Jeffrey S. Barger

Overview

Jeffrey Barger is Of Counsel in the Chicago office of O’Hagan Meyer. Jeffrey’s practice focuses on the litigation of high-stakes complex multi-party disputes. Leading Lawyers Network of Law Bulletin Media has ranked Jeffrey Barger in the Top 5% of Lawyers in Illinois each year from 2018 to the present. This distinction cannot be bought. Law Bulletin Media has been a trusted source of legal news for more than 160 years, that lawyers, judges, and the business community have relied upon. Barger’s peers recommend him in: Commercial Litigation; Construction Law; as well as Insurance and Reinsurance Coverage Law.

Jeffrey has repeatedly litigated multi-million dollar cases before State Courts and Federal Courts. Jeffrey has litigated several cases before Illinois Appellate Courts, resulting in published decisions that serve as model frameworks for applying the law to fact patterns. See below under the section titled “Experience” for information on published decisions.

Jeffrey has also repeatedly provided legal opinions on the use of contract provisions to allocate or mitigate risk arising from business relationships. Jeffrey has repeatedly litigated issues regarding whether insurance provisions of contract documents trigger any right to primary/non-contributory additional insured coverage under liability policies of insurance; and regarding rights to allocate how multiple lines of insurance will apply to disputes. Jeffrey has repeatedly litigated issues regarding whether State or Federal Law applies to render contractual promises of indemnification or contribution as void and wholly unenforceable. Jeffrey has also repeatedly litigated whether the language of contract provisions constitutes legally valid waivers of employers’ lien rights under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.

Experience

• Dimas v. 7447 Enterprises, 2025 IL App (3d) 250067

• Westfield Insurance Company v. MA Rebar, 2023 IL App (1st) 230161

• Bitsky v. City of Chicago, 2023 IL App (1st) 220266

• Stiffle v. Baker Epstein Marz, d/b/a Baker Construction, 2016 IL App (1st) 150180

• Zamora v. Ricardo Montiel, 2013 IL App (2d) 130579

• Smith v. Village of Oak Park, 1-09-3475 (1st Dist. 2011)

• Board of Managers of Wespark Condo. Assoc. v. Neumann Homes, 388 Ill.App.3d 129 (1st Dist. 2009)

• Calderon v. Residential Homes of America, 381 Ill.App.3d 333 (1st Dist. 2008)

Honors

• Leading Lawyer, Law Bulletin Media, 2018 to Present
• Golden Gavel Award Winner – Coverage Law, Westfield Insurance Company, 2025

Professional

• Member, DuPage County Bar Association, 2001 to Present