Overview
A. Jay Koehler is the Managing Partner at Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP and is on the firm’s Executive Committee. Jay represents regional, national and international organizations in various types of construction litigation, product liability, commercial, transportation and fire and explosion litigation throughout the United States.
- Construction Lawyers Society of America
- Defense Research Institute
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
- Best Lawyers in America®, (2024, 2026)
- Railroad Law
- Law Bulletin Media, “Leading Lawyers,” (2018–2025)
- Crain’s Chicago Business, “Notable Gen X Leaders in Law,” (2019)
- “Railroad — FELA, Safety Appliance Act, Locomotive Inspection Act, Etc.,” IICLE’s Tort Action 2022 Edition Handbook, 2022
- Secured $12,000,000 settlement on behalf of national freight railroad company for damages sustained when its train derailed as a result of contractors’ work beneath the tracks.
- Successfully secured a $1.5 million binding arbitration award and defeated a $3.9 million claim on behalf of large exterior metal panel subcontractor against a prominent Chicago general contractor. This was following a seven-day arbitration hearing that included testimony from multiple experts.
- Successfully secured a multi-million million settlement on behalf of general contractor for an automobile manufacturing plant in Jamestown, Indiana where improper fill was used by a subcontractor and supplied by a local steel company resulting in significant property and business interruption damage claims exceeding $140 million. This included claims against subcontractors and their respective carriers.
- Successfully defended a product manufacturer in a lawsuit for alleged defective air handler design and installation in a building that supplies power across 15 U.S. states and Canada. The claim totaled $10,533,705.72.
- Successfully defended an EIFS manufacturer in largest residential home construction defect lawsuit in the United States brought by Chicago’s most recognized professional athlete.
- Successfully defended a pharmaceutical equipment manufacturer in a multi-million dollar commercial fire lawsuit.
- Successfully defeated class action suit filed against a national residential homebuilder for defective windows in 540 homes; Summary judgment affirmed on appeal.
- Successfully secured insurance coverage for multi-million dollar construction defect claim; summary judgment affirmed on appeal.
- Successfully defended a local commuter railroad in pedestrian train accident pending in Cook County, Illinois.
- Successfully appealed a multi-million dollar verdict for local commuter railroad; overturned on appeal and judgment entered in favor of commuter railroad; appellate court decision affirmed by the Illinois Supreme Court.
- Defended a product manufacturer in product liability suit involving a degloving injury to a UPS worker.
- Currently defending multiple consumer product manufacturers in mass tort benzene litigation.
