Women in Law 2024

2024

DINA WARNER PRINCIPAL Berger Schatz

D ina Warner is a seasoned lawyer with more than 30 years of experience and a deep understanding of the pros and cons of the courtroom. As a family law attorney and Principal at Berger Schatz, one of the premier family law firms in Chicago and the United States, she takes a strategic, practical approach to her clients’ cases, whether they involve complex multigenerational estate plans, closely held family businesses, sophisticated corporate structures, executive compensation, appeals or premarital agreements. Dina describes herself as a conflict-wise, not conflict-averse attorney. She is a strong advocate for her clients in and out of court and will set them up for success and minimize conflict in whatever forum is best for them. Over the years, she’s developed a thriving alternative dispute resolution practice by helping people find the most creative and private solutions to their divorce proceedings outside the courtroom. However, when litigation is necessary, she will use every tool she possesses to protect her clients and help them achieve their desired outcomes. As one of the firm’s Executive Committee members, Dina recently spearheaded a defined path for income partners to become equity partners, and she frequently mentors up-and-coming associates in the firm. According to fellow Principal Marcy Kott, the associates are “incredibly lucky to have a legal mind of Dina’s caliber to learn from.” One of those associates is Daniella Khersonsky. Along with supporting her professional growth, Daniella credits Dina for

furthering the advancement of women in the legal profession. She says, “Dina’s decades of trailblazing have made the profession an overall friendlier place for women to practice.” Daniella says because of Dina and her contemporaries, gone are the days “when female attorneys had to behave, dress and even cut their hair in specific fashions to have a chance at being respected.” Berger Schatz Partner Katya Fuentes concurs. She commends Dina for constantly showing “younger female attorneys that even though they’re moms, wives and other important things, they can still have a huge impact on the firm and the legal community as a whole.” Prior to joining Berger Schatz in 2003, Dina was a securities litigator for a world-renowned business law firm and in-house counsel for a global financial services company. She gained extensive litigation experience and financial acumen from those years of practice, which helped her develop more skills to successfully serve all kinds of clients. Dina is a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She has been named continually to the Illinois Super Lawyers list since 2012 and recognized in the Leading Lawyers network since 2009. Dina has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list since 2018 and was named Best Lawyers® 2021 Lawyer of the Year in Family Law Arbitration and Best Lawyers® 2024 Lawyer of the Year in Family Law Mediation. She is a graduate of both Columbia College and Yale Law School.

WOMEN IN LAW 2024