Ann MacDonald

Ann Helen MacDonald is a courtroom advocate and counselor for businesses and individual clients in a wide range of industries, including hospitality, retail, energy, franchising, entertainment, and consumer products.

Ms. MacDonald has represented clients through all phases and forms of litigation, including pre-litigation resolution, alternative dispute resolution, preliminary injunctions, class actions, trials, and appeals. She also has considerable experience with internal investigations.

EXPERIENCE:

Ms. MacDonald’s significant litigation matters include the following:

• Trial counsel for independent power producer in defense of a citizens’ suit alleging violations of Federal and State regulations governing opacity and particulate matter emissions from coal fired power plant.
• Trial counsel for commodities trading firm in connection with alleged breach of master rail car lease for transportation of Bakken crude oil.
• Pre-litigation counsel for claim against professional athlete arising out of personal services contract.
• Summary judgment for hospitality client on claims of negligence and for punitive damages.
• Obtained dismissal with prejudice of alleged consumer class action alleging unfair business practices.
• Obtained a verdict after a two-week jury trial of $8.9 million in favor Michael Jordan and against Safeway and Dominick’s for the unauthorized use of his identity in an ad published in a Sports Illustrated commemorative issue celebrating Michael Jordan’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Successful defense and mediation of alleged consumer class action.
• Trial counsel for independent power producer in dispute arising in connection with alleged breach of electric power plant engine maintenance agreement and warranty claims for defective engine components.
• Team member for successful resolution of client’s claim for damage to seed and herbicide business caused by defendant’s GMO contamination, after the court dismissed the defendant’s $850 million counterclaim.
• Successful defense of a franchisor in injunction proceedings related to site termination.
• Summary judgment for a franchisor in a breach of license agreement case related to site termination.
• Trial team member in successful defense of film producer against copyright infringement case related to movie release.

EDUCATION:

• Washington University School of Law, J.D., 2008
• Colby College, B.A., English and French, 2005
• Swarthmore College – Grenoble – France, Study Abroad Program, 2003

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• Illinois
• Missouri
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• American Bar Association, Forum on Franchising, Information Committee Member
• Chicago Council of Lawyers, Board of Governors & Executive Committee Member
• DRI, Retail and Hospitality Committee, Steering Committee