SCHARF BANKS MARMOR - Key Persons
Christian Liipfert has spent much of the past 30 years practicing law in-house in the energy sector, having worked in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Paris, Chicago, Hong Kong, and Houston. Most recently he has worked on two ongoing Monitor assignments, one involving an FTC Consent Order in the US and the other involving a Competition Bureau Canada Consent Agreement in Canada.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Joins Scharf Banks Marmor As Counsel
Dominique Price is a seasoned attorney with experience spanning a wide variety of litigation, including commercial, product liability, personal injury, and premises liability. His defense work includes representing Fortune 500 pharmaceutical drug and medical device manufacturers in federal court as part of Multi-District Litigations involving hip and knee replacements, diabetes medications, and pain medications.
In addition to his work with drug and device manufacturers, Dominique has worked on several multi-plaintiff matters in state court related to chemical exposure and other toxic tort claims. Dominique specializes in handling the unique challenges of defending product manufacturers that face high-volume litigation in class actions and MDLs.
Dominique also has experience representing heavy equipment and consumer product manufacturers in product liability litigation, banks in consumer finance litigation, and government agencies in litigation and employment matters. His employment experience includes conducting internal investigations on behalf of corporate clients.
As a former NFL player, NFL agent, and sports law professor, Dominique continues to counsel clients in the sports and entertainment industries, including professional and collegiate athletes, in matters involving name, image, and likeness, endorsement contracts, and NCAA compliance.
Experience
Dominique represented a Billboard-charting recording artist in a contract dispute, resulting in the dismissal of all claims that was upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals.
Job Titles:
- Joins the Firm As Senior Counsel
Frances P. Kao focuses her practice on international dispute resolution, corporate counseling, and compliance, with a special focus on Asia-Pacific. As a former litigation partner at Skadden Arps, Frances started the firm's U.S. dispute resolution and regulatory compliance practice in Asia-Pacific. She was based in the firm's Hong Kong office and gained extensive experience in international arbitration including in the Peoples Republic of China, United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Singapore. Frances advised international and U.S.-based businesses on establishing business operations and continuing operations in Asia, particularly China and Korea. Her clients included Fortune 50 companies in the technology, pharmaceutical, sports, energy, food and retail industries.
Frances has significant experience in arbitration and mediation. She draws on over twenty years of practice representing public and private companies, as well as their officers, directors and executives in commercial litigation, arbitration, and investigations. Frances also acts as a neutral in private mediations and arbitrations focusing on complex commercial disputes, franchising issues, real estate disputes and oil and gas issues. She is a certified commercial arbitrator for FINRA and the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
Frances has been recognized in the Legal 500 Directory and in the Chambers Global Guide. An active volunteer in the legal aid community, Frances has represented death row inmates on a pro bono basis during state and federal post-conviction proceedings. Frances also operates a business that develops, designs, and builds universal design, accessible, and community-enhancing housing incorporating state-of-the-art technology and design.
Frances received her Bachelor of Special Studies in History from Cornell College and her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is a native Mandarin Chinese speaker.
Experience
Represented Asian petroleum and chemical company on issues arising out of its NYSE-traded entity.
Job Titles:
- Joins the Firm As Senior Counsel
George D. Sax concentrates his practice in civil litigation. George has represented numerous individual and business clients in a variety of matters, including employment litigation and counseling, breach of contract, class actions, commercial litigation, Chapter 11 restructuring, consumer fraud, insurance coverage, medical negligence, multi district litigation, personal injury defense, product liability (both on behalf of defendants or contribution plaintiffs), trade secrets and restrictive covenants litigation, toxic tort defense, intellectual property and technology.
In addition, George has considerable experience in government practice litigation. He has served more than two dozen times as a Special Assistant State's Attorney for Cook County as lead counsel for the Cook County Sheriff's Office and its officers in a variety of civil litigation matters. George has also been engaged by the City of Chicago in connection with various civil litigation matters, and has represented a former cabinet member of a foreign government in connection with high-profile tort litigation against other former members of that government.
George is recognized as an Illinois "Rising Star" in the field of business litigation for the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions of Super Lawyers Magazine. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, The Daily Law Bulletin Publishing Company recognized George as an "Emerging Lawyer" in Illinois in the fields of commercial litigation and employment law.
George received a B.S.J. from Northwestern University in 2000, summa cum laude. He graduated from Stanford Law School in 2003 where he was a member of the Stanford Law Review and co-president of Volume 14 of the Stanford Law & Policy Review.
George is a member of the Trial Bar for the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, and in 2017, his work as appointed Trial Bar counsel was recognized with an Excellence in Pro Bono Service Award from the Northern District and Federal Bar Association.
Experience
Commercial Litigation
Mr. Sax has served more than two dozen times as a Special Assistant State's Attorney for Cook County as lead counsel for the Cook County Sheriff's Office and its officers in a variety of civil litigation matters, including defeat of labor unions' collective bargaining and contractual claims against the Sheriff's Office and County.
Lise previously served as the General Counsel to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She directly managed a law department of 90 people across the state and served as a member of Executive Staff, advising an agency of 2,500 employees. She represented the agency in matters involving contracts, relationships with vendors, legislators, and federal and state court matters. She served as Interim Director of DCFS in June 2017.
Lise was a partner at three national law firms: Kirkland & Ellis (1984-1997); Jenner & Block (1997-2013); Husch Blackwell (2013-2015). Her clients were predominantly Fortune 50 companies. She was lead counsel on class actions, breach of contract, product liability, business disputes involving failed joint ventures, warranty and supply chain contracts, toxic tort and environmental matters, antitrust concerns, lender liability, insurance coverage disputes, and employment/whistleblower lawsuits in courts in: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Georgia, New Mexico, California, Colorado, New York, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Virginia. She has argued in the Federal Courts of Appeal for the Seventh and Eleventh Circuits and in the Illinois Appellate Court; and has filed amicus briefs on behalf of chemical companies and the American Chemistry Council in the United States Supreme Court.
Marilyn J. Chimes concentrates her practice on life sciences. Dr. Chimes brings an unusual combination of experiences to the practice of law. A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, with board certification in laboratory animal medicine, she has used her medical and pharmaceutical company experience in such areas as litigation, risk management and risk counseling, analysis of license and contract agreements, the development of medical, pharmaceutical and biotech products and other health-related engagements.
Marilyn has had hands-on experience in pre-clinical drug safety evaluation, protocol design, report drafting and review, and a range of planning analysis and writing in the area of biomedical research. She is also registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and licensed in veterinary medicine and surgery in Illinois.
Marilyn has experience in intellectual property law, including infringement and validity opinions, licensing, contracts, litigation, and some patent and trademark prosecution. She has advised clients on the development, protection, marketing and defense of intellectual property. She also has extensive experience in health care law, including negotiation and drafting of corporate documents, agreements, policies and procedures. Her clients have been primarily pharmaceutical, medical device, and health care companies, as well as groups of health care professionals. In addition, Marilyn has represented closely held corporations and high net worth individuals in corporate and commercial matters, estate planning and real estate transactions.
Dr. Chimes received her D.V.M., with honors, from Michigan State University in 1979. She received her J.D., with high honors, from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1999 where she was awarded a Certificate in Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, was a Kent Legal Scholar and was admitted to the Order of the Coif.
Experience
Health
Job Titles:
- Counsel, Chicago, Illinois, Member, 2004 - 2022 Member Emeritus, 2022 to the Present
Rebecca L. Ford concentrates her practice on corporate transactions and contracts, corporate governance and corporate compliance programs. She has extensive experience managing litigation and provides critical support on public/private transactions managing government and stakeholder relationships.
As a member of the Scharf Banks Marmor Corporate and Compliance Department, Rebecca has counseled clients on ethics and compliance matters, such as analysis of anticorruption practices, and federal guidelines and best practices.
Rebecca has monitored compliance programs for the Federal Trade Commission and the Competition Bureau of Canada. She has assisted clients with review of compliance programs dealing with government corruption to training program's designed to enlist employees support of corpurate change and performed a comprehensive reviews of corporate compliance and ethics programs.
She has also worked on pay equity topics, and has led DEI efforts as Trustee of non-profit institutions that have prioritized DEI.
Rebecca's experience with corporate transactions and contracts has enabled her to respond expeditiously to client needs by focusing on business and legal requirements, while avoiding excessive delays that can derail projects or make them costlier. She has assisted on contracts covering a wide range of subjects and industries, including private label manufacturing, product distribution and commercial leases.
Prior to joining the firm, Rebecca was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary to Draper and Kramer, Inc., a major Chicago real estate and financial services company. While at Draper and Kramer, Rebecca was responsible for its legal matters, board relations and corporate governance. She was liaison to the City of Chicago, the MacArthur Foundation and other stakeholders for major, transformitive mixed-income development.
Rebecca served as the Executive Vice President for litigation and intellectual property at the MGM movie studio where she oversaw all domestic and international litigation, as well as intellectual property matters, involving MGM, United Artists and other MGM subsidiaries. She also served as Associate General Counsel at City Colleges of Chicago, where she supervised legal services for a seven-college community college district, managed litigation, acquired and disposed of real estate, negotiated contracts, and counseled senior management on legal, regulatory compliance, and Institutional Review Board issues. Rebecca's previous law firm experiences include bond-finance and real estate projects, as well as commercial, financial and appellate litigation.
Rebecca has served as Trustee to a number of civic and cultural institutions, including the Goodman Theatre, the Field Museum, the Chicago Humanities Festival, and the Art Institute of Chicago. She has published articles in The Milken Institute Review, The American Lawyer, The Chicago Reader, The New York Law Journal, The Chicago Tribune and the Illinois Institute for Continuing Education. Rebecca is a contributing columnist and movie critic for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, WCPT820 and Variety.com.
Rebecca received her B.A. from Harvard College, her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and her L.L.M. in Real Estate from the University of Illinois Chicago Law School. She is a member of the bar of Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, California, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Experience
Co-bond counsel for government entities in multi-phased bond issues in Illinois, New York, Connecticut, Alabama and Missouri.
Foreclosure and acquisition of Arts Center on behalf of community college system. Negotiated production agreements for public television station.
Development executive for corporate projects including the 500-unit mixed-income development. Corporate liaison with stakeholders such as the City of Chicago, MacArthur Foundation, alderman, civic leaders and non-profit community. Led process to obtain $250,000 grant to engage social service specialists and cultural anthropologists from the Field Museum to conduct community building.
Second-chair on trial of involving misappropriation of business opportunity on bank matter. Won appeal of misappropriation case based on challenge to improper jury instruction. Second-chair in national preliminary injunction hearing determining ownership rights to the Anaconda Copper Mine. Settled claims by specialist company against bank alleging improper margin call during market decline. Litigated first amendment and defamation claims arising in the context of corporate environments.
Arbitrated construction contract dispute on behalf of developer in connection with redevelopment of landmark building.
Raised venture capital for motion picture feature film and new-media production company.
Acting Director of Emerging Domestic Markets at Santa Monica based economic think tank, created blueprint for access to capital in emerging domestic markets.
Corporate Governance and Corporate Secretary responsibilities for major real estate and financial services corporation.
Sarah R. Marmor is an accomplished trial lawyer, employment litigator, and client counselor with three decades of experience successfully representing sophisticated clients on many of their most difficult and sensitive issues. Sarah has tried complex commercial cases and appeals throughout the United States, in state and federal courts throughout the nation. Sarah represents clients in connection with a variety of complex commercial disputes and employment matters.
Sarah currently heads the Firm's Employment Counseling and Litigation Practice. Her employment law experience includes advice and counsel on all potential aspects of an employer/employee relationship, including employment contracts and non-compete and related restrictive covenant matters (a particular strength of the firm), discrimination claims, wage and hour issues, background checks, leave policies and law, diversity initiatives. Sarah defends clients before state and federal agencies and courts, and has tried employment contract, discrimination, and ERISA claims to successful verdicts in both state and federal courts. In recent years, she has developed significant expertise in social media law, as it applies to employers and more broadly, and she frequently lectures on this subject as well as on restrictive covenant law.
Sarah's complex commercial litigation practice includes breach of contract claims, insurance coverage for corporate policy holders, non-compete and related restrictive covenant and intellectual property suits, consumer fraud litigation, antitrust litigation, product liability/mass tort litigation, and veil piercing litigation. Sarah has defended clients in product liability claims involving breast implants, tobacco, asbestos, household products and appliances. She also has represented clients in toxic tort claims involving chemicals and "toxic" mold. Through this sophisticated products liability practice, Sarah gained significant experience developing scientific defenses to personal injury and property damage claims - particularly in the disciplines of toxicology and epidemiology. Sarah was a member of the team that defended a multinational chemical company in the first and only breast implant class action suit ever certified. Sarah also helped represent the same chemical company in an environmental insurance coverage suit against over 25 insurers in Detroit, Michigan. She helped successfully defend a major tobacco company in a landmark RICO and consumer fraud suit brought by an asbestos trust against the entire tobacco industry.
Sarah has been recognized as an Illinois "Super Lawyer" in the field of Civil Litigation: Defense and is "AV Preeminent" peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell reflecting the highest peer recognition for both ethical standards and legal ability. Crain's Chicago Business selected Sarah as one of the "Notable Gen X Leaders in Law" and Law Bulletin Media repeatedly has recognized Sarah as a "Leading Lawyer." A passionate advocate for the arts, Sarah serves as the Vice President of the Lawyers for the Creative Arts and is a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Court Theatre as well as Chair of its Producers Circle. She has successfully chaired major fundraising events for both of these organizations. Sarah also volunteers pro bono legal services to victims of sexual harassment. She was elected to membership in Chief, an invitation-only private network designed specifically for senior women leaders.
Sarah received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Princeton University and her J.D., magna cum laude from the Northwestern University School of Law.
Experience
Won Illinois Appellate Court decision in favor of Cook County Sheriff and against former officer who was fired for multiple unauthorized absences, and sought to invalidate his firing by arguing that he was disciplined by an improperly constituted administrative agency. Appellate Court affirmed agency's disciplinary decision, and held that the de facto officer doctrine overcame plaintiff's objection that the agency was improperly appointed. Lopez v. Dart et al., 2018 IL App (1st) 17-1773-U.
Partner Sarah Marmor's Article "Working in a Post-Pandemic World" is Published by the PLI Chronicle
Job Titles:
- Kaufman & Scharf - of Counsel
- Kaufman & Scharf - Partner
Stephanie A. Scharf is one of America's preeminent attorneys and is the founder of Scharf Banks Marmor LLC. Over the course of her extraordinary career, Stephanie has developed a global reputation both as a courtroom advocate and as a sophisticated counselor addressing her clients' most intractable and mission critical problems. Stephanie has tried civil and criminal jury and bench trials, has managed pre-trial, trial and appellate phases of litigation, and has advised clients on litigation avoidance and risk mitigation at the enterprise level. Her broad substantive experience includes the litigation of complex commercial disputes, class action defense, product liability and mass tort defense, insurance coverage for corporate policy holders, and employment litigation.
Stephanie's recent engagements include litigation over the scope of a multi-billion dollar facilities use contract; class action defense of distance learning programs; defense of fraud claims involving financial investments; insurance disputes for large corporate policyholders; pharmaceutical product liability defense; contract disputes involving global and small businesses; and the defense of non-competition, trademark and copyright litigation. At trial, she is adept at presenting technical issues to judges and juries, bringing to bear her advanced doctoral training in statistical analysis and scientific research. Whether as trial counsel, national coordinating counsel, regional counsel, or as a member of a "virtual firm" created to address specific client problems, Stephanie focuses on framing effective legal strategies and achieving results that serve her client's business goals.
A frequent author and CLE speaker, Stephanie created and is the lead editor of Product Liability Litigation: Current Law Strategies and Best Practices, 2d Edition. Practising Law Institute (PLI), 2021. She has been named a Leading Lawyer and Best Lawyer, was granted the PLAC President's Award, and was selected by Lawdragon Magazine as one of the "500 Leading Litigators in America." She is "AV Preeminent" peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest peer recognition for both ethical standards and legal ability. Stephanie and the Firm were profiled for the "unique quality of their work" in the Chicago Lawyer cover article, "Work at a Very High Level."
In addition to her highly visible legal practice, Stephanie has long been one of the nation's leading lawyers promoting the advancement of women in the profession. She was Chair of the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession (2017-2020). She is a member of the Advisory Board of DirectWomen; and a former President of the National Association of Women Lawyers (2004-2005). She was Special Advisor to the 2015-2016 American Bar Association's Presidential Commission on Diversity and Inclusion; and co-chaired the ABA Presidential Initiative, Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women in the Law. Beyond her legal training, Stephanie also earned a Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences with a focus on social and organizational psychology and statistical analysis of large data sets. Before practicing law, she managed large national data-driven initiatives in the areas of health and employment.
Stephanie frequently combines her skills in data analytics to develop cutting edge research on issues of diversity and inclusion. Her most recent report (with co-author Roberta Liebenberg) is Practicing Law in the Pandemic and Moving Forward. She has also composed other innovative reports and analyses, including Walking Out the Door: The Fact, Figures and Future of Experienced Women in Private Practice (with co-author Roberta Liebenberg). This important study received national attention for its multidimensional perspectives on the status of women, men and managing partners in legal environments, impediments, and avenues for change to create greater gender diversity at senior levels. Stephanie also founded and conducted the NAWL Annual Survey of Women in Law Firms (2006-2014); the National Survey of Women's Initiatives (2012); and the first-ever survey of women as lead counsel in litigation, First Chairs at Trial: More Women Need Seats at the Table (2015). She has designed a number of unique and lasting programs, such as the NAWL General Counsel Institute, the NAWL Supreme Court Committee, and the NAWL Summit for Best Practices for Advancing Women in Law.
Stephanie has received many awards in recognition of her work advancing women in the law including: The Chicago Lawyer/Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Salute! Women in the Law Award (2020); the Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law Inspiration Award (2020); The Women's Bar Association of Illinois Myra Bradwell Award (2018); the National Association of Women Lawyers Public Service Award (2017); the Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women Founder's Award (2015); the National Law Journal Two Steps Forward Award (2014); the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Member Award (2002). She was named by Crain's Chicago 2017 as one of the 50 most influential women lawyers in Chicago. US Business News has selected Stephanie as the Best Commercial Dispute Litigator-Illinois, and also selected Scharf Banks Marmor as Best Women-Owned Corporate Law Firm-USA.
Experience
Representative Cases
Represented the City of Chicago in a multibillion dollar claim for injunctive relief filed by American Airlines and United Airlines to stop the O'Hare Modernization Program, the largest civil construction program in the United States. After expedited motion practice and discovery, the litigation was successfully resolved, and the Program is proceeding to completion American Airlines, et al. v. City of Chicago, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
Partner Stephanie A. Scharf Appointed to the ABA's Technology and Information Systems Advisory Committee
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Susan H. Rider is an accomplished lawyer and executive leader with extensive expertise in all aspects of employment law. Before joining Scharf Banks Marmor, LLC, Susan led the nationwide team of labor, employment and benefits lawyers at Exelon Corporation, and its then subsidiary Constellation, as Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Labor, Employment & Employee Benefits.
As an executive leader at Exelon, Susan and her team helped human resources and managers make employment decisions that reduced risk and ensured that the companies were in compliance with applicable labor and employment laws. They represented Exelon companies in state and federal court, arbitral and agency proceedings in over ten states. Among her many accomplishments at Exelon was her work with human resources and executive leadership to increase diversity and inclusion in the company's workforce with innovative strategies that drove significant progress while limiting legal risk.
At Scharf Banks Marmor, Susan leverages her many years of experience in corporate law to assist employers with the myriad labor and employment law challenges they face. She is actively involved in the firm's Equity Audit practice as well as employment counseling and pre-dispute resolution practice.
Susan is an experienced director on non-profit boards and public bodies. She has served on the Board of Directors for Heartland Alliance, a major Chicago-based social services non-profit, since 2012, working with management on the management coordination committee and several employment related committees. She is a long serving board member and board executive committee member of Family Rescue (1997-2011 and 2019 to present), a local domestic violence agency. She served as a Board Member of the Federal Bar Association, Chicago Chapter from 2014 through 2021, working actively on the Labor and Employment Committee and chairing the Corporate Counsel Division. Susan is currently serving as a Village Trustee in her town of Lake Bluff, Illinois, having previously served two terms as a member of the Lake Bluff School Board. Susan is also actively involved with the North Shore Labor Counsel, American Employment Law Council and Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
Susan received her B.S. from Nebraska Wesleyan University with highest distinction and her J.D. from Cornell Law School, cum laude.
Experience
Susan is a dynamic and top-performing senior legal executive with demonstrated success in employment law, litigation, dispute resolution, policy development, internal investigations, diversity initiatives, and labor relations. Susan is a trusted advisor to senior leadership teams, builds collaborative partnerships with attorneys and human resources teams, and effectively manages legal teams. She has an extensive background representing a Fortune 100 company in collective bargaining activities for a heavily unionized workforce. She has a proven ability to mitigate risk exposure, control costs, and consistently achieve favorable resolutions to complex legal issues.
Susan provided executive leadership for all labor, employment, and employee benefits legal issues for a Fortune 100 company and its subsidiaries, leading a respected team of 20 in-house labor, employment, and benefits attorneys and legal professionals in five U.S. offices. The team provided all pre-dispute counseling, litigation, and dispute resolution employment-related legal support. Susan and her team of lawyers handled much of the litigation work in-house, including all agency, discovery, and motion practice, to control costs and leverage exceptional business expertise.
Susan has led major initiatives designed to manage legal risk, such as:
Staffing and selection for corporate restructuring;
Racial and gender pay equity legal risk analysis and business disclosures;
Covid response including health and safety, wage and hour, state leave laws, and collective bargaining;
Internal investigations audit and reorganization; and
Drug and alcohol testing and accommodations issues with legalization of cannabis.
Suzanne Milne Alexander concentrates her practice on complex litigation with an emphasis on business, employment and catastrophic tort litigation. She has been a member of trial teams responsible for cases that have gone to verdict in state and federal courts, including in Illinois, Texas and Louisiana. She has represented Fortune 100 companies in product liability defense, toxic tort defense, environmental disaster claims, defense of securities class actions, defense of patent infringement and other intellectual property claims, defense of inventorship claims as well as trade secrets and breach of contract claims.
Suzanne was a member of the trial team that defended BP in In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico, which resulted in eleven deaths and environmental damages claims approaching $50 billion. She focused on issues of civil liability and government regulations, and helped prepare and produce witnesses appearing at deposition, investigated and secured complex expert witness testimony, and conducted factual investigation surrounding the explosion and resulting spill.
In addition to her courtroom experience, Suzanne advises clients on matters involving risk management and employment liability, and on matters at the pre-suit stage of litigation with a focus on helping her clients avoid costly discovery disputes and trials.
Suzanne received a B.S. in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University in 1996. She graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University College of Law in 2004, where she served as the Editor in Chief of the DePaul Law Review and received Order of the Coif.
Experience
Represented BP in both civil action and Marine Board investigation. Involved in multiple aspects of fact and expert discovery. In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010.
Member of National Coordinating Counsel team for a Fortune 50 company responsible for all asbestos matters. Developed a national trial strategy for premises litigation/asbestos exposure docket.
Member of trial team obtaining judgment for clients on trade secret and conversion claims, and limited damages to a $1.00 verdict on breach of contract claim in a six week intellectual property jury trial in Illinois state court.
Member of trial team obtaining the first defense "not guilty" verdict in the history of the State of Louisiana for an asbestos premises liability claim on behalf of a multi-national corporation.
Ted Banks has been repeatedly recognized over his long career one of the nation's premier compliance and antitrust lawyers. After a long career at Kraft Foods, ultimately serving as both Chief-Counsel - Global Compliance and as Associate General Counsel (with responsibility for antitrust, general litigation, corporate transactions, sales, legal computer applications and public policy coordination), Ted co-founded Scharf Banks Marmor LLC.
Ted concentrates his practice on corporate compliance, antitrust, corporate transactions, and enterprise level business counseling, particularly in industries with consumer-facing products. He is a recognized leader in the field of product distribution law, and is the author of a number of publications in the area, including the leading treatise on the subject, Distribution Law: Antitrust Principles and Practice (published by Wolters Kluwer). He is a frequent speaker and writer on corporate compliance programs and is the editor of the Corporate Legal Compliance Handbook (published by Wolters Kluwer).
Ted has negotiated more than 50 major corporate transactions, including a $19 billion acquisition and an $8 billion IPO. He has advised a 5,000-member corporate sales division on pricing, distribution, and marketing issues and has assisted many corporations, large and small, in developing corporate compliance programs, including formulation of risk assessment, policy creation and program development. In recognition of his considerable reputation and skill in the space, Ted has been appointed as a corporate compliance monitor by both the Federal Trade Commission and the Competition Bureau of Canada to oversee compliance programs of respondent companies. He has developed records management systems for global organizations, including the design of document management, electronic discovery and legal hold applications, and counseled clients on a wide variety of cutting edge corporate compliance issues.
Ted has been recognized as an Illinois "Super Lawyer" in the field of corporate governance and compliance, is a "Leading Lawyer" in Antitrust and Publicly Held Corporation Law, and is "AV Preeminent" peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Ted is an adjunct professor of law at Loyola University Law School, teaching corporate compliance. He was recognized by the National Law Journal as a "Compliance Trailblazer and Pioneer," and was awarded the Alumni Masters Award from the University of Denver.
Ted has been a leader in bar and community organizations. He founded and served as first chair of the North Shore Compliance Officers' Roundtable, and is a member of the steering committee of the Chicago Regional Business Ethics Network. He is pro bono General Counsel of Keep Chicago Beautiful and is on the Board of Directors of the Jewish National Fund-USA. He previously served as a board member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Ted is also an active member of the American Bar Association and the Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics.
Ted received a B.A. from Beloit College in 1972. He graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 1975, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Denver Journal of International Law & Policy.
Experience
Representing major consumer packaged goods companies in more than 50 major acquisitions and divestitures with a combined value in excess of $15 billion.
Partner Ted Banks offers clear advice for compliance professionals in the wake In Re McDonald's Corp.
Partner Ted Banks to speak at the Northwestern University Law Review Symposium on Fraud and the Erosion of Trust, October 28, 2022
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