Meghan C. Kane focuses her practice on trials involving complex business litigation matters, including toxic torts. She is national asbestos and toxic tort counsel for a leading provider of merchandise displays, refrigeration systems, and installation services to food retailers.

Meghan has experience in pre-trial, trial, and post-trial proceedings. She also has appellate experience in the Illinois Appellate Courts for the 4th and 5th Districts and the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Meghan is a co-chair of Baker Sterchi's Product Liability Practice Group.

Examples of recent case results:

• Achieved a client dismissal after obtaining a court ruling that plaintiff was not entitled to conduct jurisdictional discovery against our client under Missouri law.
• Assisted with obtaining an appellate reversal of a $4.6 million jury verdict against product manufacturer in a toxic tort case alleging exposure to asbestos.
• Assisted with obtaining a defense trial verdict for a municipal police officer in a 42 U.S.C. §1983 action filed against him for alleged excessive force.
• Obtained a defense ruling in a bench trial on behalf of an insurance company where the plaintiff-insured had alleged roof/storm damage.

Memberships & Activities

• Defense Research Institute
  • Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee
  • Women in the Law Committee
• Illinois Defense Counsel
  • Vice Chair, Tort Law Committee
  • Planning Committee, IDC/MODL Joint Seminar
• Madison County Bar Association

Publications

• "Ford Motor Company obtains a defense verdict in Rock Island County, Illinois", Midwest Toxic Tort Bulletin (June 2018)
• "Madison County asbestos case transferred to Adams County, Illinois based on forum non conveniens", Midwest Toxic Tort Bulletin (December 2016 )

Presentations

• “Ethics in the Representation of Multiple Clients", Saint Louis Paralegal Association (October 2019)

Awards & Recognition

• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, Belleville, IL
  • Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Defendants (2021-present)
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants (2021-present)
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants (2022)
• Illinois Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, 2018-present
• Academic Honors & Activities
  • Certificate of Recognition of Public Service, Illinois State Bar
  • Association Young Lawyer/Law Student Division (2011)
  • National Moot Court Competition Top 4 and Edwin L. Weisl, Jr. Bowl for Second Place Brief (2011)
  • Judge Robert G. Dowd Sr. Appellate Advocacy Award (2010)
  • Lewis F. Powell Jr. Appellate Advocacy Award (2010)

Community Involvement

• Boys & Girls Club of Alton, Illinois - Volunteer
• Madison County, Illinois Legal Clinic - Pro Bono services

News & Events

Meghan Kane Elected as Officer of the Madison County Bar Association

05.23.22 | Baker Sterchi Member Meghan Kane was elected to serve as the 2022-2023 Corresponding Secretary of the Madison County Bar Association at its recent annual meeting.

Baker Sterchi Sponsors Law Day Run in St. Clair County

05.17.22 | Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice was a proud sponsor of the 19th Annual Law Day Run held in Belleville, Illinois in April.

Baker Sterchi Attorneys Recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers

01.28.22 | Illinois Super Lawyers 2022 has named Member Laura Beasley to its list of Super Lawyers and Members Greg Odom and Meghan Kane to its list of Rising Stars.

Baker Sterchi Appoints Practice Group Co-Chairs

01.13.22 | Baker Sterchi has appointed new co-chairs to several of its practice groups.

Baker Sterchi Attorneys Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2022 Edition)

08.19.21 | The 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch recognizes five Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice lawyers. Inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch is based on peer review and goes to early-career attorneys for outstanding professional excellence.

Baker Sterchi Member Meghan Kane Appointed Vice-Chair of IDC Tort Law Committee

07.07.21 | Baker Sterchi Member Meghan Kane was appointed to serve as vice-chair of the Illinois Defense Counsel (IDC) Tort Law Committee for the 2021-2022 term. Members of the Tort Law Committee discuss, learn and publish on a variety of legal fields including products liability, medical liability, construction law and workers compensation.

Baker Sterchi Attorneys Recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers

02.01.21 | Super Lawyers has named Baker Sterchi Members Greg Odom and Meghan Kane to its 2021 list of Rising Stars in Illinois. Odom is recognized in the area of civil litigation defense and Kane in personal injury-products defense.

Baker Sterchi Elects Two New Members in St. Louis and Belleville

01.04.21 | Baker Sterchi is pleased to announce it has elected two new Members, effective January 1: Brandy Simpson (St. Louis), whose practice focuses primarily on medical malpractice defense and Meghan Kane (Belleville), whose practice focuses on toxic torts, personal injury, product liability, and premises liability.

Baker Sterchi Lawyers Included in 2021 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch

08.20.20 | The inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch recognizes four Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice lawyers: Meghan Kane, Doug Hill, Megan Sterchi Lammert, and Rebecca Guntli.

Baker Sterchi Attorneys Recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers

01.29.20 | Baker Sterchi attorneys Greg Odom and Meghan Kane have been named to the 2020 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. Odom is recognized in the area of civil litigation defense and Kane in personal injury defense.

Baker Sterchi Enhances Illinois Presence with Addition of Greg Odom and Meghan Kane

10.29.19 | Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC has enhanced its Belleville, Illinois presence with the addition of Greg Odom and Meghan Kane.

Results

Favorable Discovery Ruling Obtained for Toxic Tort Client in St. Louis County

On December 13, 2021, Baker Sterchi obtained a favorable ruling for a toxic tort client in an asbestos case pending in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County.

Blog Posts

TRO Puts Illinois Judicial Circuit Redistricting to a Halt

02.07.22 | Madison County State's Attorney, Thomas Haine, is successful at stalling Illinois Judicial Circuit redistricting as political parties navigate for position in the forthcoming Judicial election.

"Judicial Hellholes" - A trio of Illinois Counties Move Up the List while the City of St. Louis Remains an Honoree

12.28.21 | To no one's surprise, three Illinois Counties (Cook, Madison and St. Clair) and the City of St. Louis are again included in the 2021/2022 American Tort Reform Foundation's "Judicial Hellholes Report."

Illinois First District Appellate Court upholds $4.8 million asbestos verdict against John Crane.

02.20.20 | Is your client or company sued in asbestos litigation in Illinois? If so, does it argue, as many defendants in asbestos litigation do, that plaintiffs' expert witnesses should be prohibited from testifying that any exposure to a defendant's asbestos-containing products is a substantial contributing factor to the development of mesothelioma and that pre-trial settlement amounts must be disclosed prior to trial? If this describes your client or company, the recent opinion in Daniels v. John Crane, Inc. is likely going to disappoint.

Illinois First District Appellate Court upholds $4.8 million asbestos verdict against John Crane.

02.20.20 | Is your client or company sued in asbestos litigation in Illinois? If so, does it argue, as many defendants in asbestos litigation do, that plaintiffs' expert witnesses should be prohibited from testifying that any exposure to a defendant's asbestos-containing products is a substantial contributing factor to the development of mesothelioma and that pre-trial settlement amounts must be disclosed prior to trial? If this describes your client or company, the recent opinion in Daniels v. John Crane, Inc. is likely going to disappoint.

City of St. Louis falls to 5th on the Judicial Hellhole list with Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois close behind ranking 7th.

02.12.20 | City of St. Louis has seen a steady decline on the judicial hellhole rankings with modest reforms but the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair remain hotspots for asbestos litigation and "no-injury" BIPA lawsuits according to the 2019/2020 American Tort Reform Foundation Judicial Hellholes Report.

City of St. Louis falls to 5th on the Judicial Hellhole list with Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois close behind ranking 7th.

02.12.20 | City of St. Louis has seen a steady decline on the judicial hellhole rankings with modest reforms but the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair remain hotspots for asbestos litigation and "no-injury" BIPA lawsuits according to the 2019/2020 American Tort Reform Foundation Judicial Hellholes Report.