Attorneys and Counselors, Chicago, IL

A man in a suit and tie smiling for the camera.

William B. Bruce

Partner

William represents corporate and individual clients in complex commercial litigation and in internal and government investigations. He is a trusted advisor and experienced litigator in a variety of areas of law. He is passionate about his clients and about achieving optimal resolutions at minimum cost and maximum value. Prior to joining Katten & Temple, William was a litigation attorney at Sidley Austin.

Ellie M. Buchanan

Associate

Ellie M. Buchanan represents corporate and individual clients in commercial litigation. Before joining Katten & Temple, Ellie spent a summer at a securities firm where she worked on defending financial institutions against SEC and FINRA investigations and performed corporate regulatory work. She was the Executive Editor of Online Articles for the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal. Ellie also gained experience representing non-profits and small businesses through work in Loyola's Business Law Clinic.

John M. George, Jr.

Of Counsel

John M. George, Jr. has served as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country and has represented clients at trial, on appeal, and in arbitrations. His clients have included financial institutions, Big Four accounting firms, and Fortune 500 companies and their officers and directors. He has represented defendants in securities, ERISA, and antitrust class actions, as well as derivative suits, accountant malpractice cases, SEC investigations and enforcement actions, and general commercial litigation.

A man in suit and tie smiling for the camera.

Richard B. Kapnick

Of Counsel

Brad is an experienced trial lawyer who has served as lead counsel in numerous matters involving complex commercial litigation and advised corporate officers and directors at critical junctures of business disputes. His clients also include business leaders, public and private companies, stockholders and activist investors, broker dealers and parties to bankruptcy and real estate-related claims. He has also regularly appeared in matters involving state and federal securities laws, directors’ and officers’ liability, and complex financial transactions, including mergers & acquisitions and post-transaction disputes. He has been recognized for the quality of his work by Leading Lawyers, Super Lawyers and Legal 500.

Richard B. Kapnick

Phone: (312) 663.4463
Cell: (847) 894.8414
[email protected]

Education:

The University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 1982, with honors,
Order of the Coif, Managing Editor, Law Review (1981-1982))
Wadham College, Oxford University (M.Phil., 1980, Intl. Rel., Marshall Scholar)
Stanford University (B.A., 1977, Pol. Sci. & Econ. with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa)

Admitted:

New York, 1993
Illinois, 1982

Practices:

Complex Commercial Litigation
Directors’ and Officers’ Litigation
Securities Litigation
Real Estate Litigation
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation
Stockholder Litigation
Mergers & Acquisitions Litigation

Clerkships:

United States Supreme Court, John Paul Stevens
Illinois Supreme Court, Seymour Simon

Significant Engagements:

Plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation. The cases often involve insolvency, reorganization, financial and valuation issues and interpretation of complex commercial contracts, indentures and loan agreements.
Defendants in federal securities fraud class actions including public corporations and their officers and directors, including Sections 11 and 12 of the Securities Act and Sections 10 and 14 of the Securities Exchange Act. Cases have involved initial public and secondary offerings, private placements, financial restatements and alleged accounting misstatements, alleged forecasting errors, alleged shortfalls in insurance reserves, and alleged deficiencies in products, distribution and marketing. The matters often involve defense of the clients in related Securities and Exchange Commission proceedings.
Plaintiffs or defendants in shareholder and derivative claims, including corporations and their directors, officers and shareholders. Cases have involved forecasting, reporting of industry performance metrics, management decisions relating to investments and acquisitions, preferred stock claims, corporate opportunities, a director election contest, and a deadlocked board of directors.
Clients engaged in mergers and acquisitions disputes. Cases have involved the purchase and sale of private and public corporations, their assets and subsidiaries, including Revlon claims, entire fairness claims, hostile tender offers, the construction, reformation, and specific performance of merger and acquisition agreements and post-closing adjustment/indemnity claims. Many of these matters involved multiple federal and/or state forums.

Memberships and Activities:

Member, Advisory Board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, 1999-Present
Member, Practitioners’ Reading Group for the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, American Bar Association. U.S. Supreme Court Nominations:
-Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 2009
-Nomination of Elena Kagan as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 2010
Chicago Symphony Orchestra:
-Trustee, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1994-Present
-Vice-Chair, 2001-2006
-Chair, Artistic Committee, 2007-2012
-Chair, Development Committee, 2002-2006
Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic:
-Chair, Advisory Board, 1999-2004
-Chair, Board of Directors, 1992-1993
Volunteer attorney, National Immigrant Justice Center, 1987-2004
Fellow, Leadership Greater Chicago

Mitchell B. Katten

Partner

Mitchell B. Katten has experience in trial and appellate litigation and counseling practice. He represents corporate and individual clients in all aspects of commercial litigation. He has experience with complex litigation in state and federal court.

Education:

Lawrence University in 1984

Washington University Law School in St. Louis in 1988

Brandon D. Lawniczak

Of Counsel

Brandon D. Lawniczak has three decades of legal experience advising clients on a variety of issues, both as a litigation partner at a major law firm and as in-house counsel at an international technology consulting company. Brandon’s passion is providing his clients with thoughtful analysis of their legal rights and providing practical, business-focused advice.

Education:

J.D., University of Michigan Law School
B.S., Industrial & Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, College of Engineering

Brian S. Levy

Of Counsel

Brian S. Levy, Of Counsel to Katten & Temple, LLP, provides practical regulatory, transactional and dispute resolution guidance primarily to banks, mortgage lenders and vendors to mortgage bankers. Mr. Levy has unique experience with RESPA, TILA, and other mortgage origination, servicing and banking regulations, marketing and ventures, contract negotiation and loan sales, commercial and residential real estate and finance and regulatory compliance and enforcement actions. Mr. Levy also represents summer camp owners and buyers in the purchase and sale of summer camps.

Kristi Nelson

Partner

Kristi Nelson has over 30 years of experience litigating commercial and employment matters in state and federal courts including contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, discrimination, wage claims, and unfair trade practice cases. She also has extensive experience conducting investigations. In September 2023, she left private practice when United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed her as a United States Immigration Judge in the Chicago Immigration Court. Upon completing her judgeship in April 2025, she joined Katten & Temple, LLP as a Partner.

Kristi Nelson

Partner

Email: [email protected]

312-663-0800

Kristi Nelson has over 30 years of experience litigating commercial and employment matters in state and federal courts including contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, discrimination, wage claims, and unfair trade practices cases. She has defended numerous companies in employment discrimination cases arising under federal and state laws and represented plaintiffs in high-stake whistleblower claims. Kristi has tried cases and argued appeals in the federal and state courts for public companies, privately-held firms and individuals. In 2022 and 2023, she was ranked in
Chambers (USA) for general commercial litigation. In September 2023, she left private practice when former United States Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed her as a United States Immigration Judge in the Chicago Immigration Court. Kristi recently concluded her judgeship to join Katten & Temple as a Partner.

In private practice, Kristi also conducted numerous internal investigations of workplace misconduct. She served as an outside investigator for a major airline company, where she traveled nationwide conducting investigations of workplace misconduct, including alleged sexual harassment, discrimination and misappropriation of company assets. She has conducted internal investigations of sexual harassment, discrimination, FLSA violations, and other alleged workplace misconduct for large publicly traded companies, small privately held companies, and governmental entities. She used her experience conducting internal investigations to develop the curriculum for and teach a law school course on how to conduct effective workplace investigations. In 2014, she was appointed by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to serve as counsel for the Special Master investigating and monitoring alleged illegal employment practices at State of Illinois agencies in Shakman et al. vs. Democratic Organization of Cook County, et al., No. 69 C 2145.

In addition to conducting internal investigations of workplace misconduct, Kristi also has extensive experience counseling clients on compliance and employment matters, as well as drafting and negotiating employment and severance agreements, settlement agreements, and employment policies. She received training to become a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP).

Kristi also served as an arbitrator for the AAA, Circuit Court of Cook County’s Commercial Calendar mandatory arbitration program and FINRA. She was also a panel member of the Business Conduct Committee and Probable Cause Committee for CME Group, which oversee matters related to conduct and trading practices that could threaten the integrity of the financial markets.

Kristi is dedicated to providing pro bono legal services to persons in need. She served the maximum term as a member of the Board of Directors for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and then served as a member of its Advisory Board. She has represented clients pro bono in immigration, employment, unfair housing, criminal, and civil rights matters. She is passionate about helping women and children in need, and she won immigration relief for women and children from Kenya, Togo, Somalia, Mexico, and Guinea. She traveled to the border of Mexico to represent detained mothers and children seeking asylum and other immigration relief and to Somaliland to teach U.S. Constitutional law to high school students. In 2020, her dedication to providing pro bono legal services was honored by DePaul University College of Law through the DePaul Alumni Service Award.

Kristi obtained her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, where she received an academic scholarship every semester and served as an editor of the Law Review. She graduated with honors and was elected to Order of the Coif. During law school, Kristi worked as a counselor at a children’s psychiatric hospital and externed for the Homicide Task Force, Cook County Public Defender’s Office.

Outside of work, Kristi enjoys cooking, running, and traveling. She has completed over a dozen marathons, 30+ half-marathons, and 25+ triathlons.

Anthony Linh Nguyen

Senior Counsel

Anthony joined Katten & Temple LLP in March 2025 and represents corporate and individual clients in commercial litigation and investigations. Prior to joining Katten & Temple, Anthony was the inspector general for the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County where he oversaw independent investigations and audits on agency corruption, waste, and abuse. Anthony also worked on commercial litigation, compliance, and internal government investigations during his eight years at Jenner & Block.

A woman in black jacket smiling for the camera.

Nancy A. Temple

Partner

Nancy A. Temple has experience in state and federal trial and appellate courts, primarily in commercial litigation. She has represented financial institutions, manufacturers, public accounting firms, and digital media providers in federal securities, patent, malpractice and consumer fraud litigation and in various other business disputes.

Nancy currently serves on the Leadership Council for the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, the Adler Planetarium Women’s Board, the Lyric Guild Board and the Da Corneto Opera Board.

Jeffrey R. Tone

Partner

Jeffrey R. Tone has served as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country and has represented clients at trial, on appeal, and in arbitrations. He has had responsibility for significant matters for four different major accounting firms, including jury trials in state and federal court, as well as for financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies and their officers and directors. Such representation has included securities class actions, derivative actions, insurance matters, and professional malpractice claims, including actions brought by the FIDC and other receivers and liquidating trusts. He has also represented clients in investigations by the SEC’s Division of Enforcement and other governmental agencies.