Danielle M.Kays

Senior Counsel

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Danielle uses her unique, extensive trial and litigation experiences to strategically represent companies in a broad range of complex biometric, privacy, and employment matters.


More About Danielle

Danielle has been a successful litigator for nearly 20 years. Danielle advises and represents companies in a broad range of biometric, privacy, and employment law matters arising under federal and state laws, in individual and class actions.

Danielle has extensive trial experience and has obtained more than 30 successful verdicts for her clients. Danielle has defended more than 60 biometric information privacy lawsuits and class actions in federal and state courts and arbitration, and she regularly counsels companies on cutting-edge issues relating to privacy law compliance. Danielle is a thought leader on biometric privacy laws (including BIPA) and new class actions arising under the Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA).

She also successfully defends single-plaintiff, multiplaintiff, and class action cases arising in federal and state court involving the defense of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and retaliation claims. She also is experienced in complex commercial litigation in a wide variety of practice areas, including financial services, consumer finance, franchise dealer, and class actions.

Most recently, Danielle has achieved impressive results for her clients, including:

  • Complete dismissal with prejudice in a Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class action on an issue of first impression against a government contractor.
  • Complete defense verdict for one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States in a FINRA arbitration seeking $18 million in damages on a defamation and intentional interference with contractual relations claim, affirmed by the district court and by the Third Circuit Court of Appeal.
  • Complete summary judgment for a Fortune 500 foodservice distributor in an age discrimination case in the Northern District Court of Illinois.
  • Complete summary judgment for a Fortune 100 athletic apparel company in a reverse race and sex harassment, discrimination, and retaliation case in the Eastern District Court of Missouri.
  • Complete summary judgment for a Fortune 100 health care company on a disability harassment, discrimination, and retaliation case in the District of Colorado, which was affirmed by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Complete defense verdict in a FINRA arbitration on a defamation and expungement claim.

Danielle recently was listed in the "Top 50 Women Leaders in Law of 2023" by Women We Admire for being "instrumental in leading organizations by offering unparalleled legal guidance, championing the rights of clients, and steadfastly upholding the tenets of justice." Danielle has been listed in Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars for Employment & Labor (Thomson Reuters). She has taught trial advocacy for the Notre Dame Law School, coached trial team for Chicago-Kent Law School, and enjoys mentoring college and high school students interested in the law.

  • JD, University of Illinois College of Law

    Cum laude
    The Elder Law Journal, articles editor & member
    Rickert Award for Excellence in Legal Publications

  • BA, Illinois Wesleyan University
    Business Administration, minor in Political Science
  • Illinois
  • US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • US Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • US District Court, District of Colorado
  • US District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
  • US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • US District Court, Southern District of Illinois
  • US District Court, Northern District of Indiana
  • US District Court, Southern District of Indiana
  • US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • US District Court, Western District of Wisconsin