40 Under Forty 2025

2025 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH

LAUREN DAYTON

AGE 36

FIRM MoloLamken LLP

LAW SCHOOL University of Michigan Law School

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AREA(S) OF PRACTICE Business torts and antitrust

Lauren has an exceptional ability to understand and implement her clients' goals, not just spot legal issues.

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L auren Dayton's peers praise her skills and ability to focus on what matters most to her clients. They also point to her cre- ativity and solution-oriented approach to resolving cases when explaining why this young attorney has become a rising star in business disputes. Just ask Josh Weisser, managing director at Contrarian Capital Management. He's worked closely with Dayton as she has represented Contrarian in high-stakes litigation related to sovereign debt. Weisser says that Dayton has been a key mem- ber of the company's legal team from the drafting of the com- plaint in 2019 through a judgment enforcement proceeding in Delaware to sell the debtor/sovereign's multi-billion-dollar U.S. company asset. "Lauren is a great counselor," Weisser said. "In a field where lawyers often think they know what the client wants better than the client does, Lauren has an exceptional ability to understand and implement her clients' goals, not just spot legal issues." Weisser said that Dayton's writing is top-notch, and that she effortlessly adjusts her style to fit her audience. "In a litigation with lots of big names and big egos, Lauren gets

things done," Weisser said. "She is good at getting other people on her side, even if they're not aligned. That's a huge asset." Erica Weisgerber, a partner at Debevoise, praised Dayton’s skills and judgment. Dayton played a crucial role on the team that represented her client’s subsidiary in a complex litiga- tion. Weisgerber noted Dayton’s “impressive facility with par- ticularly nuanced issues” around damages calculations.” She also praised Dayton’s ability to focus on the most important issues. “Because she prioritized the things that were truly mis- sion-critical, we trusted her advice when she said something was or should be top priority. That judgment can make all the difference.” Another nominator worked Dayton on what he says is one of the most complex commercial cases now pending in the United States. The case involved three different classes on behalf of millions of plaintiffs. Dayton has provided expert representa- tion, the nominator said. "Ms. Dayton exhibited exceptional skills," the nominator said. "I was particularly impressed with her legal insight and judgment and ability to play leadership roles."

40 Under Forty 2025

CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN