- January 21, 2026
Joseph P. Lang
Partner
Biography
BIOGRAPHY
With over 20 years' experience counseling and representing domestic and international insurers, Joe focuses his practice on liability insurance coverage and commercial litigation.
He has successfully tried cases to verdict and summary judgment in courts throughout the United States. Joe’s counsel and litigation of complex coverage disciplines and inter-insurer disputes involves:
- Bad Faith
- Construction Defect
- Environmental/Toxic Tort
- Policy Drafting and Claims Management
- Primary & Excess General Liability
Joe enjoys lecturing on emerging issues in the field. Recent subjects include the evolution of pollution-related liability coverage in Indiana, trial practice, and professional responsibility.
Every solution has a problem. Our responsibility is not only to answer the initial question, but to formulate a complete strategy for matter resolution.
Memberships
- Chicago Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
- Professional Liability Underwriting Society
Awards & Rankings
- Illinois Super Lawyers, 2023-2026
- Illinois Rising Star, 2022
Before Nicolaides
Joe’s practice involved litigating liability insurance coverage matters across the United States in matters addressing environmental contamination, construction defect, product recall, trademark infringement, product liability, premises liability, bad faith, and toxic mold.
Outside Nicolaides
Joe enjoys time with his family. Joe coached countless football, baseball, basketball, and softball teams for his children. Joe served 4 seasons as the commissioner of his park district’s youth flag football program that boasted over 500 players. An avid golfer, Joe recorded his first hole-in-one on Father’s Day 2022 – as witnessed by his son.
- Obtained summary judgment in case of first impression in Missouri enforcing an athletic participant's exclusion for claim that insured failed to provide adequate medical care to boxer after a fight resulting in permanent brain injury; affirmed by the Missouri Appellate Court.
- Won jury verdict for excess insurers, finding they acted in good faith when they rejected claimant's unreasonable settlement demands in the underlying personal injury lawsuit, even though the claims resulted in a $30 million judgment, which exceeded clients' limits.
- Persuaded court to grant summary judgment for insurer on basis that underlying settlement payments did not reduce self-insured retention.
- Successfully represented excess insurers in mass-tort product recall, including the development and implementation of claimant settlement valuation matrix.
- Obtained affirmance of summary judgment precluding coverage for class action settlement, arguing that defective product damages were not caused by an occurrence.
- Analyzed pollution liability coverage arising from release of fire-retardant foam at Brisbane airport.
- Analyzed coverage under OCIP policy for alleged construction defects at various ski resort properties.
- Advised client regarding potential coverage for mass tort product recall, including the development and implementation of claimant settlement valuation matrix.
- Resolved additional insured's tender of underlying lawsuit involving bodily injury during pipeline installation project and accompanying priority-of-coverage issues.
- Provided coverage advice regarding construction defect claim involving water intrusion through building envelope of 113-acre, mixed-use commercial and residential development.
- Achieved favorable resolution of construction defect claim involving alleged defective grout and concrete installation for gantry crane rail system at port.
- March 5, 2025
- January 24, 2023
- January 28, 2022
- March 4, 2021
- September 15, 2016
ADDITIONAL SPEAKING & WRITING
- Presenter, "Preparing the Company Witness," Chicago, IL (November 2016)
- "Electronic Discovery: An Overview and Practical Pointers," (October 2005)