Erica B.
Zolner

Partner, Co-Chair of the Management Committee

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Erica Zolner
  • Profile
  • Experience
  • Insights & News
  • Credentials

Erica Zolner has over two decades of experience with high-stakes business litigation, multidistrict litigation, and class action matters.  She provides proactive and strategic legal counsel in eDiscovery and Information Law matters, including advising clients on the development and execution of defensible eDiscovery processes crucial for navigating contentious, high-stakes litigation.  She is also recognized by peers as a leading lawyer in the field of E-Discovery and Information Governance, as reflected in the Chambers USA rankings.

With a track record of handling complex, “bet the company” matters, Erica’s cases have spanned a variety of practice areas, including antitrust, product liability, trade secrets, mass tort, and healthcare insurance matters.  She has served as lead counsel in jury and bench trials in both federal and state courts, and her trial work includes delivering opening statements, handling witness examinations, presenting and defending expert witnesses, and presenting trial motions. Erica oversees case strategy and all aspects of discovery coordination and trial preparation, including negotiating pre-trial case management orders addressing discovery issues, preparing and defending corporate representatives for testimony in connection with 30(b)(6) depositions on discovery issues, motion practice regarding discovery disputes, and supervising the identification, collection, review, and production of electronically stored information (ESI).

Erica’s experience developing efficient eDiscovery and information governance solutions related to records retention and challenges posed by emerging technologies allows her to craft targeted strategies that address clients’ specific and complex business needs and information technology environments.

Before joining Redgrave, Erica spent close to 20 years at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, the last 12 years as a partner.  During law school, she served as the Executive Editor of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business and authored the article “Jack of All Trades: Integrated Multidisciplinary Practice, or Formal Accounting System?  Emerging Global Trends in the Legal & Accounting Professions,” published in 22 Nw J. Int’l L. & Bus. 235 (Winter 2002).

  • “Erica has an extraordinary legal mind and a very powerful manner in dealing with clients.  She's attentive to details and she is smart and very cost-effective.”
    Chambers USA

Erica's work experience includes:

  • Serving as discovery counsel in the representation of a major pharmaceutical company in multi-district product liability litigation
  • Representing a large finance and insurance company in multiple matters and overseeing coordination on complex discovery issues, including developing defensible discovery strategy, leading preparation of briefs, handling witness deposition preparations, and managing expert declarations
  • Serving as discovery counsel in a major antitrust class action suit, ensuring all aspects of litigation are aligned with merits counsel and overseeing continuing provider litigation and administrative services litigation outside of sub-settlement
  • Providing ongoing eDiscovery support and strategic guidance to a large manufacturing company concerning complex litigation involving hundreds of lawsuits and coordination with multiple counsel in various jurisdictions
  • Acting as national discovery counsel on product liability and public enforcement matters concerning an FDA-regulated company
  • Developing strategies for clients undergoing system migrations to ensure efficient and effective transitions to new platforms
  • Consulting with a pharmaceutical company focused on developing a customizable template of ESI protocols
  • Representing a large healthcare and insurance company as lead counsel in a series of putative consolidated antitrust class actions
  • Acting as lead counsel for a large pharmaceutical company in thousands of federal multidistrict litigation cases as well as state court proceedings brought nationwide by State Attorney Generals, counties, health care providers, and municipalities related to the marketing and sale of prescription opioids
  • Leading work for a major insurance provider in a consolidated putative class action alleging age discrimination, violations of ERISA, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duties
  • Counseling a major insurance company in a putative gender discrimination class action alleging violations of Title VII and The Equal Pay Act
  • Overseeing the identification, collection, review, and production of structured and unstructured ESI in multiple matters
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Education

  • Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, J.D., cum laude (2002)
  • Oklahoma State University, B.A., summa cum laude (1998)

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois

Memberships

  • Member, National Association for Women Lawyers (NAWL) Annual Meeting Leadership Committee
  • Member, Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ)
  • Member, Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Member (2010-2018) and Vice President (2016-2018), Board of Directors for Housing Opportunities for Women (HOW)
  • Member, Board of Directors for the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law (2013-2020)

Recognition

  • Chambers USA, E-Discovery & Information Governance (USA - Nationwide) (Band 3: 2024)
  • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, “40 Under 40: 2016 Illinois Attorneys to Watch”
  • Super Lawyers Magazine, “Illinois Rising Star” (2009-2019)