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Aphrodite Kokolis

Counsel Chicago
D
312.258.5601

Overview

Aphrodite (“Dede”) Kokolis is an experienced litigator with a special practice emphasis on complex and appellate litigation, particularly the defense and settlement of class actions.

She has litigated more than 100 class actions in federal and state courts across the country involving a variety of issues, including insurance coverage and claims practices, consumer fraud, products liability, privacy, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) issues, and distributor and franchise issues. She also writes and lectures frequently on these topics.

Practices

  • Experience

    • Successfully defended several auto insurers in class actions involving a variety of claims practices and coverage issues, including
      • Medical Payments (PIP/MedPay) (utilization review, provider fee reviews, PPOs, subrogation, “prompt pay,” and other claims handling issues)
      • Total Loss
      • Diminution in Value
      • Loss of Use
      • Non-OEM Parts
      • Anti-Theft Device Discounts
      • Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists (UM/UIM)
      • Arbitration and Appraisal Clauses
    • Successfully defended homeowners insurers in class actions involving a variety of claims practices and coverages issues, including hurricane claims, general contractor overhead and profit, depreciation, and excess v. primary coverage.
    • Successfully defended a number of companies in class actions involving products liability, toxic torts, consumer fraud, and consumer privacy.
    • Was a member of the trial and appellate teams in Michael E. Avery, et al. v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., in which the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in our client’s favor, overturning a $1.186 billion class action judgment.
    • Represented various municipalities in south suburban Chicago in the successful defense of a major constitutional challenge brought by the National Association of Realtors to various fair housing programs.

  • Credentials

    Education

    • Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, J.D., 1987
      Order of the Coif
      Northwestern University Law Review, Managing Editor
    • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A., B.A., 1984, summa cum laude

    Bar Admissions

    • Illinois
    • U.S. Supreme Court
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

        Clerkships

        • Honorable John A. Nordberg, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (1987 – 1989)

      • Insights

        Date
        Type
        TITLE
        News Release

        Eighty-One Attorneys Named to 2021 Leading Lawyers

        Schiff Hardin LLP is pleased to have 81 attorneys named to the 2021 Leading Lawyers list.

        Blog Post

        Eleventh Circuit Rules That Class Representative Incentive Awards Are Impermissible

        Schiff Hardin Product Liability & Mass Torts Blog

        Alert

        Seventh Circuit Slams “Objector Blackmail” in Class Settlement, Orders Repayment of Side Deal

        The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ordered three class action objectors to repay $130,000 they received in a “side deal” in exchange for abandoning their appeal of a class settlement. Pearson v. Target Corp., No. 19-3095, ___ F.3d ___, 2020 WL 4519053 (7th Cir. Aug. 6, 2020).

        News Release

        Eighty-Eight Attorneys Named to 2020 Leading Lawyers

        Schiff Hardin LLP is pleased to announce that 88 attorneys have been named to the 2020 Leading Lawyers list.

        Blog Post

        On the Road Again: Does Bristol-Myers Squibb Limit Courts’ Jurisdiction Over Claims by Out-of-State Class Members?

        Schiff Hardin Product Liability & Mass Torts Blog

        Alert

        U.S. Supreme Court Nixes Equitable Tolling for Class Action Appeals

        Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(f) provides that a party seeking permission to appeal an order granting or denying class certification must file the petition within 14 days of the district court order.

        News Release

        2019 Leading Lawyers Lists Recognize 95 Schiff Attorneys

        Schiff Hardin LLP is pleased to have 95 attorneys named to the 2019 Leading Lawyers list.

        Alert

        U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Tolling of Limitations Periods in Successive Class Actions

        In a decisive victory for class action defendants, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a pending class action tolls the statute of limitations only for putative class members’ individual claims, and not for any “follow-on” class actions they file on their own.

        News Release

        95 Schiff Hardin Lawyers Named to 2018 Leading Lawyers Lists

        Ninety-six Schiff Hardin lawyers have been named to the 2018 Leading Lawyers lists for Illinois and Michigan.

        Alert

        U.S. Supreme Court Rules Time Limit for Extension of Notice of Appeal Not Jurisdictional

        The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the time limit set by Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 4(a)(5)(c) for extensions to file notices of appeal is not jurisdictional.

        View All

        Other Publications

        • “Chapter 1 –  Historical Perspective,” Class Actions Handbook, 2020 Edition, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (Jul. 21, 2020)
        • “Chapter 14 – The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005,” Class Actions Handbook, 2020 Edition, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (Jul. 21, 2020)
        • “Chapter 1 –  Historical Perspective,” Class Actions Handbook, 2015 Edition, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education

        Speeches & Presentations

        • “Statistics in Class Certification and at Trial: Leveraging and Attacking Statistical Evidence,” Stafford Publications, Webinar (Nov. 13, 2019)
        • ‎"The Battleground for Class Certification: Plaintiff and Defense Burdens, Commonality Requirements, and Ascertainability,"  (conference presenter) American Conference Institute - 30th National Advanced Forum on Consumer Finance Class Action Litigation and Government Enforcement Actions, Chicago, Ill. (Jul. 17, 2018)
        • “Statistical Evidence in Class Actions,” (conference presenter) American Conference Institute—Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation Conference, Chicago, Ill. (Jul. 25, 2017)
        • “Recent Developments in Class Action Settlements,” Strafford Communications Webinar on Insurance-Related Class Actions: Pursuing or Defending Actions Over Insurance Products or Claims Handling (Jun. 20, 2017)
        • “‎Class Action Litigation: The Ins and Outs in 2016,” The Knowledge Group webinar (May 6, 2016)
        • “‎CAFA Class Actions: Overview and Defense Strategies,” (conference presenter) American Conference Institute on Class Actions, New York, NY (Apr. 11, 2016)
        • “Recent Developments in Class Action Settlements,” Strafford Communications Webinar on Insurance-Related Class Actions: Pursuing or Defending Actions Over Insurance Products or Claims Handling (Aug. 22, 2015)
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      AWARDS & HONORS

      • Illinois Leading Lawyers (2021)

        Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

      • Illinois Leading Lawyer (2020)

        Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

      • Illinois Leading Lawyer (2019)

        Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

      • Illinois Leading Lawyer (2018)

        Law Bulletin’s Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

      • Illinois Leading Lawyer (2017)

        Law Bulletin's Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

      • Illinois Leading Lawyer (2016)

        Law Bulletin's Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

      • Illinois Leading Lawyer (2015)

        Law Bulletin's Illinois Leading Lawyers Network

      Product Liability and Mass Torts Blog

      Eleventh Circuit Rules That Class Representative Incentive Awards Are Impermissible

      In a decision with potentially far-reaching consequences for class actions, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that the ubiquitous practice of awarding a class representative an “incentive” payment as part of a class action settlement is impermissible. Johnson v. NPAS Solutions, Inc., No. 18-12344, ___ F.3d ____, 2020... Continue Reading

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