Bio

Steven Vanderporten is a partner in the Litigation Law Group. With more than a decade of experience as a litigator, Steven has represented large and middle market companies, closely held businesses, and individuals and executives in a wide array of matters, including: breach of contract, fraud, and business tort claims; business divorce, shareholder derivative, shareholder oppression, and breach of fiduciary duty litigation; class actions in state and federal courts; restrictive covenant and trade secret disputes; defamation, false advertising, and unfair competition claims; commercial foreclosures and conflicts arising in the context of bankruptcies and receiverships. Steven has also represented numerous companies from inception, and he served as outside general counsel for these entities through their growth and development, providing advice on corporate formation and governance issues, intellectual property protection, and restrictive covenant and employment issues, among other issues. Steven also advises law firms on ethical rules affecting day-to-day operations, conflicts of interest, and attorney separation matters. Steven’s exposure to a diverse range of practice areas has enabled him to identify and implement creative litigation strategies and solutions. While Steven works closely with his clients to achieve business-friendly resolutions to most commercial disputes, where necessary, Steven has tried cases to verdict in courts and arbitration forums throughout the country, and accordingly he is comfortable in the courtroom setting and speaking before a jury. Steven has frequently been invited to appear in local media to comment on important legal matters. He has been named as a Super Lawyer-Rising Star in the area of Business Litigation every year since 2017 and has been recognized as a “One’s to Watch” by Best Lawyers Magazine. Steven received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. During law school, Steven worked for the criminal division of the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) in Washington D.C. and served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Jeffrey Cole in the United States District for the Northern District of Illinois.