Experience

Jen is an experienced litigator who handles commercial, financial, and securities litigation and arbitrations.  Jen represents financial institutions and public and private corporations in a variety of commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts, including claims for securities fraud, corporate defamation, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, business torts, and contract disputes.  She also defends clients in litigation alleging violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act, the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Jen has extensive experience representing broker-dealer firms in FINRA arbitrations, serving as lead counsel in over 50 proceedings in the past five years.  She handles industry and customer disputes, including those involving claims for fraud, unsuitability, churning, unauthorized trading, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent supervision, and Form U-5 expungements with claims for defamation, false light, wrongful termination, and/or tortious interference with contract or business opportunity.  Jen’s practice also includes advising clients in connection with FINRA and state securities regulatory examinations, both routine and targeted sales practice investigations, as well as with respect to general compliance with securities laws and regulations.

Representative Matters

• Defend broker-dealer firm in FINRA arbitration involving senior investors’ claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, churning, failure to supervise, and unsuitability; secure denial of claim in its entirety

• Defend national lending and pawn company in putative class action arising from claims of civil conspiracy and alleged violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act and the Federal Debt Collections Practices Act; following motion to dismiss briefing, secure voluntary dismissal with prejudice

• Defend broker-dealer firm in FINRA arbitration involving claims for defamation, false light, tortious interference and wrongful termination; secure denial of claim in its entirety

• Defend national car rental company in action by former vendor seeking millions in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages and attorneys’ fees, arising from claims for defamation per se and violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act and the Illinois Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act; following extensive motion to dismiss briefing, secure favorable settlement 

• Defend broker-dealer firm in FINRA arbitration involving claims for securities fraud, common law fraud, unsuitability, violation of the know your customer rule, negligence, breach of contract, failure to supervise and negligent supervision

• Defend director and investment manager of defunct hedge fund in breach of fiduciary duty and tortious interference with contract action brought by disgruntled investor

• Defend broker-dealer firms in FINRA arbitrations seeking Form-U5 expungements as defamatory in nature.

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of Illinois

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Organizations

• NAMWOLF – Member of Financial Services Litigation and Trials PACS

  • Co-Chair, Financial Services Litigation PAC (2019-2022)

  • Co-Chair, Communications Committee (2021-present)

  • Member, Joel Stern Pipeline Diversity Scholarship Committee (2019-present)

• Illinois Bar Association

Awards

• Illinois Super Lawyers: Business Litigation (2022-present)

• Illinois Leading Lawyers: Commercial Litigation and Federal Regulatory (2022-present)

• 2022 Notable Women in Law: Crains Business Chicago (2022)

• Illinois Super Lawyers Emerging Star: Business Litigation (2020-2021)

• Illinois Emerging Lawyers: Commercial Litigation and Federal Regulatory (2019-2021)

Employment

• Reyes Kurson, Ltd. – Partner (2015-2025)

• Sidley Austin LLP – Associate (2006-2015)

Education

Vanderbilt University Law School Nashville, Tennessee – Juris Doctorate, 2006 Order of the Coif Vanderbilt University Law Review Dean’s Scholar

Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts – Bachelor of Arts, 2003 magna cum laude