Karen Conti

     Karen has been a lawyer for 30 years, concentrating in all types of litigation—criminal, civil, and appellate. Karen has excellent and diverse trial experience and has litigated cases across the country in a wide variety of matters including: commercial business real estate litigation, insurance coverage disputes, physician disputes, contracts, probate, defamation, domestic relations, white collar criminal defense, environmental matters, employment discrimination, injunctions, business torts, trade secrets, professional negligence, and civil rights.  At the same time, Karen has exceptional negotiation skills which allow her to quickly and creatively settle matters for clients with the least possible expenditure of time and money. She is formally trained as a mediator and in collaborative law.

     A member of the Illinois, California, and U.S., Supreme Court bars, Karen has handled numerous significant cases, including a successful United States Supreme Court appeal on behalf of the Cook County Democratic Party, the death row appeals of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a reversal in the Illinois Supreme Court in an employment discrimination matter, and a wrongful arrest and injury action against the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers arising from the infamous May 2000 brawl in the Wrigley Field stands.  In December 2008, Karen tried a six week jury trial and obtained a $1.2 million fraud verdict against a nationally known home builder, represented by the world’s largest law firm.

     Karen’s valued clients include, among others, physicians, medical clinics, internet entrepreneurs, authors, retail establishments, small business owners,  construction companies, and a non-profit animal shelter.

     For over 20 years, Karen has been an adjunct professor at University of Illinois College of Law and DePaul University College of Law.  She has guest lectured at Stanford University and American University and single-handedly teaches civil procedure to recent law graduates taking the bar. 

     Karen has extensive experience in domestic relations.  In 2008, she was appointed by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to assist in redrafting the divorce laws in Illinois.  She was solely responsible for redrafting the statute concerning grounds for divorce, when, if passed, should modernize and streamline the process of dissolving a marriage.  In 2007, she was a headline speaker at the Family Rights Rally at the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C. on the issue of child custody and parental alienation.

     For over 20 years, Karen has been a part of the local and national media.  She has been the designated local Chicago Fox affiliate legal expert giving weekly commentary on diverse issues such as family law, business matters, criminal cases, and appellate decisions.  She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Nancy Grace, Court TV and other media venues.  For over 20 years, Karen hosted and produced radio talk shows including “Legally Speaking” on WGN Radio in Chicago for which she has won numerous awards, among others, Achievement in Radio for Best Public Affairs and the Kogan Award.  She currently has a weekly segment on WGN where she discusses current legal events and answers listeners’ questions.

     Karen also writes and lectures. Her articles are published in the Chicago Sun-Times, local magazines, and online. She has spoken at many seminars and events on issues of family law, media law, women in business and current legal news stories.

     Karen was voted one of 40 under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch by Chicago Lawyer Magazine, One of the 100 Women Making a Difference in Chicago by Today’s Chicago Woman, Outstanding Alumni of the Year at University of Illinois College of Law, and the Distinguished Graduate Award. She was voted a Leading Lawyer, part of a network of elite lawyers in the state and received the Impresa Award from the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.