
Litigation: General Commercial
USA Guide 2026 : Illinois
Rankings

Ranked Individual
Ranked Individual
About
Provided by Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP
Fortune 500 companies and business leaders turn to Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (RSHC) to handle their most challenging commercial litigation, especially matters involving reputational risk and media attention. RSHC is nationally renowned for its class actions practice and for its elite team of trial lawyers, including numerous former Assistant U.S. Attorneys and former state prosecutors.
RSHC attorneys have successfully tried over 200 high-stakes cases to verdict in courts across the country and won thousands more cases through pretrial motions. The firm’s formidable reputation for fearless advocacy is based on its record of success, often in cases where other firms initially failed to achieve positive results.
RSHC’s litigators are united by a culture of excellence that is relentlessly client focused, dynamically innovative, and passionately committed to winning. They excel at delivering solutions, whether by helping clients devise plans to avoid or resolve litigation, securing dismissals and summary judgment, or winning at trial and on appeal.
Twice shortlisted by Chambers USA as an outstanding firm for diversity and inclusion, RSHC draws from its authentic diversity to assemble bespoke teams for each lawsuit depending on the client’s needs. This nimble team structure, coupled with deep experience executing bold strategies, enables RSHC litigators to go toe-to-toe with the toughest adversaries in the most difficult jurisdictions and consistenly win.
Industries (23)
- Insurance
- Consumer Products
- Pharmaceutical
- Industrial Manufacturing
- Health Care & Life Sciences
- Aerospace & Aviation
- Energy / Utilities
- Chemical
- Financial Services & Asset Management
- Primary, Secondary & Higher Education
- Medical Devices
- Food & Beverage
- Automotive
- Media, Entertainment & Sports
- Telecommunications
- Real Estate
- Technology
- Blockchain & Cryptocurrency
- Transportation & Logistics
- Construction
- Retail
- Airport Concessions
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Work Highlights
Provided by Chambers
Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila represented United Airlines in an appeal brought by a former communications worker, who alleged age bias and retaliation after she was placed on a performance improvement plan and allegedly constructively discharged from employment.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
The partners are experienced litigators and many are former US attorneys. They have keen insights into trial strategy, discovery, witness preparation and trial technology. The firm is a formidable force.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSARiley Safer has a deep understanding of complex business processes within the insurance industry, as well as stellar litigation skills. Most of their lawyers have represented the insurance industry for years, and even decades, and bring not just legal and analytical expertise, but also institutional memory.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSAThey are solution-oriented, nimble and they win. They get the results that you want and they bring really great experience and talent for matters in an efficient way.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSAThey are good creative and strategic thinkers, who focus on winning positive outcomes.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSAThey're smart, kind, organized, detail-oriented and strategic. It's rare to find a combination of all these traits in all legal members of a team.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
Notable Practitioners
Provided by Chambers
Eminent Practitioners 
Eminent Practitioners 
Patricia Brown Holmes
Patricia Brown Holmes sits as managing partner of the firm. She is noted for her experience in representing public and private corporate clients in high stakes commercial disputes.
She has superb judgment and perspective.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSAPatricia is an exceptional adviser, litigator and strategist. She is also a great thought partner.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSAShe is a great attorney, with a depth of knowledge and skill that is unmatched.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSAShe is fantastic.
Litigation: General Commercial respondentUSA
Ranked Individuals at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (1)
Members
Provided by Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP

David H. Resnicoff

Stephen M. Hankins

Eli Litoff

Robert H. Riley

Nick Kahlon
Head of Department

Amy C. Andrews

Joseph A. Cancila, Jr.

Kalia M. Coleman

Matthew C. Crowl

Gregory L. Curtner

Matthew J. Fischer

Monique B. Howery

Lauren Jaffe

Jacob Kahn

Shalem A. Massey

Jeffrey W. Morof

Abigail L. Peluso

Rodney Perry
Head of Department

Keyonn L. Pope

Thomas B. Quinn

Michael H. Fleck

James P. Gaughan

Sondra A. Hemeryck

Christopher S. Hickey

Jennifer Steeve

Kate Stimeling

Brian O'Connor Watson

Jeffrey R. Williams

Ariel Wilson

Geoffrey G. Young

Shaun Zhang

Ronald S. Safer

Patricia Brown Holmes
View profile of Patricia Brown Holmes
Lauren Abendshien

C. Matt Alva

Olivia Luk Bedi

Brendan J. Gerdes

Jeffrey W. Gordon

Maegan McAdam

Lucas T. Rael
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