People
John E. Black, Jr.
Partner
- Chicago
Biography
John Black provides counsel to international and domestic insurers on complex coverage and liability issues involving insurance policies for director and officer liability, first and third party cyber and privacy, representations and warranties and professional liability including mutual fund, investment adviser and private equity, insurance broker, insurance company professional, and technology and media. John regularly represents insurers as coverage counsel, including coverage litigation. A substantial part of John’s practice is devoted to assisting insurers in drafting insurance policies and endorsements and providing insurance regulatory advice.
John speaks and writes frequently on legal and insurance issues concerning privacy and cyber liability and directors’ and officers’ liability. John co-authored the chapter on information security in the Revised Internet Law for the Business Lawyer (2d ed. 2012), which was updated and re-published in RFID, Near Field Communications and Mobile Payments – A Guide for Lawyers (2013), by the ABA Business Law Section, Cyberspace Law Committee. John is co-chairman of the ABA Cyberspace Law Committee's Cyber Insurance Sub-committee.
John often is invited to conduct in-house training sessions for clients and speak before legal and insurance organizations including the CPCU and PLUS. He is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals and holds a CIPP/US certification. John is a featured commentator for the Insurance Risk Management Institute on director and officer liability and insurance.
John speaks and writes frequently on legal and insurance issues concerning privacy and cyber liability and directors’ and officers’ liability. John co-authored the chapter on information security in the Revised Internet Law for the Business Lawyer (2d ed. 2012), which was updated and re-published in RFID, Near Field Communications and Mobile Payments – A Guide for Lawyers (2013), by the ABA Business Law Section, Cyberspace Law Committee. John is co-chairman of the ABA Cyberspace Law Committee's Cyber Insurance Sub-committee.
John often is invited to conduct in-house training sessions for clients and speak before legal and insurance organizations including the CPCU and PLUS. He is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals and holds a CIPP/US certification. John is a featured commentator for the Insurance Risk Management Institute on director and officer liability and insurance.
Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Insurance Law, 2022 - present
- Illinois Super Lawyers, 2018 - present
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice, Science & Technology Law and Business Law Sections, Cyberspace Law Committee, Co-Chair of Cyber-insurance Subcommittee, 2019-2024
- Professional Liability Underwriter Society (PLUS), Past Co-Chair of the Chapter Development Committee, and Past Chairman of the Midwest Chapter Steering Committee
- International Association of Privacy Professionals, Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US)
Experience
- Stratford Ins. Co. v. Allied World National Assurance Co., No. 2017 CH 16856 (Cir. Ct. Cook Cty., Ill. Feb. 20, 2019). Won judgment on the pleadings in dispute between two claims-made insurers over coverage for defense and settlement based on the court’s finding that police officer’s claims against his employer for wrongful termination and racial discrimination were not first made during our client’s policy period.
- Verdun et al. v. Twin City Fire Ins. Co., No. 2:17-CV-11254 (E.D. Mich Aug. 27, 2018). Won motion for judgment on the pleadings finding claim against private company CEO was not covered because it was made against him in his capacity as owner, not CEO, and claim against company was barred by contractual liability exclusion.
- Hendricks v. Novae Corporate Underwriting, Ltd., No. 13 C 5422, 2016 WL 397286 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 1, 2016), No. 13 C 5422, 2015 WL 1842227 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 21, 2015). Obtained summary judgment finding no coverage for insured’s $5.12 million no-recourse settlement, consent judgment and assignment of rights.
Results
Skarzynski Black Wins Judgment on Insured Capacity and Contract Exclusion
12/03/2018Court enters judgment on the pleadings for Skarzynski Black client, ruling that claims were not made against CEO in his insured capacity and contract exclusion barred coverage for claims against company.
Publications & PRESENTATIONS
- Non-Cyber Line of Coverage, Evolution of Cyber Coverage, and Interplay Among Lines, PLUS Cyber University, June 2025, February 2024, March & September 2023, February & September 2022, August 2021, August 2020, August 2019, Moderator and Panelist.
- The State of Play: The Intersection of Cyber Risks, Government Regulators, War and Criminals, ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, September 2022, Moderator and Panelist.
- Cyber Liability and Cyber Insurance, PLUS University, August 2019, Moderator and Panelist.
- Cyber Liability, PLUS University, August 2018, Moderator and Panelist.
- Evolving Cyber Risk – An Insurance Perspective, Windy City Summit, May 23, 2018, Moderator and Panelist.
- Cyber Roundtable, PLUS Webinar, April 25, 2018, Moderator and Panelist.
- Privacy Developments: Private Litigation, Enforcement Actions, and Settlements, The Business Lawyer, Winter 2017-2018, Co-Author.
- Emerging Trends as Cyber Insurance Comes of Age, Cyber Security Practitioner, February 2017, Co-Author.
- CLE Presentation: Cyber Risk Insurance: Exposures and Claim Trends, 2017, Co-Presenter.
- Privacy Developments: Private Litigation, Enforcement Actions, Legislation, and Administrative Actions, The Business Lawyer, Winter 2016-2017, Co-Author.
- The Sharing Economy: A New Frontier in Management Liability?, July 2016.
- “Who Am I Talking To?”— The Regulation of Voice Data Collected by Connected Consumer Products, Business Law Today, American Bar Association, May 2016, Co-Author.
- The Breaches are Getting Bigger; The Devices are Getting Smaller, Midwest PLUS Chapter, 2015, Panelist.
- Trends in Privacy and Insurance, CPCU West Suburban Chapter, 2015, Presenter.
- Awake at Night: Cyberbreaches and the New Risk to Directors and Officers, IRMI, October 2014, Co-Author.
- Cyber Security & Data Breaches: The Big New Exposure for Ds & Os?, 2014 PLUS International Conference, Las Vegas, 2014, Moderator and Panelist.
- Developments in Data Security Breach Liability, 69 Bus. Law 199-207, November 2013, Author.
- Privacy Liability and Insurance Developments in 2012, J. Internet L., March 2013, Author.
- D&O Litigation Trends in 2012, February 2013, Author.
- Near Field Communications and Mobile Payments – A Guide for Lawyers, Information Security Chapter, A.B.A., 2013, Co-Author.
- Issues of Privacy Liability and Insurance for Small Businesses, CPCU West Suburban Chapter, 2013, Presenter.
- Revised Internet Law for the Business Lawyer, Information Security Chapter, A.B.A., 2d ed. 2012, Co-Author.
News
Skarzynski Marick Lawyers Recognized as Illinois Super Lawyers and Illinois Rising Stars 2025
01/21/2025Skarzynski Marick & Black LLP is excited to announce that Super Lawyers has named six of our attorneys to its 2025 Illinois Super Lawyers and Illinois Rising Stars lists. Five attorneys were recognized as 2025 Illinois Super Lawyers and one attorney was recognized as a 2025 Illinois Rising Star.
Skarzynski Marick Lawyers Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® 2025
08/15/2024Skarzynski Marick & Black LLP is proud to announce that Michael Marick, John Black, Karen M. Dixon, James Kallianis, Michael Rosen, and Timothy Wright have been selected for inclusion in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Insurance Law.
Skarzynski Marick Lawyers Recognized as Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars 2023
01/13/2023Skarzynski Marick & Black LLP is excited to announce that Super Lawyers has named seven attorneys to its 2023 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.
Firm Events
2024 PLUS Cyber University | Fall Session
09/17/2024John Black will be presenting at PLUS Cyber University on September 17, 2024.
2024 PLUS Cyber University | Spring Session
01/30/2024John Black, Esq., CIPP/US will be presenting a virtual session titled, “Non-Cyber Line of Coverage, Evolution of Cyber Coverage, and Interplay Among Lines of Insurance,” as part of the PLUS Cyber University Series.
2022 ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting
09/15/2022John Black and Sam Riley will participate in a panel discussion, “The State of Play: The Intersection of Cyber Risks, Government Regulators, War and Criminals” at the ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting on September 15th.