Jonathan S. Quinn

Partner

Education

  • Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (J.D., 1985)
  • Haverford College (B.A., 1981)

Related Services

Jonathan is a trial lawyer who focuses on complex, high-exposure commercial litigation matters, which include breach of contract, business torts, fraud, antitrust and unfair trade practices, securities fraud, class action defense, and consumer fraud actions. He manages all facets of the adversarial process, including developing prelitigation strategy, pursuing injunctive relief, and acting as lead counsel through trials and hearings before state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout the country. Jonathan began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

He values collaborating with clients to discover the ways in which litigation can be used to pursue their overall business goals. The variety of potential risks, rewards, and outcomes with respect to litigation can seem overwhelming. Jonathan helps his clients to understand all the options and provides them with the advice they need to make the decisions that will best advance their big-picture business objectives.

Jonathan adds his unique value to handling a dispute when the time comes to present a complicated case to a jury, judge or arbitrator. He excels at persuasive storytelling, explaining facts and law, and deciphering legal jargon in a way that everyone can understand.

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business recognizes Jonathan as "an extraordinary trial lawyer with an encyclopedic knowledge of the law" and noting that he “is a really good lawyer, deep thinker, and a high-quality, good person. He's terrific."

Jonathan contributes his time to a number of pro bono causes, including the Center on Wrongful Convictions (CWC) at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. In addition to serving on the CWC’s Advisory Board, Jonathan has represented several of the Center’s clients, including having secured an acquittal in November 2017 at the second murder trial of a woman previously convicted and who had served eight years in prison.

When not serving clients, Jonathan can be found educating the lawyers of tomorrow. He is an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and is also a faculty member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

  • Obtained a significant multimillion-dollar jury verdict for violation of civil RICO after a five-week long trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
  • Represented Clover Technologies in an antitrust lawsuit in federal court in Dallas.
  • Represent U. S. Steel in a price-fixing class action in federal district court in Chicago.
  • Defended Immtech Pharmaceuticals in a week-long jury trial in federal district court in Chicago against co-founder and shareholder claims alleging breaches of contract in which the jury awarded only a fraction of the damages sought. Currently handling Immtech’s appeal of certain damages awarded by the jury and co-founder’s appeal of court’s decision barring other damages claims.
  • Defended the former Chief Financial Officer of Waste Management in a variety of legal proceedings across the country arising out of securities fraud allegations at the company. Defended an SEC enforcement action in federal district court in Chicago and conducted an 11 week jury trial.
  • Represented Nonni’s Food Company and obtained a favorable settlement in litigation brought by the former owners of assets purchased by Nonni’s in New Jersey state court.
  • Acted as lead litigation counsel to oppressed minority shareholders in several cases in both state and federal courts throughout the U.S. involving various breaches of contractual and fiduciary duties.
  • Represented ArcelorMittal (formerly Inland Steel) in:
    • a variety of commercial contract and business tort disputes in both state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration hearings.
    • litigation in Ohio state court initiated by ArcelorMittal against its partner in a iron mine to obtain partnership information and successfully obtained a temporary restraining order requiring that the information be provided that, on the partner’s appeal, the Ohio appellate court refused to vacate.
    • in an American Arbitration Association hearing before a three-arbitrator panel and obtained a favorable result in the case stemming from a contract dispute with a long-term supplier.
  • Obtained a substantial multimillion-dollar recovery on behalf of a major Chicago-based equity investment firm and affiliated investors in a professional malpractice/negligence action brought in state court in Chicago against a major Wall Street investment bank.
  • Acted as lead litigation counsel to a Michigan-based food service company in a wrongful death suit in federal district court in Chicago. Obtained an advantageous settlement on behalf of the company.
  • Represented a large asset-based energy supplier in a commercial arbitration before the American Arbitration Association arising out of the termination of a gas sales agreement.
  • Represented a California-based international transportation shipping agent in a variety of litigation matters.
  • Defended numerous cases of truck and motor carrier litigation, as well as catastrophic motor vehicle cases.
  • Benchmark Litigation, "Litigation Star" 2025
  • Crain’s Chicago Business, “Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys” 2023
  • Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, recommended in “Litigation - General Commercial” since 2012
  • The Best Lawyers in America, recommended in  “Commercial Litigation,” 2020-2023
  • Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, 2019
  • Illinois Super Lawyers, recommended in “Business Litigation” since 2005

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois
  • New York

Court Admissions

  • Illinois Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas