Kirk Hartley is a trial lawyer and consultant with a passion for the intersections between law and science, including the medical and legal principles involved in many aspects of cancer. Kirk’s pro bono legal work is focused on articles, presentations and/or litigation regarding the rights of persons with cancer with respect to access to diagnostics and therapies. That work focuses primarily on efforts to persuade or force private insurers or insurance plan administrators to provide access to precision medicine diagnostics and therapies. For over 30 years, Kirk has represented commercial clients in business litigation, including winning judgments for some of the largest companies in the US, as well as smaller entrepreneurs. Over the years, Kirk has increasingly focused on the growing and changing intersections between molecular science, tort law, corporate law, and insurance, as well as the increasing use of bankruptcies and schemes of arrangement to resolve or limit underlying contingent liability claims. Kirk frequently speaks on and writes about law and science issues, and has been time and again recognized as being part of the top tier of US lawyers.

Kirk’s almost 35 years of practice have focused on advising a wide range of corporations, associations, and individuals as both plaintiffs and defendants, but in different law firm settings. In June 2011, Kirk created his own law firm, LSP Group LLC, to continue his focus on issues involving law, science and policy. Kirk’s immediate prior practice focused on representing policyholders against insurers for a national insurance coverage boutique (Childress Duffy) that represented policyholders against insurance companies. Kirk also enjoyed over 25 years as a partner in a national law firm (Katten Muchin Rosenman) and then a nationally known litigation boutique (Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd). Immediately after law school, Kirk learned many lessons during a wonderful year spent as a law clerk for Howard C. Ryan, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Illinois.

Kirk also is a director in a boutique consulting firm, Gnarus Advisors LLC. Gnarus combines economic, scientific, engineering, and regulatory expertise to provide clients with multidimensional support on a wide range of challenges affecting their financial performance, risk management goals, and dispute resolution efforts.

Kirk also writes an independent blog, GlobalTort.com, which focuses on global tort claiming, science, cancer, insurance and mass tort bankruptcies.

Kirk is the very proud father of two daughters in college pursuing undergraduate degrees aimed at putting molecular biology knowledge into action as part of programs to assist people facing challenges arising from diseases or developmental barriers or disabilities.