Bianca L. Valdez

Bianca Valdez is a complex commercial litigator with experience representing high-profile clients across a wide range of industries, such as chemicals, retail, insurance, transportation, and risk management, and high-stakes matters in both federal and state courts. Her practice spans contract disputes, consumer class actions, ERISA, insurance litigation, data privacy (including breach response, drafting a GDPR-compliant data transfer agreement for an international corporation, and litigation under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act) as well as pro bono representation in Section 1983 civil rights cases. 

Bianca has significant experience managing all phases of litigation, including drafting dispositive and other substantive motions, coordinating large-scale discovery efforts, preparing witnesses for deposition and trial, and conducting cross-examinations. She also represents clients in international arbitration proceedings under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Prior to joining the firm, she served as in-house counsel at Wabtec Corporation, where she worked on a wide array of legal issues ranging from employment and contract disputes to real estate litigation and regulatory compliance. She also gained valuable insights into corporate legal operations during law school through internships with the legal department of McDonald’s Corporation and with Justice Jesse Reyes of the Illinois Appellate Court.

Bianca serves as co-chair of the firm’s Chicago Affinity Group, where she helps lead initiatives focused on supporting diverse attorneys, developing a strong pipeline of diverse talent in the legal profession, and engaging with programs that promote diversity and inclusion within the broader Chicago legal community. Outside of case work, she volunteers as a mentor through Chicago's Diversity Scholarship Foundation, guiding diverse college students interested in law careers. She was selected as a 2024 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinder, recognizing her as a high-potential attorney committed to leadership and diversity in the legal profession.