Christopher D. Liguori

Profile

Christopher D. Liguori is a trial and appellate attorney who concentrates his practice in the area of complex business litigation and counseling.  Over the course of his career, Mr. Liguori has represented Fortune 500 companies in complex commercial litigation across the country in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Liguori has served as lead trial counsel in a variety of matters involving breach of fiduciary duty, intellectual property, tort and breach of contract. In addition to an active trial practice, Mr. Liguori has represented clients in mediations, arbitrations and appeals, and frequently counsels corporate clients on a variety of sensitive and complicated matters.

Mr. Liguori is AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer recognition for ethical standards and legal ability.  He has been named an Illinois Superlawyer since 2016.

Representative Experience

Mr. Liguori has been lead trial counsel on numerous cases throughout his career.  In addition, Mr. Liguori has represented indigent clients pro bono in civil and criminal matters involving black lung disability benefits, section 1983 civil rights claims, and a case in which the state sought the death penalty.

His most recent representative civil litigation experience includes the following:

• Schwan’s Co. v. Conagra Brands, Inc. et. al, No. 20-CV-2157 (D. Minn. 2020) (representing Conagra in trade secrets and tortious interference with employment contract dispute).
• Recovery & Rehabilitation LLC (dba RoseHeart Renewal Center) v. Village of Olympia Fields al, No. 21-CV-2505 (N.D. Ill 2021) (granting map amendment and special use permit in zoning dispute alleging constitutional and federal anti-discrimination violations).
• Stevard LLC V. S-R Investments LLC, No. 2021-CH-341 (Cir Ct. Cook County, Chancery Div. (January 2021)) (representing S-R Investments in breach of contract claim and breach of contract/breach of fiduciary duty claim in dispute with manager of family office).
• Baez v. JS Civil Law Group, No. 2020 L 000768 (Cir. Ct. Cook County, Law Div.) (January 2020) (granting our client JS Civil Law Group’s motion to dismiss defamation per se claim).
• Nestle USA, Inc. v. Conagra Brands, Inc., JAMS No. 1340017778 (represented ConAgra in mediation regarding contract and post-closing dispute).
• Andrzewjewski v. Maxxam Partners, LLC, No. 18-CH-000743 (16^th Cir., Kane County, IL) (granting our client Maxxam Partners’ motion to dismiss claims for purported violations of procedural and substantive due process in regard to Kane County’s enactment of a zoning ordinance).
• Maxxam Partners, LLC v. County of Kane, et al., No. 17-CV-5707 (N.D. Ill. 2018) (granting Consent Decree in favor of our client Maxxam Partners in multi-million dollar commercial zoning dispute alleging constitutional and federal discrimination claims).
• Steele v. Wexford Health Sources, Inc., et al., No. 17-CV-06630 (N. D. Ill. 2017) (appointed counsel; successfully resolving Section 1983 claim for inmate at Stateville Correctional Center).
• GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, S.A. v. Pfizer, Inc., No. 13-CV-04346, (N.D. Ill. 2017) (jury trial verdict in favor of our client Pfizer on GSK’s $25 million breach of contract claim and on Pfizer’s counterclaim for unjust enrichment/quantum meruit).
• Maxim Marketing Corp. v. ConAgra Brands, Inc., No. BC 533822 (Los Angeles Sup. Ct. 2016) (lead trial counsel; successfully resolved trade secrets dispute for our client ConAgra Foods).
• Covis Pharma S.a.r.l. v. Hospira, Inc., No. 4:14-CV-00227-BO (E.D. N.C. 2015) (affirming $8 million arbitration award obtained for our client Hospira involving claims of repudiation by drug manufacturer of six-year supply agreement and rejecting $24 million counterclaim asserted by Covis).
• Premier Healthcare v. Hospira, Inc., Arbitration 2013 (prevailed in arbitration for our client Hospira in a dispute involving a post-transaction working capital adjustment).
• Hospira, Inc. v. Therabel Pharma N.V., No. 12 C 8544 (N.D. Ill. 2013) (secured permanent injunction for our client Hospira that prohibited Therabel from forcing Hospira into an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration in Geneva, Switzerland).
• Carefusion Corp. v. Hospira, Inc., No. 12 CH 3460 (Lake County, Ill (successfully resolved trade secrets dispute for our client Hospira after defeating initial motion for a TRO).
• Nauman v. Hospira, Inc., 699 F. 3d 854 (7^th 2012) (affirming verdict in favor of client in class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
• American Hardware Manufacturers Assoc. v. Reed Elsevier, No. 03 C 9421 (N.D. Ill. 2011) (co-lead trial counsel for Reed in five-week jury trial involving fraud and breach of contract claims; successful resolution before verdict).
• Nauman v. Hospira, Inc., 04 C 7199 (N.D. Ill. 2010) (bench trial verdict in favor of our client Hospira in ERISA class action lawsuit).
• Abbott Laboratories v. Hospira Inc., No. 08 CH 40219 (Cir. Ct. Cook County, Ch. Div. (2008) (obtained TRO and preliminary injunction enjoining arbitration against our client Hospira).

Education, Professional Activities, and Recognition

Mr. Liguori received his law degree (magna cum laude) in 1987 from the American University, Washington College of Law, where he served as the editor for the International Law and Policy Journal.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1984.

Mr. Liguori is a member of the bar of the State of Illinois and a member of the bar and trial bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. As his practice is national in scope, Mr. Liguori has also been admitted pro hac vice by the states of California, New York, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas. Mr. Liguori is also a member of the bars of the Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits and of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Mr. Liguori spent the first 20 years of his career as a partner and as an associate at the law firm Jenner & Block LLP, where, in addition to being a part of the firm’s Trial Practice and Litigation Group, he served on the firm’s Business and Practice Group Development Committee, Associate Review and Development Committee, Hiring Committee and Pro Bono Committee.