Women in Law 2024

2024

MICHELLE RAMIREZ PARTNER Sidley Austin LLP

M ichelle Ramirez is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and litigation strategist. She has served as lead counsel for numerous companies in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical and medical device, consumer products, sports, and manufacturing. She has appeared as lead and/or trial counsel in numerous federal and state courts across the country, and has taken/defended critical fact and expert witness depositions all over the world. In addition, Michelle advises clients on matters arising out of recalls, contractual disputes, artificial intelligence, and regulatory matters with potential to impact clients’ interests or reputations. Michelle is ranked by Chambers USA in Product Liability & Mass Torts – Nationwide (2023–2024) and Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” in Commercial Litigation and Product Liability – Nationwide and Illinois (2024–2025). Clients praise her legal prowess, saying “She’s a rising star. I have been impressed with her courtroom skills” and “provides excellent client service that brings tremendous value” (Chambers USA 2023). She has also been featured in numerous publications such as Euromoney LMG Life Sciences, Law360, Bloomberg Law, and The Am Law Litigation Daily. A leader within the firm, Michelle is a co-chair of Chicago

SidleyWomen, and serves on several committees including the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee and a member of Sidley’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force. She also is a former member of the Summer Associate committee (2016–2024). Prior to joining Sidley, Michelle was a staff attorney at Legal Aid Society and represented survivors of domestic violence in a variety of civil litigation matters and evidentiary hearings in state court, including emergency and temporary orders of protection, and prior to law school, was an eighth grade English teacher at a public school in Las Vegas, Nevada through Teach For America. Michelle is an active member of Sidley’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, and co-chair of SidleyWomen in the Chicago office. She also serves on the Legal Aid Society Board and Metropolitan Family Services Board, non-profit organizations that provide legal assistance, counseling, and advocacy for those affected by domestic violence. Michelle is a mentor for Women@LifeSciences and is a former member of the firm’s Summer Associate Committee in Chicago (2016–2024), which oversees the firm’s summer associate program each year. In 2017, Michelle was an IADC Trial Academy participant, which is sponsored annually by the International Association of Defense Counsel at Stanford Law School.

WOMEN IN LAW 2024