Timothy L. Bertschy

Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C.
Partner
E-mail: tbertschy@hrva.com
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Education:
Bachelor of Arts–Economics (Magna Cum Laude)
University of Illinois, 1974

Juris Doctorate
George Washington University, 1977

Practice Experience:
Tim began his legal career with Heyl Royster in the Peoria office in 1977. He has a broad practice both in and out of the courtroom. He has tried many jury and non-jury trials and administrative agency proceedings, along with arbitrating cases, in different areas of law in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

Tim became a partner at Heyl Royster in 1984. He heads the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Governmental, and Religious and Not-for-Profit Practice Groups. Tim is a co-founder of Heartland Free-Net, one of the nations's first community computers systems.

Practice Emphasis:
Tim concentrates his practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, employment, and local government law. He has litigated cases involving contractual breaches, business torts, partnership and corporate break-ups, stockholder disputes, ERISA, unfair competition, intellectual property, covenants not to compete, lender liability, fraud and misrepresentation, eminent domain (condemnation), sexual abuse claims, computer and software problems, privacy, real estate disputes, zoning issues and business losses. He has represented clients in the business, banking, real estate, stock brokerage, accounting, legal, insurance, governmental, and religious fields.

Tim is a member of the American Bar Association Board of Governors. He has served in the ABA House of Delegates for several terms. Tim was President of the Illinois State Bar Association in 1998-99, and served on the ISBA Board of Governors from 1984-1990. He is presently Co-chair of the ABA Section of Litigation Minority Trial Lawyer Committee, Chair of the United States District Court Advisory Committee on Local Rules (Central District, Illinois), and Co-chair of the Bar Association of the Central and Souther Districts (Illinois) Rules and Practices Committee. He is a former Co-chair of the ABA Section of Litigation Business Torts Committee and of the Illinois Legal Needs Study II, and former President of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program, Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice, and Illinois Township Attorneys Association. He was the first Chairman of the Diversity Committee of the Peoria County Bar Association. He serves as a member of the Prairie State Legal Services Campaign for Legal Services committee. He has served as a director of the Illinois Bar Foundation and is a member of both the Illinois and the American Bar Foundations. Tim is co-founder of Heartland Free-Net, one of the nation’s first community computer systems.

Tim has written extensively in the legal field. He is the author of such works as: “An Overview of the Implied Warranty of Habitability,” “Negligent Performance of Service Contracts and the Economic Loss Doctrine,” “The Line Between Contract and Tort, Moorman and Its Progeny,” and “The Economic Loss Doctrine in Illinois After Moorman,” for which he won the Lincoln Writing Award.

He is also the co-author of such works as: “Information Disclosure Under the Illinois Medical Studies Act,” “Political Pressures for Social Investment of Plan Assets,” and “Medical Records Release in Response to Subpoena.” Tim is a frequent speaker to professional and community groups.

Admitted to Practice:
State Courts of Illinois
United States District Court,
Central District of Illinois
United States District Court,
Eastern District of Wisconsin
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
United States Supreme Court