Profile
Paul T. Fox is a founding shareholder of the firm's Chicago office where he serves as Chairman. He has focused his practice in commercial litigation for more than 40 years. He regularly represents litigants in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate level, as well as before arbitration panels, mediators and other alternative dispute resolution forums. An experienced trial lawyer, Paul typically tries cases every year and has experience with a wide variety of commercial litigation. He has been a member of the Trial Bar for the United States District Court in Chicago for the past 20 years. He also teaches trial advocacy at Northwestern University School of Law and at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA).
Paul has represented financial institutions and other entities in defending class actions arising under the Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), the Real Estate Settlement Practices Act (RESPA), the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Securities Act Section 10(b)(5) and under state statutory fraud theories in Illinois, Texas, Alabama, California, Maryland, Nevada and elsewhere. He has also defended numerous lender liability and employment discrimination claims.
Paul’s casework has encompassed issues arising under virtually every article of the Uniform Commercial Code, as well as more general contract and corporate matters. He focuses much of his practice on traditional business disputes involving partnerships, joint ventures, closely held companies and publicly traded companies. These disputes arise out of a wide variety of transactions, including real estate developments, mergers and acquisitions, post-closing adjustment disputes and traditional contract disputes. Paul has also handled many cases involving disputes over negotiable instruments, electronic fund transfers and letters of credit.
As one of two founding shareholders, Paul has been instrumental in the expansion of the Chicago office: It has grown from three lawyers in 1999 to more than 150 today, and has become a substantial presence in the city’s legal community.
Concentrations
- Commercial litigation
- Banking
- Class actions
- Lender liability
- Workouts
- Negotiable instruments and bank collections
- Securities litigation
- Employment litigation
Capabilities
Experience
- Quincy Commerce Center v. Maritime Administration, et al., 451 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2006) (Defense of challenge to federal auction in which client was successful bidder)
- Rendler v. Corus Bank, N.A., 272 F.3d 992 (7th Cir. 2001) (Defense of TILA class action)
- CCC Information Services, Inc. v. American Salvage Pool Association, 230 F.3d 342 (7th Cir. 2000) (Defended appeal from order regarding subject matter jurisdiction of District Court)
- Adreani v. First Colonial Bankshares Corp., 154 F.3d 389 (7th Cir. 1998) (Successful defense of ADEA claim)
- Bank Leumi Le Israel, BM v. Lee, 928 F.2d 232 (7th Cir. 1991) (Prosecution of guarantee claim in face of lender liability counterclaims) United States General, Inc. v. Albert, et al., 792 F.2d 678 (7th Cir. 1985) (Appeal arising out of Fair Housing Act claim brought on behalf of developer against municipality and its officers)
- Dana Corporation v. American Precision Co., 827 F.2d 755 (Fed. Cir. 1987) (Defense of patent infringement claim)
- Miller v. Hypoguard, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 27095 (SD IL 2006) (Opposed remand motion in class action removed from Third Judicial Circuit in Madison County, IL)
- International Casings Group, Inc. v. Premium Standard Farms, Inc., 358 F. Supp. 2d 863 (WD MO 2005) (Trial of preliminary injunction to enforce long term output contract for sale of goods)
- Canel v. Lincoln National Bank, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12519 (ND IL 1998) (Summary judgment entered in favor of client on negligent misrepresentation theory in class action)
- Unytite, Inc. v. Lohr Structural Fasteners, Inc., 768 F. Supp. 665 (ND IL 1991) (Opposed motion to transfer case to defendant's home venue in Texas)
- CIT Group Equipment Financing, Inc. v. Alberto, 130 F.R.D. 657 (ND IL 1990); 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2704 (Bkr ND IL 1990); 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 2507 (Bkr ND IL 1990) (Prosecution of claims in secured lending dispute)
- In re Pryor Eczel Corp., 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 510 (Bkr ND IL 1990) (Prosecution of preference claim)
- In re Correa, 58 B.R. 88 (Bkr ND IL 1986) (Trial on behalf of financial institution resulting in finding of nondischargeability based on debtors' failure to cooperate, rejecting debtors' defense of substance abuse interfering with ability to cooperate in case)
- First National Bank of Monroe v. Harris Trust & Savings Bank, 649 F. Supp. 1577 (WD WI 1987) (Successful prosecution of motion to remand to Circuit Court for Green County, WI)
- Hill v. St. Paul Federal Bank for Savings, 329 Ill. App. 3d 705, 768 N.E. 2d 322 (1st Dist. 2002) (Defense of class action challenging overdraft fees imposed by financial institution based on UCC Article 4 "order or payment" issue)
- Bank of Chicago-Garfield Ridge v. Park National Bank, 237 Ill. App. 3d 1085, 606 N.E. 2d 72 (1st Dist. 2002) (Appeal arising out of representation of participant against lead bank in loan participation resulting in judgment for full amount of client's interest after trial on merits)
- Latex Glove Co. v. Gruen, 146 Ill. App. 3d 868, 497 N.E.2d 466 (1st Dist. 1986) (Defense of claim against commercial printer over ownership of original "proofs" for color offset catalog)
- Orlove v. Novick, 78 Ill. App. 3d 1141, 398 N.E.2d 170 (1st Dist. 1979) (Representation of client in overturning contempt finding based on assertion of Fifth Amendment privilege in case of first impression in Illinois)
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2013-2020, 2022-2025
- Listed, Leading Lawyers Network, 2005-2024
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Illinois Super Lawyers, 2005-2024
- Team Member, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Best Law Firms Edition, "Law Firm of the Year," Banking & Finance - Litigation, 2017
- Member, Winning Team, "Cross Border Special Situation M&A Deal of the Year" for the AgFeed Industries sale of assets to Ningbo Tech Bank, TriOak Foods and Smithfield/Murphy, Global M&A Network’s Turnaround Atlas Awards, 2014
- Recipient, Israel Cancer Research Fund’s "Man of Distinction" Award, 2013
- Team Member, a Law360 "Employment Practice Group of the Year," 2011 & 2013
- Listed, Strathmore's Who's Who
- Rated, AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5.0
- Board Member, Israel Cancer Research Fund
- Board Member, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Illinois Chapter
- Director, Albany Bank & Trust Co., N.A.
- Member, American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Business Law Section
- Member, Wisconsin Bar Association
- Non-Resident Lawyer Division
- Member, Chicago Bar Association
- Committee on Large Law Firms
- Member, Jewish United Fund
- Member, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
- Adjunct Faculty Member, Northwestern University School of Law
- Former Chair, Glencoe, Illinois, Nominating Caucus
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Ravinia Music Festival
Credentials
-
J.D., cum laude, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, 1978
- Order of the Coif
- B.A., Northwestern University, 1975
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Trial Bar, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- Supreme Court of the United States