Jill K. Eckhaus

Jill Eckhaus is a trial attorney who defends hospitals, physicians and physician groups, nurses, dentists, and chiropractors in medical negligence and catastrophic injury proceedings, including actions for wrongful death. She also represents medical practitioners in all aspects of the disciplinary process before the Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (IDFPR). In state and federal courts, she represents corporate and individual insureds in medical malpractice defense claims, professional negligence, products liability, premise liability, general liability, and personal injury matters. Jill also represents clients in the construction and security setting as part of her general liability and personal injury practice.

Jill handles all aspects of the litigation process and zealously advocates for her clients—a trait found in her days as a public defender—ensuring they are prepared for depositions and trial.

Prior to joining Hinshaw, Jill practiced at several Chicago-based firms, including a multi-national defense litigation firm and a mid-size litigation defense law firm. Before embarking on her private practice, Jill was a senior public defender in the Felony Division of the DuPage County Public Defender's Office. During her tenure, she successfully served as first chair trial counsel in defense of multiple felony and misdemeanor jury trials, including seeing 54 trials to verdict.

• Chicago Bar Association
  • Young Lawyers Section, Health & Hospital Law Committee, Co-Chair, 2018
• Chicago Healthcare Risk Management Society
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
• Illinois Defense Counsel (IDC)
  • Board of Directors, 2023 – 2024
  • Medical Malpractice/Healthcare Committee, Vice-Chair, 2023 – Present
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Wisconsin State Bar Association

• Secured a not-guilty verdict for two nephrologists and a physician group in a $2.25 million medical negligence case.
• Successfully achieved the dismissal with prejudice of a malpractice lawsuit against a dentist and their dental practice. Despite an attempt by the plaintiff to settle pretrial, the defense team's readiness to proceed to trial led to the patient voluntarily withdrawing the lawsuit altogether on the morning of the trial, ending the lawsuit permanently.

• Moderator, "Jury Questions: Rule 243, Questions from the Jury, and Special Interrogatories," Illinois Defense Counsel's Developments Critical to Medical Malpractice Litigation – Hybrid Seminar, Chicago, Illinois, August 15, 2024