Andrew W. Vail is a litigator. He has significant litigation experience in both federal and state courts, representing individuals, privately held entities and Fortune 500 companies as both plaintiff and defense counsel. Mr. Vail counsels clients on complex business litigation matters, providing sophisticated, creative and passionate representation at all stages. He also has extensive experience representing clients in internal corporate and government investigations. He speaks and/or testifies nationally, including before several legislative bodies, on issues relating to reforms in the justice system and legal ethics.
Mr. Vail has practiced at Jenner & Block his entire professional career, coming to the firm after graduating from law school with honors in 2003. As an associate at Jenner & Block, Mr. Vail was awarded the Chicago Bar Association and Chicago Bar Foundation’s Exceptional Young Lawyer Award. He repeatedly has been named a "Rising Star" in the practice of business litigation.
Some of his most recent work includes
- obtaining a jury verdict of not guilty for Hyungseok Koh, a pro bono client wrongfully charged with first-degree murder in a widely publicized case involving a false confession (click here for Chicago Tribune coverage);
- representing firm clients in the pending Tribune Company bankruptcy proceedings and related litigation;
- successfully representing a developer of Wrigleyville property in Illinois state court litigation;
- serving as one of the team leaders -- on issues relating to fiduciary duties -- in the representation of Anton Valukas as the court-appointed Examiner in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy case;
- successfully representing a Chicago-based securities trading firm client seeking injunctive relief and monetary damages in Cook County Chancery Court and other trade secret and restrictive covenant matters; and
- representing pro bono Juan Rivera, who was exonerated and released after spending 19 years incarcerated wrongfully (coverage in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Daily Law Bulletin).
Mr. Vail has substantial experience with Illinois civil practice and authors the practice series guide Illinois Civil Practice Guide. Over the last three years alone, Mr. Vail has successfully represented clients in obtaining or defending against injunctive relief in Cook County Chancery Court in at least a half-dozen separate matters involving restrictive covenants, the Illinois Trade Secrets Act, commercial and personal property foreclosure, liquor licensing, agency agreements and other matters. He is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Jury Instructions, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2009. He is also a member of the Illinois Bar Journal Editiorial Board.
Mr. Vail has been recognized for his commitment to the Chicago community, pro bono legal representation and the organized bar. He was profiled in the National Law Journal's article naming Jenner & Block to its "Pro Bono Hotlist' (click here for full text of article). Among other awards and recognitions, in 2008 he received the Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Pro Bono Award in recognition of his active and wide-ranging pro bono practice. He also is a member of the board of directors for the Public Interest Law Institute and Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago.
Mr. Vail is a member of the firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation, Antitrust and Competition Law and Real Estate Litigation Practice Groups. He serves on the firm’s Pro Bono, Alumni and Centennial Committees.