About Us
Keefe & DePauli, P.C. is a defense law firm that specializes exclusively in the areas of workers' compensation and occupational disease cases. Keefe & DePauli represents insurance carriers, service organizations, third party administrators and self-insured employers in Illinois and Missouri in all aspects of workers' compensation and occupational disease cases, including subrogation services. The firm has specialized in the defense of workers' compensation cases since 1955 and has generally been recognized as one of the leading workers' compensation defense firms in Illinois and Missouri. Members of the firm regularly appear on behalf of clients through central, southeast, southwest and southern Illinois as well as central and eastern Missouri. (See Venues link for more information on the firm’s coverage areas).
Thomas Q. Keefe Sr. (1915-1999), the founding member of the firm, served as an arbitrator of the Illinois Industrial Commission on appointment by Governor Adlai Stevenson, before building Keefe & DePauli into one of the prestige workers' compensation firms in Illinois. He was considered a leading expert in the field of workers' compensation law and current members of the firm have carried on that tradition of expertise and excellence.
All members of the firm are experienced in trial and appellate proceedings in both Illinois and Missouri before state administrative bodies, trial and appellate courts, including the state supreme courts. Firm members have served in leadership positions in workers' compensation organizations and committees and regularly contribute book chapters, articles and lectures for workers' compensation publications, meetings and seminars. Members of the firm are regularly consulted by judges, arbitrators and other attorneys as well as claims personnel on all aspects of workers' compensation law. A number of firm members have also served as expert witnesses for insurers and other law firms in workers' compensation–related litigation matters. The firm is available at any time for in-house meetings or presentations to claims staff or insureds.