Nicholas C. Bart

Nick Bart is a respected trial lawyer who manages the Chicago office. He focuses his practice in the representation of clients in the aviation and aerospace industry. For more than 20 years he has counseled major manufacturing clients, operators, and repair stations in courts throughout the United States and internationally. Nick has obtained successful results for his clients both at trial and on appeal in a wide variety of cases.

In his aviation practice, Nick has successfully defended the interests of numerous passenger airlines, pilots, aircraft manufacturers, component part manufacturers, maintenance facilities, fixed base operators, cargo carriers, airport owners and operators and flight schools. Representative matters throughout his career have included the defense of manufacturers in claims arising from the crashes of the 737MAX in Indonesia and Ethiopia; the defense of a manufacturer in claims arising from alleged toxic fumes in the cockpit of a commercial passenger aircraft; the defense of an engine manufacturer in claims arising from the crash of a commercial passenger aircraft in Cuba; the defense of a certified repair station in claims alleging negligent maintenance resulted in an on-board fire; defense of an avionics manufacturer in claims arising from the mid-air collision of a commercial passenger aircraft and a cargo aircraft over Europe; defense of a charter operator in a wrongful death claim arising from the off-duty activities of the flight crew; defense of an airport property manager in claim arising from a partial foot amputation on an escalator in the airport terminal; defense of a cargo carrier in the crash of a 747 in Colombia; the defense of an air race organizer for multiple deaths and injuries arising from the crash of a modified North American P51 “Mustang” during the National Championship Air Races; defense of an avionics manufacturer in the crash of an aircraft conducting counter-narcotics flights in South America; defense of numerous agricultural applicators in overspray and drift claims; and the defense of an airline in claims arising from an uncontained engine failure and emergency evacuation on the runway.

In his commercial litigation practice, Nick defends complex contract disputes and professional liability claims. Nick has worked on such matters as the defense of a former employee in various civil and criminal claims arising from claims of breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, and violation of non-compete restrictions, and defense of a design professional in claim for alleged negligence in the selection of materials for the construction of an NFL stadium.

Nick has received a Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating of AV Preeminent from 2014-present and he has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer in Aviation & Aerospace from 2019 to the present. In addition to the American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, where he served as a Vice-Chair of the Aviation Committee, Nick also served as past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Aviation Committee. He is a member of Illinois and Wisconsin Bar Associations. A frequent speaker, Nick has lectured throughout the country on such topics as air and space, contract, and insurance law and the preservation of evidence following an accident.

Nick is admitted to practice before state and federal courts in Illinois and Wisconsin, the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Nick is a veteran of the U.S. Army, Illinois National Guard where he served as a non-commissioned officer in the infantry from 1989-1995.