Tim Burns

Tim Burns

Timothy W. Burns is a partner at Perkins Coie LLP. Tim Burns lives in Middleton, Wisconsin. He is the former co-chair of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association.

Tim Burns is running for state Supreme Court in Wisconsin in the spring 2018 election. The seat is "currently held by conservative Justice Michael Gableman."

He sits on the board of the American Constitution Society and heads another American Bar Association committee focused on impartial courts and social justice.,,

Facebook Announcement

Tim Burns announced his candidacy on Facebook, writing:

"I’m a lawyer and I've built a law practice standing up to giant insurance companies coast-to-coast for large businesses, small businesses, and individual consumers. Because my practice is a national one, my wife and I were able to choose any place to live. Not long after we adopted our three wonderful children from China, we made Wisconsin our family's home.

"Growing up in a family of eight with parents who were too poor to finish high school, my family, probably like your family, relied on the great pillars of our democracy -- public roads, public parks, public libraries, and public schools -- to propel us forward. Everything I am I owe to our democracy and the opportunities it created.

"But the opportunities I had as a child and a young law student and lawyer no longer exist for everyone. The America where I grew up, which was fair and valued hard work, is disappearing. I want my children and their children to grow up with the same opportunities that I had. I want them to live in a country in which their family's income, their zip code, or the color of their skin does not dictate their opportunity. That is the America I love and I want for them.

"I believe in our democracy. I believe our country works best when everyone has a voice in governing, not just special interests. I believe in democracy because it affirms the dignity and value of each person, no matter how wealthy or how poor, no matter their education, no matter their race, no matter their creed. I also believe that the strength of our economy is inextricably tied to the strength of our democracy. When our democracy is strong, our economy is strong.

"We cannot have a strong democracy or a strong economy though without fair courts.

"When I was young our courts were the great equalizer, they made sure that everybody got a fair shot. Now our courts have become the tools of special interests and their efforts to obtain opportunities for themselves. Those special interests are now getting a free ride, and they are weakening our democracy to make sure their free ride continues. That has to stop.

"I want better for my children. I want better for yours. Join me in working for a better Wisconsin.

Associated with Democrat Party

Tim Burns "said his decision to run was fueled by the election of President Donald Trump in November, what he called a 'wake-up call' for democracy."

An article at the Journal Sentinel reported:

"Over the last decade, Burns has given tens of thousands of dollars to state candidates, most of them Democrats, state records show."

"For the past 40 years, I've watched special interests chip away at the impartiality of our courts and it has got to stop," Burns said in an interview.

"His announcement comes a month after conservative Justice Annette Ziegler was re-elected to a 10-year term without opposition."

"Some liberals have expressed frustration that no one ran against her, saying they will never have a shot at taking control of the court if they don't field candidates. Conservatives control the court 5-2.",

Professional Recognition

• Listed in Benchmark Litigation’s Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys as a Local Litigation Star
• Selected by Best Lawyers as "2013 Lawyer of the Year" for Insurance Law
• Ranked by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2006 (Illinois), 2007 (recommended in "Insurance"), 2008 - present (Band 2 - nationally)
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2007 - Present: Insurance Law
• Listed in The International Who’s Who of Insurance & Reinsurance Lawyers, Executive Counsel Shortlist
• Named a “Leading Lawyer” by The Legal 500 for Insurance: Advise to policy holders, 2015

Professional Leadership

• American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS), Board of Directors, 2014
• The American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel, Fellow American Law Institute
• American Bar Association, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Co-Chair, 2003 - 2006
• American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force, Co-Chair, 2002 - 2003
• International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR) Insurance Neutrals Review Committee, Member; Directors and Officers’ Liability Insurance Group, Chair; International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR) Insurance Committee, Directors' and Officers' Subcommittee, Chair

Clerkships

• Hon. George Fagg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit