40 Under Forty 2022

2022 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH

ELIZABETH THOMPSON

E lizabeth Thompson’s peers describe her as a true professional, one who provides her clients with the highest lev- el of legal representation. Her mastery of her field, dedication to her clients and ability to consistently craft winning strate- gies explains why Thompson has so quickly become one of the most respected con- dominium and community association specialists in Chicago’s legal community. Her peers say, too, that Thompson is a formidable adversary in the courtroom, one who immediately commands respect from opposing counsel. “Elizabeth is extremely smart, focused, dedicated, personable and hard-working,” said Elinor Murarova with Duane Morris LLP. “Those strengths shine through in her written work product, oral advocacy and all other aspects of her practice.” Thompson has carved out her own niche serving community associations. She advises and represents these clients in dispute resolutions, enforcement matters and legal issues on matters such as financ- ing, board management and the Illinois laws that govern community associations. Thompson also focuses her practice on appellate law, having litigated numerous appeals in the Illinois Appellate and Su- preme Courts and in the Seventh, Eighth, Eleventh and Federal Circuit Courts of Ap- peal. Thompson is experienced in briefing and arguing appeals in these courts. One nominator with a governmental entity has frequently worked with Thomp- son, who has served the entity as an out- side counsel on four significant matters: defense of a wrongful death lawsuit, two insurance coverage disputes and one

threatened federal lawsuit. This nominator said that Thompson helped the govern- ment body achieve highly favorable results on three of the matters and is now working toward a similar outcome on the fourth. “Her intellect, strategic thinking and analytical skills, demeanor and personal qualities, sound judgment and strong work ethic paid dividends on the prior matters she handled for us and are also yielding positive results on the current matter,” the nominator said. “Particularly notewor- thy are her strong written advocacy skills, which reflect thought leadership and clari- ty of thinking; her unassuming, highly pro- fessional, and cordial demeanor; and her sincerity, all of which help resolve conflicts while concurrently furthering her clients’ best interests.” Thompson’s peers and clients have both recognized her talents. She was the 2022 recipient of the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association Litigation Award for her work on the case McCaffrey v. Village of Hoffman Estates, a critical appellate de- cision for municipalities. Through Thompson’s work on that case, the Village of Hoffman Estates and other municipalities will be able to realize annual savings related to health insurance premiums. They can then redirect those dollars towards other programs that di- rectly benefit the community. Thompson is also committed to her community. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Associations Institute-Illinois and sits on the hiring com- mittee at her firm. She also volunteers with her firm’s Women’s Development Initiative and is active with her children’s pre-school.

“

Elizabeth is extremely smart”

AGE 39

FIRM Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

LAW SCHOOL Chicago-Kent College of Law

AREA OF PRACTICE Condominium and community associations/appellate

40 Under Forty 2022 CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN