About Dawn M. Canty

Dawn is the firm's chief deputy general counsel and a panel member of the American Arbitration Association. Dawn represents clients of all types in complex commercial disputes. She counsels a variety of businesses and high-net-worth individuals facing the prospect of litigation — sometimes by representing them in court, but just as often helping them avoid it. Whether responding to a regulatory enforcement action or defending a contract action, she focuses on minimizing the disruption to her clients' businesses that arise from legal disputes.

Business-centered resolutions

Representing a national client base of banks, insurers, financial services firms, product manufacturers and high net worth individuals, Dawn often helps her clients avoid lawsuits before they are filed. She negotiates settlements and guides clients through mediations and creative dispute resolution processes. When lawsuits do arise, Dawn is a fierce advocate well-versed in the challenges of the legal process. She is especially adept at managing cases with large volumes of documents and electronic information.

Dawn routinely works with financial institutions on litigation that can turn on analysis of financial data, including intercreditor disputes and lender liability claims. She also handles Federal Trade Commission enforcement actions and matters brought by state attorneys general alleging unfair or deceptive trade practices in marketing and advertising. In all these actions, her comfort working with complicated factual records benefits her clients.

⇣   Expand to read more

Practice Focus

  • Resolving disputes for insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions
  • Defending regulatory enforcement and state attorney general actions alleging deceptive or unfair business practices
  • Managing complex commercial disputes and navigating voluminous discovery
  • Resolving disputes through mediation and other pre-litigation processes
  • Defending securities and consumer fraud class actions

News

Publications

Presentations and Events

Practices
Industries
Education
  • University of Michigan Law School, JD
  • The University of Chicago, AB
Bar Admissions
  • Illinois
Court Admissions
  • US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar
  • US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
Community Involvements
  • American Bar Association, former Illinois State Liaison; former chair, Membership Subcommittee, Class Action and Derivative Suit Committee
  • Trial Bar of the Northern District of Illinois
  • American Arbitration Association, Panel Member
Recognitions
Recognized or listed in the following:
  • Best Lawyers in America
    Women of Influence, 2017
  • Super Lawyers
    Illinois, 2010–2018, 2021-2022
Award Methodologies