Drake, Narup & Mead, P.C.

Origins and development

David Drake, Rick Narup and Randy Mead opened the firm on February 14, 1989. The three lawyers had previously been members of another firm. The legal entity operates as Drake, Narup & Mead, P.C., with its base in Springfield, Illinois.

The firm's account identifies insurance work as part of its earliest activity.Within two weeks of opening, its lawyers represented insureds of the country's primary general lines carrier and insureds of the state's main professional liability insurer. That early work placed carrier and policyholder defense at the center of the firm's case history.

Drake, Narup & Mead moved to its current office in 1991. Its later hiring dates provide a record of how the team developed. Chris Biswell joined in 2001, Jeff Cocagne arrived as an associate in 2018, and Jason Schutte joined as a partner in 2022.

Core fields and case types

The website names healthcare defense, insurance defense, legal malpractice, personal injury and construction litigation. It also identifies subrogation, workers' compensation and professional liability matters. These fields place much of the firm's work within civil claims involving carriers, insured parties, businesses and licensed professionals.

The firm represents the insurance industry and its insureds across Central Illinois. Its personal lines work includes auto and homeowners cases for national carriers. The firm states that this part of its work spans more than 35 years.

Insurance and professional liability matters

Insurance defense cases generally begin with a claim, a demand or a filed complaint. Counsel reviews the allegations, available policy material and records tied to the event. Once litigation begins, the parties may exchange written discovery, take depositions, file motions and prepare evidence for settlement talks or trial.

Professional liability claims often require close study of the underlying professional service. The parties may dispute the applicable standard of care, the cause of the claimed loss and the amount of damages. Records and expert opinions can carry much of the factual weight in those disputes.

Christian Biswell's work includes medical and legal malpractice defense. The firm also identifies health insurance and HMO liability as areas in which it has handled cases. Those matters can involve medical records, coverage terms, treatment decisions or administrative documents, depending on the pleaded claim.

Construction, injury and statutory claims

Construction litigation appears as a named field, and the website specifically refers to construction negligence cases. Such disputes may involve project contracts, inspection material, photographs, repair records and testimony about work at the site. Several contractors, property owners, insurers or design professionals may take part in the same case.

The firm also lists personal injury and dram shop matters. Dram shop liability comes from statute and concerns claims linked to the sale or provision of alcohol. Courts examine the statutory elements, evidence about the events and the claimed connection between alcohol service and an injury.

Workers' compensation and subrogation add two distinct kinds of insurance-related work. Workers' compensation disputes commonly address employment status, medical evidence, work restrictions and the relationship between an injury and employment. Subrogation concerns an insurer's effort to recover payments from a party alleged to bear legal responsibility for a loss.

How the lawyer team is built

The website lists Randall Mead, Christian Biswell and Jeffrey Cocagne among the firm's partners. Jason Schutte also joined the firm as a partner in 2022. The roster combines a founding lawyer with attorneys who joined during later periods of the firm's development.

Randall Mead, also identified as Randy Mead in the firm's history, is one of the three original lawyers. His continued listing as a partner connects the present team to the firm's opening in 1989. David Drake and Rick Narup appear under the site's Retired Founders section.

Christian Biswell has been with Drake, Narup & Mead since 2001. His stated concentration includes defense in medical and legal malpractice cases. That work corresponds directly with two of the professional liability fields named elsewhere on the website.

Later additions to the partnership

Jeffrey Cocagne joined as an associate in 2018 and is now listed as a partner. Before joining, he worked in civil litigation in eastern Illinois. That background fits the civil case focus shown in the firm's stated fields.

Jason Schutte arrived as a partner in 2022. The firm states that he has a background defending insurance companies. His experience aligns with the insurance defense work that has formed part of the firm's case history since its opening.

The dated entries make the team's progression easy to follow. Mead represents the founding period, Biswell joined twelve years later, and Cocagne and Schutte joined during more recent stages. Each named current lawyer has a stated connection to civil litigation, professional liability or insurance defense.

County coverage and litigation logistics

Sangamon, Cook, Madison, Peoria and McLean are among the Illinois counties where the firm regularly appears. The website also refers to dozens of other counties across the state. This reach extends beyond the firm's Springfield base and includes courts in central Illinois and other regions.

County-level civil litigation follows the rules and schedules of the court handling the case. Lawyers track filing deadlines, discovery dates, motion hearings, settlement conferences and trial settings. Local procedures can affect how counsel presents filings and schedules appearances, even when the legal issues resemble those in another county.

A broad county caseload can matter in insurance defense because one carrier may face claims in several parts of Illinois. Each lawsuit still turns on its own pleadings, evidence and court orders. The firm's stated county coverage shows experience appearing in several major Illinois venues while maintaining its office in Springfield.

What the record supports

In my opinion, "civil defense firm with a strong insurance focus" is the most accurate short description of Drake, Narup & Mead. The stated fields support that description through insurance defense, healthcare defense, professional liability and related litigation. Construction negligence, dram shop claims, subrogation and workers' compensation broaden the types of disputes listed.

The attorney information also links named lawyers to relevant areas. Biswell handles medical and legal malpractice defense, Cocagne came from civil litigation, and Schutte has defended insurance companies. Mead supplies continuity with the firm's original formation in 1989.

The firm's history provides exact dates for its opening, office move and several lawyer arrivals. It identifies the founders and separates retired founders from the current partner listings. It also states that the firm regularly appears in Sangamon, Cook, Madison, Peoria, McLean and dozens of other Illinois counties.