Jennifer Boulanger Johnson

Practice Details

• Firm Information
  Position

  Partner

  Firm Name

  Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen Professional Corporation
• Representative Cases & Transactions
  Cases

  Significant Cases
  Laurel Hiatt v. Higbee, Inc., et al. Madison County, Illinois, 12-L-1553. This was a personal injury action brought by a living plaintiff alleging asbestos- related mesothelioma. The client objected to jurisdiction in Illinois, asserting it did not do business in Illinois as contemplated by the Long-Arm statute. The issue before the court involved whether this manufacturing defendant, which had some sales in Illinois but no other Illinois contacts, could be subject to jurisdiction in Illinois for plaintiff's alleged asbestos-related injury, when the alleged injury occurred outside of Illinois. In calendar year 2012, the firm's client had sales of $260,000 (less than 2% of its total sales) in Illinois. In finding that there was no general jurisdiction over the defendant, the court noted that sales alone do not justify exercising personal jurisdiction over the out-of-state defendant. The court also commented that the client's sales in Illinois were insignificant vis-a-vis their relation to the percentage that the Illinois' population represents to the rest of the country. Upon the Court's ruling, plaintiff's counsel agreed to voluntarily dismiss the client from 30 additional cases. This result effectively removed the client from asbestos litigation in Madison County, IL. Eduard Alex
  er Gutierrez v. Nathan Etters 07 L 20, Franklin County, IL Plaintiff claimed permanent bilateral knee injury from this auto accident, in which defendant admitted liability for the accident but denied the damages. Long v. Cottrell, Inc. 982-10046, U.S.D.C., E.D. Mo Plaintiff was an auto hauler who allegedly sustained a back injury while untying a truck on a car carrier made by Cottrell. Defense verdict. VanHoose v. Phillip Environmental Structural Work Act case involving whether client provided an unsafe workplace when plaintiff used a man lift to move a steel plate,
  whether our client was in charge of plaintiff's work
  trial lasted 5 days. The result was plaintiff's verdict - 90% fault of third party defendant, 3% to property owner
  7% to our client, a subcontractor on the premises. Brown v. Crabtree Auto/pedestrian collision case involving catastrophic injuries to plaintiff. Result was plaintiff's verdict, reduced by 50% for plaintiff's contributory negligence. Net award was $750,000. Case was tried on a high/low agreement, this number fell within that range.