LAURA A. ELKAYAM
AGE 39
FIRM Much Shelist
LAW SCHOOL Chicago-Kent College of Law
AREA(S) OF PRACTICE Commercial litigation
2024 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH
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I ntellect and creativity. Those are two key traits upon which Laura Elkayam has relied to become one of the most trust- worthy and respected commercial litigators in Chicago's legal community. But Elkayam has another key skill: She knows how to relate to people, clients and opponents alike. And this human touch has also played a role in Elkayam's steady rise in her profession. Scott Carman, partner with Boston-based law firm Krems, Jackowitz & Carman, worked alongside Elkayam for years. He praised Elkayam for helping him land his first institutional client. "As expected, Laura charmed and impressed them," Carman said. "They remain my largest client today. Although Laura is no longer with my firm or in Massachusetts, there is no one I would trust more to service my clients' needs or meet with perspective new clients." One of Elkayam’s clients, the principal of a woman-owned business in Chicago, relies on Elkayam for legal strategy. She said that Elkayam is conscientious, patient when explaining legal issues and always focused on the best interests of her company. "Her detailed knowledge of the ever-changing legal landscape relating to employment practices is extremely impressive,”
There is no one I would trust more to service my clients' needs or meet with perspective new clients. ”
she said. “Laura has a straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is style that is both refreshing and efficient." Harvey Barnett, an attorney with Chicago's Sperling & Slat- er, has worked as a trial and appellate lawyer for more than 58 years and has tried cases across the country. He first worked with Elkayam when he sat on an arbitration panel adjudicating a dispute for one of her clients in 2021. Her work impressed Barnett. "Her writing skills are exceptional," Barnett said. "Her pre- sentation of witnesses and cross-examination were top-notch, direct and concise. It set the stage for a very convincing closing brief that she wrote." Commenting on one of Elkayam’s recent high-profile filings, Barnett said, “I do not engage in hyperbole, but I would rank Laura’s complaint as one of the finest I have seen.”
40 Under Forty 2024
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CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN
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