Heather R. Watterson concentrates her practice in the area of complex civil litigation, which includes premises liability, school law, mental health law, and products liability.  In addition to her law degree, she also possesses a Master’s Degree in social work, and has been able to use that degree to assist the clients in complying with various state and federal statutes, including the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

 

Within the premises liability arena, Ms. Watterson defends landowners, retail establishments, colleges and universities, businesses, and religious institutes against claims in all areas of premises liability law, including general slip and fall cases, and up to the most serious of criminal acts of third parties. She has also represented religious institutions, nursing homes, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities against allegations of sexual misconduct by employees, volunteers, trespassers, and other individuals on the land. 

 

Ms. Watterson investigates allegations of sexual misconduct in the school setting, and assists the schools in responding to the allegations.  She has drafted articles and has participated in training school administrators in responding to the allegations of sexual misconduct.  She has also successfully defended sexual misconduct cases, and recently obtained a dismissal on a sexual misconduct case based upon the expiration of the statute of limitations.  This opinion has been used to settle other sexual misconduct cases for nominal figures.  

 

Heather Watterson’s experience in school law also includes defending high schools, colleges, and universities in premises liability lawsuits and other student-related issues, and offering guidance on compliance with various state and federal statutes, including the Illinois School Student Records Act, the Illinois School Code, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.

 

EDUCATION

DePaul University School of Law J.D., 2001 Case Western Reserve University M.S.W., 1997 Wittenberg University B.A., 1995

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

Illinois, 2001
Federal Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2001
Northern District of Indiana, 2002

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel

REPORTED DECISIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

“Nursing Home Charting and Documentation,” by Andrew Kopon Jr., Michael A. Airdo, and Heather R. Watterson, Long-Term Care Interface, Vol. 6 (11) 2005