Freeborn’s Women’s Leadership Council Appoints Partners Kathryn Lundy and Verona Sandberg as Co-Chairs and Introduces Inaugural Steering Committee

CHICAGO – Freeborn & Peters LLP announces that firm partners Kathryn T. Lundy and Verona (“Missy”) Sandberg have been appointed Co-Chairs of the Women’s Leadership Council (“WLC”). Additionally, the WLC will be implementing an inaugural Steering Committee, which will be chaired by partner Erin McAdams Franzblau and made up of firm partners Shelly A. DeRousse, Katheleen A. Ehrhart, Jennifer M. Huelskamp, and Meghan E. Tepas.

“Freeborn’s WLC is excited to announce the group’s new Co-Chairs and inaugural Steering Committee,” said Erin McAdams Franzblau, Freeborn partner, former Co-Chair of the WLC, and Chair of the Steering Committee. “Kathryn and Missy are incredibly accomplished attorneys and the perfect fit for the role of Co-Chairs who will help us execute the group’s goal of development and advancement for the firm’s female attorneys. We are also thrilled to have Shelly, Kathy, Jennifer and Meghan join the Steering Committee, which will assist with executing and guiding our strategic initiatives to promote the WLC’s attorney mentorship, marketing efforts, attorney recruiting and retention, and more.” 

The firm’s WLC was established in 2007 to provide professional development, marketing support, networking opportunities, and mentoring to Freeborn’s female associates and partners. The organization aims to support women at Freeborn through connections to other women attorneys via events, panels, and seminars, mentorship that advances women in their careers, resources aimed at developing women attorneys into leaders within the firm and the legal community, and more. To help achieve these goals, the WLC is comprised of multiple sub-committees including public relations and marketing, attorney integration and mentoring, social and professional development. 

Following are additional details on the WLC’s new Co-Chairs and Steering Committee members: 

Kathryn T. Lundy, WLC Co-Chair: Kathryn is a partner in the litigation and labor and employment practice groups and a member of the consumer products industry team. Admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey, Kathryn is a poised and sought-after legal industry veteran, and the management-side employment cases she handles bear this out. Her top-shelf clientele in varying industries count on Kathryn to litigate particularly high stakes disputes, including the defense of claims ranging from sexual harassment and discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour and breach of contract.

Verona M. Sandberg, WLC Co-Chair: Missy Sandberg is a partner in the litigation practice group. She has worked on a wide range of cases dealing with antitrust, class action, breach of contract, shareholder disputes, trusts and estates, and other complex litigation. Missy represents clients in commercial disputes in state and federal courts throughout the country with a focus on critical and dispositive trial motions and appeals in complex cases.

Shelly A. DeRousse, Steering Committee Member: Shelly is a firm partner and leader of the bankruptcy and financial restructuring practice group. Shelly has extensive experience in the areas of bankruptcy, reorganization, litigation and asset sales. As lead counsel, she has represented official creditors’ committees throughout the country in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. Additionally, Shelly represents companies and high earning individuals in their restructurings or workout negotiations with their lenders and other creditors.

Katheleen A. Ehrhart, Steering Committee Member: Kathy is partner in the firm’s litigation and insurance and reinsurance practice groups. She is a litigator and has tried cases and arbitrations in federal and state courts throughout the United States.  In this role, Kathy represents a variety of individuals, corporations, business and professional firms.  She is well-versed in and enjoys representing both the Davids and Goliaths of the world.

Jennifer M. Huelskamp, Steering Committee Member: Jen is a partner in the employment and litigation practice groups with a practice focused on employment litigation and counseling. She has significant experience representing clients in state and federal courts and in proceedings before government agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Labor, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. Jennifer also routinely practices in the general commercial litigation space.

Erin McAdams Franzblau, Steering Committee Chair: Erin is a partner in the litigation practice group, with a focus on helping companies navigate employment laws. She litigates employment matters, counsels employers on nearly every sub-specialty of employment law, and acts as employment counsel for M&A transactions. She also serves as the firm’s associate general counsel for employment matters. In her counseling practice, Erin assists organizations with a wide range of day-to-day employment issues, including personnel policies and procedures, executive employment and independent contractor arrangements, accommodations, restrictive covenants, employee misclassification risks, and internal investigations.

Meghan E. Tepas, Steering Committee Member: Meghan is a partner in the litigation and labor and employment practice groups. She is passionate about litigation and dogged in her fight to achieve success for her clients, no matter how difficult the case. She approaches each case with creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, and determination. Meghan can and does litigate disputes of all types—including breach of contract, family business disputes, employment disputes, and disputes relating to trusts and fiduciary duty obligations.

To learn more about Freeborn’s Women’s Leadership Council, visit: https://www.freeborn.com/womens-leadership-council.