Geoffrey A. Vance Age 35

Firm:McDermott Will & Emery LLP312-372-2000gvance@mwe.com

Law School:John Marshall Law School

Area of Practice:Complex Commercial Litigation

Geoffrey Vance has a simple method forachieving success - he treats each of hisclients, large and small, wealthy and poor,as if that client is his most important one.At the same time, he has managed to distin-guish himself from his peers for his clarityof thought, work ethic, good judgmentand dedication to the working poor.

It’s little surprise, then, that Geoffrey, apartner in the Chicago office of McDermottWill & Emery LLP, has risen quickly to theheights of his profession and has become aleader in the Chicago legal community. It’sno surprise, either, that Geoffrey’s clientsare among his biggest fans and supporters.

Geoffrey has worked on a wide array ofcomplex cases with and against some of thepremier lawyers in the country. He hasbeen deeply involved in McDermott’s rep-resentation of the major tobacco compa-

nies, having played an active role in over 20hotly contested arbitrations over a threeyear period. He is currently playing a lead-ership role in the McDonald’s French fry lit-igation. Geoffrey also played a significantpart in the successful representation ofLiesel Pritzker in her very public litigationagainst her father and other members of thePritzker family. Stephen Senderowitz, fromChicago’s Winston & Strawn, praisedGeoffrey’s efforts in the Pritzker matter: “Iwas able to observe the litigation manage-ment, deposition and oral argument skillsof Geoffrey, who was second chair on theMcDermott team,” Mr. Senderowitz said. “Iwas extremely impressed with his ability, aswell as his maturity, tact and the ease withwhich he got along with others.”

To his credit, Geoffrey’s work as a lawyeris not limited to monster, high-profile cases.He works on cases of all sizes for all sorts ofclients. “We are a small company, with aneven smaller budget, yet I am made to feellike his number-one client,” said NancyWalsh, senior director of medical supplieswith Schaumburg-based Consorta, Inc.“Under Geof’s skillful counsel we have suc-cessfully avoided the courtroom. I feel as ifGeof is my friend and a colleague who con-sistently has Consorta’s best interests inmind.” A different client parroted thatobservation: “As a small company against ahuge, deep-pocketed corporation, mygreatest fear was that they would outlast us.The strategy Geof and his team created forus took that completely out of the situationand left us on a level playing field. Withthat equal footing, Geof’s team told ourstory and the courts agreed.”

For all of his accomplishments, Geoffrey

is most proud of his ability to balance hisprofessional life working for paying clientswith his significant volunteer work. He hasserved on the board of directors of theChicago Volunteer Legal ServicesFoundation (one of Chicago’s oldest andlargest pro bono legal service providers)since 1999, and just recently concluded atwo-year term as the president of CVLS’sboard, during which time “CVLS under-went growth in every direction: leadership,increased staff, fundraising, and publicityand notoriety,” according to TimothyNickels, the current CVLS president andpartner at Swanson, Martin & Bell LLP.

Volunteering his legal services, Geoffreywas able to help numerous pro bono clientssucceed in their respective matters. Forexample, he once helped a minister stopattempts by board members of a homelessshelter to take a substantial amount of char-itable funds for their own personal use. Healso helped a widow, whose husband diedof a heart attack and was left destitute tocare for a mentally handicapped adultchild, fight off a judgment. After years ofwhat otherwise would have been expensivelitigation, Geoffrey convinced the plaintiffsto drop their case against the widow. “Notonce did he make me feel less of a clientbecause I could not pay,” the widowrecalled. “Now, when I hear lawyer jokes, Idon’t laugh! I think of Geoffrey and knowin my heart that there are lawyers who helpothers who cannot help themselves.”

In many ways, Geoffrey consistently hasdistinguished himself as a lawyer and aleader in our community. One messagefrom his clients resounds: “We are glad heis on our side.”

“Not once did he make me feel less of a client because Icould not pay. Now, when I hear lawyer jokes, I don’t laugh!I think of Geoffrey and know in my heart that there arelawyers who help others who cannot help themselves.”

Geoffrey A. Vance

40 Under Forty to Watch

Reprinted with permission from Law Bulletin Publishing Company. 40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch, 2006 Issue.

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