John M. Catalano, Jr.

John is a trial-focused employment litigator who brings substantial courtroom experience from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the City of Chicago’s Employment Litigation Division. He has defended employers in high-stakes discrimination, retaliation, and constitutional claims in federal and state courts, managing cases from initial investigation through trial.

Before entering private practice, John served as an Assistant Attorney General and later as an Assistant Corporation Counsel Supervisor for the City of Chicago, where he concentrated on employment litigation.

In those roles, he handled a demanding caseload of federal civil rights and workplace claims, regularly briefing and arguing dispositive motions and taking cases to trial. He has achieved multiple defense verdicts, including a full jury verdict in a $2.5 million traumatic brain injury case in federal court, and has secured numerous summary judgment victories in Title VII, First Amendment, and whistleblower matters.

At the City of Chicago, John further deepened his employment law experience by defending complex workplace claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, ADA, and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) issues. He has first-chaired jury trials, briefed 20 dispositive motions, and successfully resolved cases at every stage of litigation.

John’s practice is grounded in real trial experience. He has taken and defended 50+ depositions, developed factual records in complex employment disputes, and understands how cases are won or lost in front of judges and juries. His background supervising attorneys in the City’s Law Department also gives him a practical, team-oriented approach to litigation strategy and case management.

Clients benefit from John’s disciplined approach to litigation, his ability to distill complex facts into clear arguments, and his readiness to take cases through trial when necessary.

• CALI Excellence for the Future Award®, Trial Practice II
• Advocacy Certificate