Bowers v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance

Plaintiff Clarence Bowers appeals from an order of the circuit court dismissing with prejudice his complaint against defendant State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm). We affirm.

BACKGROUND

In this case, we are called upon to determine whether plaintiff sufficiently stated a claim that State Farm’s employment of staff counsel to represent its insured in litigation gives rise to a cause of action for the unauthorized practice of law such that it could withstand a motion to dismiss under section 2 — 615 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Code) (735 ILCS 5/2 — 615 (West 2008)).

In…