Jessica Perez Simmons

Jessica concentrates her practice in helping clients resolve complex commercial disputes, including:  breach of contract, restrictive covenant litigation, fraud disputes, intellectual property disputes, antitrust litigation, and tort disputes for a wide variety of domestic and international corporations. She helps clients manage and resolve disputes in a wide variety of circumstances, ranging from pre-litigation counseling to taking cases to trial.

Jessica is also committed to serving the community.  She is Vice Chair of the firm's Diversity Committee, which, in addition to promoting all aspects of diversity within the firm, also sponsors and participates in a wide variety of programs intended to provide invaluable resources to historically underserved and underprivileged communities.  Jessica is also involved in pro bono legal work, including successfully advocating on behalf of domestic violence victims and representing clients in asylum matters.

Representative Matters

• Representation of federal court-appointed receiver in claims brought by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission against the directors and officers of an SEC registered investment advisor in a $60 million claim for violations of ERISA, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and conversion arising out of the alleged misappropriation and misuse of investor pension funds.
• Representation of financial institutions in breach of contract, mortgage foreclosure and Mechanics Lien Act litigation.
• Representation of corporations in trade secret, breach of contract and non-compete litigation.
• Representation of luxury goods manufacturers in trademark infringement actions.
• Representation of Fortune 500 companies in defense of class action litigation.
  

Professional Activities and Honors

• American Bar Association (Section of IP Law; Section of Litigation)
• Women's Bar Association of Illinois (Section of Civil Litigation)
• Hispanic National Bar Association
• Former Associate Board Member of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms

Publications

• Blurring the lines that divide lawyers
• Co-Author, "Rights, Legal Remedies, and Calculating Damages for Breach of Contract," Chapter 13, IICLE Contract Law, 2008 and 2006 editions
• "You Can Bet Your Life On It! Regulating Senior Settlements To Be A Financial Alternative For The Elderly," The Elder Law Journal, Vol. 10.2, 2002

Events & Speaking Engagements

• Why Do Some Associates Stay While Others Go? Retention Secrets from the Trenches