, Medical Malpractice, Insurance Law

Additional Information: Mr. Cunningham's civil litigation practice includes plaintiff's personal injury, including wrongful death, automobile accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, construction accidents, and product injuries. Mr. Cunningham has extensive experience representing plaintiffs against doctors, nurses, hospitals, negligent auto and truck drivers, construction companies, manufacturing industries, state and county governments, and insurance companies in state and federal trial courts in Illinois and Indiana, and has obtained multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settlements for his clients. Mr. Cunningham's verdicts or settlements over one million dollars have included birth injuries to children, medical mistakes during brain surgery, emergency room negligence resulting in death, drug dosage mistakes, failure to diagnose cancer, and estates involving conflicts over distribution, ownership of land, value of assets, and the dividing of assets after a death of a beneficiary. Mr. Cunningham's practice also has a concentration in probate, estate planning and elder law. He has handled post-mortem estate planning and probate and trust administration. He has also litigated many related issues, such as will contests, deed contests, will construction, executor replacement, and claims against estates. Mr. Cunningham has a particular interest in probate avoidance and Medicaid planning. Mr. Cunningham is a member of the Lake County Bar Association and Indiana State Bar Association, including the Probate, Trust & Real Property Section. He is a member of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. His trial work has included multi-million dollar estate cases and representing Roman Catholic Bishops, town governments, financial institutions, along with individual citizens. William J. Cunningham was born in New York City, NY on October 10, 1951. He was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1976 and he is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana, as well as the U.S. Tax Court. Mr. Cunningham graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1973, majoring in English and Economics. He obtained his Juris Doctor from Loyola University in 1976. He was member of the Loyola Law Review. Mr. Cunningham was President of the Ogden Dunes Home Association from 1984 to 1986 and was an Ogden Dunes Town Councilman from 1988 to 1991. He was a National Diocesan Attorneys Association member from 1987 to 1991. He also served on the Lake Michigan Marina Advisory Commission from 1988 to 1990. For many years, Mr. Cunningham has served with the Boy Scouts of Northwest Indiana as they select the only annual service award for career achievement given to attorneys in Northwest Indiana. He has served on the nominating committee each year and has been the Master of Ceremonies for several years. William Cunningham has authored several articles, including "Deportation Based Upon Fraudulent Entry: A Limitation of the Waiver Provision", which appeared in 21 Loyola Law Review No. 6 (1975), as well as two chapters in the Indiana's Pastor's Legal Handbook (1988): Chapter 3, "Clergy Malpractice in Indiana" and Chapter 14, "Restrictions on Political and Legislative Activities of Churches". Mr. Cunningham is founder and author of Indiana Estate Planning, which has been published annually since 2005. He is also the founder and director of the Community Outreach Program of the Hilbrich Law Firm, which has provided over 50 seminars and lectures to the public. He was a guest speaker for the Lake County Bar Association in 2002: "Medical Malpractice: The Cutting Edge".