Chicago shareholder, Anne Larson, concentrates her practice on high stakes litigation such as Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class actions, Title VII disparate treatment, disparate impact and retaliation claims, and Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions. Anne’s broad litigation experience has made her a go-to counselor and risk manager for clients facing tough C-Suite shake-ups, executive misconduct and terminations, internal harassment investigations, threatened disability claims and accommodation requests, and Family Medical Leave Act issues. This allows companies to focus on running their businesses while avoiding or reducing the time drain and expense of litigation.
Chambers USA Leading Lawyers for Business named Anne to their exclusive “Leaders in their Field” roster in 2023. Only 56 Labor & Employment attorneys in Illinois have received this distinction. The Best Lawyers in America awarded Anne “Best Lawyer” honors in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 for Commercial Litigation, and in 2023 and 2024 for Employment Law – Management. Super Lawyers has named Anne one of the “Top 50 Women Illinois Lawyers” for the last eleven years, and one of the “Top 100 Illinois Lawyers” for the last ten years. Crain’s Chicago Business also recently recognized Anne as a top litigator, naming her to its elite 2023 “Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys” list. The recognition reflects Anne’s legal influence and achievements in Chicago’s business community. Anne earned “Top 10 Women Employment Lawyers – Management Side” honors from Leading Lawyers in 2015. Anne was also named one of the “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch” in 2001 by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, an honor bestowed on only forty Illinois attorneys each year.
Anne received the Chicago Lawyer 2022 Salute! Top Women In Law Award for being an influential woman in law known for her success and leadership in the legal community, and for mentoring and promoting other women in the profession. Anne received the 2019 “Leadership Award” at the 10th Annual Leadership Forum of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law (“Coalition”), and recently finished her term as the 2020-22 Co-Chair of the Coalition’s National Board. The Leadership Award was given to Anne for excellence in lawyering and for consistently advocating for women and gender parity in the legal profession. Anne was also nominated for a “Women of Influence” Award in Best Lawyers’ “Women in the Law” Business Edition on March 31, 2017, which states: “Anne is a tremendous role model and advocate for the junior women lawyers at her firm. She is a bright, tenacious, detail-oriented but pragmatic lawyer who gets great results for her clients and sets an example of excellence and professionalism.” Anne, featured in this Coalition interview, takes great satisfaction in developing programming that is thought provoking, entertaining and helps advance women in all aspects of their careers.
Personally, Anne has a passion for the arts and has served as President of the Board for both Shattered Globe Theatre and Hedwig Dances. She also served as Co-Chair of the Chicago Community Trust’s Young Leaders Fund (YLF), an organization that seeks out and makes grants to local not-for-profits dedicated to the arts, children and economic redevelopment. In her spare time, Anne may be found at boot camp, cycling the lakefront with her husband or planting thousands of tulips in her tiny Chicago yard.
Anne served as Law Clerk to the Honorable George W. Lindberg, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and participated in several high-profile criminal prosecutions while clerking. She spoke at Judge Lindberg’s memorial service on June 20, 2019, in the James B. Parsons Ceremonial Courtroom.
