Lisa M. Fontoura

Lisa Fontoura is a partner in the Litigation Department of Wildman Harrold. Lisa focuses her practice on litigating complex commercial cases for mid- and large-size, national and international companies. She has vast experience trying and winning breach of contract and Uniform Commercial Code cases as well as business tort issues, including defamation, commercial disparagement, tortious interference, Lanham Act, and theft of trade secrets. As lead trial lawyer, Lisa has tried and won several significant verdicts in federal and state courts in Illinois and New Jersey for both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of industries. Lisa also defends product liability, toxic tort, and employment matters involving enforcement of restrictive covenants. In addition, she is skilled at commercial arbitration, international arbitration, and mediation and has experience both seeking and opposing restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. Lisa also has experience defending franchisors from claims under the Illinois Franchise Disclosure Act and representing the oil and gas industry under the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act. Lisa has also handled corporate responses to criminal investigations and subpoena by federal authorities, and has conducted internal investigations for corporate clients.

Representative Experience:

Representing Motorola in breach of contract and theft of trade secrets case against former Taiwanese outsourcing partner that Motorola engaged to assemble cell phones. This matter involved a lengthy preliminary injunction hearing in the Northern District of Illinois at the start of the case followed by years of discovery in both the United States and Asia. Alleged damages were in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Motorola v. DBTEL.
As lead trial lawyer, successfully defended the former manager of the John Hancock Building against claims of breach of contract, promissory estoppel, defamation, and tortious interference brought by a contractor who performed work on one of the building’s antenna towers. The contractor sought approximately $12 million in damages. The case, in the Northern District of Illinois, was settled on the eve of a six-day jury trial for cost of defense, while co-defendant tried case to conclusion and received an adverse jury verdict. ISI v. Crown Castle Broadcast USA Corp.
As lead trial lawyer, successfully prosecuted a breach of contract, promissory estoppel, and legal malpractice case on behalf of a bank against its former attorneys arising from a loan to a local politician. After a five-day jury trial in the Illinois State Court, Will County, received a jury verdict in the bank’s favor on all counts in the complaint and a six-figure damage award. First Midwest Bank v. Adelman.
Successfully defended a subsidiary of Bausch & Lomb in a product liability action where the plaintiff alleged that a component of a head holding device used during surgery had snapped causing the patient’s catastrophic injuries and subsequent death. Plaintiff sued health care providers, who in turn sued the subsidiary as a third-party defendant in Illinois State Court, Cook County. The subsidiary avoided liability while the health care providers ultimately paid the decedent’s estate in excess of $11 million. Graves v. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, et al.
Coordinated private health care company’s response to federal grand jury subpoena and conducted parallel internal investigation. Interviewed current and former company employees and management regarding subject matter of subpoena. Negotiated scope and limits of subpoena with U.S. Attorney’s Office. Reported results of internal investigation to company’s board of directors and advised board on grand jury subpoena response strategy.
Successfully represented Merck & Co., Inc. and Calgon Vestal Laboratories in a toxic tort suit brought by former vacuum cleaner manufacturing plant worker who died of laryngeal cancer and leukemia. After aggressive defense of the case during discovery, obtained summary judgment on behalf of Merck and Calgon Vestal in Illinois State Court, McLean County. Of the 13 named defendants, Merck and Calgon Vestal were the only ones to avoid liability on summary judgment. Maxwell v. White Consolidated Industries, et al.

Professional Associations:

Illinois State Bar Association

Chicago Bar Association

Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel, 2000

Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Volunteer

Center for Enriched Living, Board Member

Bar Admissions:

Illinois, 2001

New Jersey, 1996

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1996

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2001

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