Erica B. Zolner

PARTNER, CO-CHAIR OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE | CHICAGO

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE:

Erica has nearly twenty years of experience handling complex, “bet the company” business litigation and class action matters. She has litigated cases involving claims in some of the most complex areas of law, including antitrust and trade regulation, novel products liability claims, trade secret, mass tort, and health care insurance. She has served as lead counsel in jury and bench trials in federal and state courts and arbitration. During trial, Erica has delivered opening statements, handled direct examination and cross examination of witnesses, defended all aspects of expert witness hearings, and argued numerous trial motions.

Erica is adept at handling all aspects of pre-trial litigation and discovery, including preparation, briefing, and argument of Motions to Dismiss and Motions for Summary Judgment, preparation of experts for deposition, and taking and defending depositions, including corporate representative 30(b)(6) depositions. She also has extensive experience with the development and execution of defensible eDiscovery processes in connection with contentious, high-stakes commercial litigation.

Erica also focuses on providing clients with strategic litigation counseling, including advising on practical discovery and information governance strategies. She has experience with the development of efficient and effective eDiscovery and information governance solutions related to records retention and challenges posed by emerging technologies to address clients’ complex business needs and information technology environments. Erica serves as Co-Chair of the Firm's Management Committee.

Some of Erica’s recent work experience includes:

Managing over 3,500 product liability complaints filed in state and federal courts across the country with responsibility for case strategy and all aspects of discovery coordination and trial preparation
Preparing and defending C-suite executives for depositions and trial testimony, including in connection with 30(b)(6) testimony
Overseeing the identification, collection, review, and production of structured and unstructured electronically stored information (ESI) in multiple matters

As a trial lawyer, Erica has represented clients in litigation spanning a broad range of fields and industries, which include the following representative matters:

Representing a large healthcare company as lead counsel in a series of putative consolidated antitrust class actions
Representing a pharmaceutical company as lead counsel in thousands of federal multidistrict litigation cases as well as state court proceedings brought nationwide by State Attorney Generals, counties, health care providers, and municipalities related to the marketing and sale of prescription opioids
Representing a major insurance provider in a consolidated putative class action alleging age discrimination, violations of ERISA, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duties
Representing a major insurance provider in a putative gender discrimination class action alleging violations of Title VII and The Equal Pay Act

Before joining Redgrave LLP, Erica worked at Kirkland & Ellis for 19 years, the last 12 years as a partner at the firm.

ORGANIZATIONAL INVOLVEMENT & MEMBERSHIPS:

Erica was selected as one of “40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin in 2016.

Erica formerly served on the Board of Directors (2010-2018) and the Vice President of the Board of Directors (2016-2018) for Housing Opportunities for Women (“HOW”). She also served on the Board of Directors for the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law from 2013-2020 and was responsible for planning the Coalition’s Annual Leadership Forum from 2016-2019. Erica is currently a member of the National Association for Women Lawyers (“NAWL”) and was one of three members of the Annual Meeting Leadership Committee in 2021 and 2022.

EDUCATION:

Erica received her J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Oklahoma State University. During law school, she was the Executive Editor of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business and authored Jack of All Trades: Integrated Multidisciplinary Practice, or Formal Accounting System? Emerging Global Trends in the Legal & Accounting Professions, 22 Nw J. Int’l L. & Bus. 235 (Winter 2002). She is admitted to practice in Illinois.