Grace Signorelli-Cassady handles clients’ most complex, high-stakes legal issues. She advocates vigorously on their behalf, crafts compelling briefs at pivotal litigation junctures, guides clients through highly-sensitive criminal and investigative matters, and executes strategic solutions. Whatever the case, her approach is both keenly tactical and commonsense.
As a member of the firm’s Native American Law Practice, Grace leans on her experience in high-stakes litigation, sensitive investigations, and as a former federal law clerk to deliver significant victories for tribal clients. She secured an over $100 million trial victory on behalf of a federally recognized Indian tribe in an oil lease dispute, successfully defended that win throughout a legal challenge, and then added another $10 million victory in a related dispute. Beyond litigation, Grace has broad knowledge of tribally owned and operated utilities and has worked on a variety of tribal energy matters, including guiding a tribe’s pursuit of energy sovereignty and independence. Overall, Grace’s work spans matters involving sovereign immunity, minerals disputes, lease disputes, rights-of-way negotiations, trespass claims, gaming, environmental and natural resources issues, and treaty rights. She also assists non-Native clients, ensuring their interests are protected without alienating their tribal partners.
Grace graduated from Harvard Law School and served as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Roslyn O. Silver of the US District Court for the District of Arizona, during which time she also assisted matters taken by designation in the US Courts of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. At Harvard Law School, she was the managing editor of the Harvard Journal on Legislation, a criminal justice fellow, a law clerk in the Boston United States Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit, a teaching assistant with the Harvard Negotiation Institute, and a law clerk in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division. Grace also spent three years working for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office prior to law school.
Affiliated with the Chicago office but working remotely.
Representative Matters
Native American Law:
- Represented a federally recognized Indian tribe at trial in an over $100 million oil lease dispute, ultimately resolved favorably for the client, and then defended that outcome throughout a subsequent challenge and assisted the client in transitioning towards self-management of its oil resources.
- Analyzed early 1800s treaty rights granted to federally recognized Indian tribe and assisted with client’s response to objections to those treaty rights’ recognition.
Investigations & Vetting:
- Worked on internal investigations and presentations to CEOs, Boards, and General Counsels, including: an internal review of employment discrimination allegations involving human resources executive for large company in energy industry; a cultural review involving fallout from mass layoffs and an alleged toxic culture; and investigations into alleged misrepresentations by publicly-traded companies.
- Vetted numerous individuals for high-profile appointments for a Fortune 50 company and prepared comprehensive reports reflecting findings.
- Managed a complex, multi-jurisdictional and multi-lingual internal investigation into potential financial wrongdoing by a corporate’s foreign subsidiary.
- Monitorship work of a multinational financial institution.
Civil & Criminal Litigation:
- Drafted and argued dispositive and other crucial briefs in complex, multi-million dollar litigation matters, and represented clients in high-stakes trials and in trial preparation, including working with expert witnesses and preparing trial witnesses.
- Defended persons charged with felony and misdemeanor offenses, including in negotiations with prosecutors, in resolving evidentiary matters, in working with investigative witnesses, and in arguing motions for release and for expungement resolved favorably for the client.
- Drafted, supervised, and strategized arguments in connection with nearly a dozen amicus curiae briefs, mainly involving criminal law matters, most of which were filed with the US Supreme Court and the remainder in federal appellate courts, including:
- Brief of the American Bar Association as Amicus Curiae, Shannon Daves, et al., v. Dallas County, Texas, et al. (United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Case No. 18-11368)
- Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as Amicus Curiae, Greer v. United States (United States Supreme Court; Case No. 19-8709)
- Brief of Amici Curiae Legal Professors, Cordell Sanders v. Michael Melvin, et al (United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Case No. 20-3276)
- Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as Amicus Curiae, Van Buren v. United States (United States Supreme Court; Case No. 19-783)
- Brief of the American Bar Association as Amicus Curiae, O’Donnell v. Harris County, Texas (United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Case No. 17-20333)
Credentials
Service / Recognition
Overview
Grace Signorelli-Cassady handles clients’ most complex, high-stakes legal issues. She advocates vigorously on their behalf, crafts compelling briefs at pivotal litigation junctures, guides clients through highly-sensitive criminal and investigative matters, and executes strategic solutions. Whatever the case, her approach is both keenly tactical and commonsense.
As a member of the firm’s Native American Law Practice, Grace leans on her experience in high-stakes litigation, sensitive investigations, and as a former federal law clerk to deliver significant victories for tribal clients. She secured an over $100 million trial victory on behalf of a federally recognized Indian tribe in an oil lease dispute, successfully defended that win throughout a legal challenge, and then added another $10 million victory in a related dispute. Beyond litigation, Grace has broad knowledge of tribally owned and operated utilities and has worked on a variety of tribal energy matters, including guiding a tribe’s pursuit of energy sovereignty and independence. Overall, Grace’s work spans matters involving sovereign immunity, minerals disputes, lease disputes, rights-of-way negotiations, trespass claims, gaming, environmental and natural resources issues, and treaty rights. She also assists non-Native clients, ensuring their interests are protected without alienating their tribal partners.
Grace graduated from Harvard Law School and served as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Roslyn O. Silver of the US District Court for the District of Arizona, during which time she also assisted matters taken by designation in the US Courts of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. At Harvard Law School, she was the managing editor of the Harvard Journal on Legislation, a criminal justice fellow, a law clerk in the Boston United States Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit, a teaching assistant with the Harvard Negotiation Institute, and a law clerk in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division. Grace also spent three years working for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office prior to law school.
Affiliated with the Chicago office but working remotely.
Areas of Focus
Representative Matters
Native American Law:
- Represented a federally recognized Indian tribe at trial in an over $100 million oil lease dispute, ultimately resolved favorably for the client, and then defended that outcome throughout a subsequent challenge and assisted the client in transitioning towards self-management of its oil resources.
- Analyzed early 1800s treaty rights granted to federally recognized Indian tribe and assisted with client’s response to objections to those treaty rights’ recognition.
Investigations & Vetting:
- Worked on internal investigations and presentations to CEOs, Boards, and General Counsels, including: an internal review of employment discrimination allegations involving human resources executive for large company in energy industry; a cultural review involving fallout from mass layoffs and an alleged toxic culture; and investigations into alleged misrepresentations by publicly-traded companies.
- Vetted numerous individuals for high-profile appointments for a Fortune 50 company and prepared comprehensive reports reflecting findings.
- Managed a complex, multi-jurisdictional and multi-lingual internal investigation into potential financial wrongdoing by a corporate’s foreign subsidiary.
- Monitorship work of a multinational financial institution.
Civil & Criminal Litigation:
- Drafted and argued dispositive and other crucial briefs in complex, multi-million dollar litigation matters, and represented clients in high-stakes trials and in trial preparation, including working with expert witnesses and preparing trial witnesses.
- Defended persons charged with felony and misdemeanor offenses, including in negotiations with prosecutors, in resolving evidentiary matters, in working with investigative witnesses, and in arguing motions for release and for expungement resolved favorably for the client.
- Drafted, supervised, and strategized arguments in connection with nearly a dozen amicus curiae briefs, mainly involving criminal law matters, most of which were filed with the US Supreme Court and the remainder in federal appellate courts, including:
- Brief of the American Bar Association as Amicus Curiae, Shannon Daves, et al., v. Dallas County, Texas, et al. (United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Case No. 18-11368)
- Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as Amicus Curiae, Greer v. United States (United States Supreme Court; Case No. 19-8709)
- Brief of Amici Curiae Legal Professors, Cordell Sanders v. Michael Melvin, et al (United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Case No. 20-3276)
- Brief of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as Amicus Curiae, Van Buren v. United States (United States Supreme Court; Case No. 19-783)
- Brief of the American Bar Association as Amicus Curiae, O’Donnell v. Harris County, Texas (United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Case No. 17-20333)
Credentials
Admissions
- Illinois, 2016
- Arizona, 2024
Education
- Harvard Law School, JD, 2016
- Florida State University, BA, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2010
Court Admissions
- US Supreme Court, 2020
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2017
Clerkships
- Hon. Roslyn O. Silver, US District Court, District of Arizona, 2017-2018
Service / Recognition
Thought Leadership
Publications
- Energy Law Journal: Vol. 46.2, Energy Bar Association, 2025