Corey Hickman

Corey T. Hickman concentrates his practice in the area of general business and commercial litigation. Corey has substantial experience in a wide variety of professional liability matters, including the defense of retail and wholesale insurance agents and brokers in professional malpractice actions.

Cozen O’Connor’s widespread geographic presence has allowed him to assist on professional liability cases in a number of state and federal jurisdictions, and develop a strong local knowledge of professional liability law and practice throughout the country.

Corey has extensive knowledge and experience involving the enforcement of post-employment restrictive covenants in various state and federal jurisdictions, insurance coverage, business torts, corporate and limited liability company disputes, legal malpractice prosecution and defense, and general contract disputes.

Corey’s experience also includes appellate advocacy. He has successfully prosecuted and defended appeals in Illinois, Nebraska, and Ohio, involving a wide range of issues. Corey takes great pride in his pro bono activities on behalf of the firm.

His pro bono work includes assisting tenants to recover wrongfully withheld security deposits, assisting immigrants seeking asylum in the United States, and volunteering at various events for Chicagoland pro bono organizations.

In addition to his litigation practice, Corey has transactional experience assisting small businesses in a wide range of areas, including entity formation, business sales and acquisitions, and contract drafting.

Corey received his law degree, summa cum laude, from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 2014, graduating first in his class. While in law school, he was a three year member of the Dean’s List and was assistant editor to the Law Review.

EXPERIENCE :

• Currently defending a wholesale insurance broker against professional malpractice and negligence claims in connection with the placement of a commercial property policy on behalf of a retail broker.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of the defendant in a legal malpractice action which asserted that the client attorney failed to perform due diligence in connection with the purchase of a business, allegedly resulting in substantial transferred liabilities. This result was affirmed on appeal.
• Obtained dismissal with prejudice of a consumer fraud action against an insurance company arising out of the insurance company’s settlement of a personal injury claim.
• Negotiated a very favorable settlement in litigation filed by a client corporation’s former owner under the Illinois Business Corporation Act and arising out of the sale of the business in a merger transaction.
• Successfully moved to dismiss a defamation claim filed against our clients in the wake of a wrongful death action. We then won summary judgment on a malicious prosecution claim stemming from the same case. This result was affirmed on appeal.
• Substantially assisted in complex litigation involving the defense of a retail insurance broker against professional malpractice, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud claims relating to the placement of a technology errors and omissions policy. This case spanned more than five years, and ended in a defense verdict.

EDUCATION :

• Northern Illinois University College of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 2014
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A., 2011

BAR ADMISSIONS : Illinois

COURT ADMISSIONS :

• U.S. District Court — Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Michigan
• U.S. District Court — North Dakota