President Donald Trump. Photo: Shutterstock

Illinois regulators have recommended sanctioning a Chicago lawyer who defended his offensive comments toward opposing counsel by citing President Donald Trump.

The hearing board of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission on April 29 recommended suspending Charles Cohn for at least three months and until he completes a professionalism seminar after he repeatedly insulted another lawyer in an insurance coverage case. Cohn is an attorney at Cohn & Cohn Law Offices, a two-lawyer firm with offices in Chicago and Waukegan, Illinois, that handles personal injury, workers' compensation and Social Security disability claims.

Cohn, who did not return requests for comment, was faulted by the ARDC hearing board for badgering Keely Hillison of Keely Hillison Law during a deposition that occurred Nov. 10, 2016, two days after Trump was elected president. Hillison sought to certify a question during the deposition, which prompted Cohn to say, "OK. Then certify your own stupidity at this point."

When Hillison said she wouldn't take insults from Cohn, he replied: "At this point in time, a man who insults on a daily basis everybody he does business with has now been elected president of the United States. The standards have changed. I'll say what I want."

At another point during the proceedings, Hillison asked about the fees Cohn had billed his client. Cohn said, "Don't waste your breath," and later added: "Motion for sanctions; indicate that on the record. I'm going to get sanctions against your firm like you wouldn't believe, bitch."

Cohn later tried to apologize for his remarks when the two lawyers appeared before Cook County Associate Judge Franklin Valderrama in January 2017, saying he felt bullied by Hillison.

But Valderrama wasn't buying it—he said Cohn's claim that Trump's election meant that he can say what he wants was "preposterous" and called his offensive remarks "wholly inexcusable under any and all circumstances." Valderrama also described Cohn's apology as being "half-hearted or non-apology apology."

Cohn and the ARDC administrator who prosecutes lawyers for disciplinary violations have until May 20 to appeal the hearing board's recommendation to the disciplinary body's reviewing board. Neither side has filed an appeal yet, according to ARDC public information officer Steven Splitt. All disciplinary decisions are ultimately made by the Illinois Supreme Court.

The ARDC hearing board was composed of Patrick Blanchard, the independent inspector general for Cook County; Laura Urbik Kern, a family law and divorce lawyer based in the suburbs; and John Costello, vice president and assistant general counsel at JPMorgan Chase & Co.