![](/-/media/kristen_hudson-new.jpg?rev=86a4423a91544660aeeee15afacd2850&h=487&w=405&la=en&hash=B70F78DC11FB0610861FAC28AC55B75B)
Kristen Hudson represents businesses and business people in complex commercial litigation and class action defense in state and federal courts in Texas, Illinois and across the country. Kristen has won high-stakes challenges in a variety of substantive areas, from breach of contract, employment disputes, business and statutory torts, including fraud, RICO, and the False Claims Act claims, to intellectual property disputes including the protection of trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, patents, and privacy. Kristen has served as an expert witness in litigation in Canada involving product liability and the U.N. Convention on the International Sale of Goods. Kristen also has concentrated experience in lawyer professional liability and fiduciary liability, including high-net worth trust disputes and officer and director liability.
Kristen is a battle-tested trial lawyer. In 2022, Kristen was involved in the first jury trial in Illinois federal court under the Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. That same year, Kristen won a defense verdict in a four-week jury trial in Illinois involving significant eight-figure liability for alleged benzene exposure in the printing industry. In 2021, Kristen successfully defeated three separate attempts at a temporary restraining order in state court in Dallas County on behalf of her clients, insurance industry professionals, who were engaged in lawful competition under the terms of their employment agreements.
In addition to her litigation experience, Kristen is a trusted advisor and counselor. Kristen has served as General Counsel for a mid-size law firm with offices in multiple states. In her capacity as General Counsel, Kristen provided advice to mitigate risk in substantive areas ranging from corporate governance, privacy, employment advice, insurance, and lawyer professional liability. Kristen has been seconded to clients for extended periods including at a large energy company and with a UK-based insurance company. With this experience to guide her, Kristen works to avoid court wherever possible, and pursues solutions that make the most business and financial sense for her clients, including advocating aggressively when litigation is required. Kristen is well versed in all forms of alternative dispute resolution, and is a commercial and consumer arbitrator listed on the American Arbitration Association’s National Roster of Arbitrators, and a member of the ADR Section Council for the Illinois Bar Association. As part of her work with privacy law, Kristen is the newsletter editor for the American Bar Association’s Privacy and Data Security Committee.
Kristen is knowledgeable about all types of first and third-party commercial liability policies, including property policies, directors’ and officers’ liability, professional liability, employment practices liability, commercial general liability, products liability, cyber liability, among others. Kristen has experience on all sides of an insurance coverage dispute and business disputes involving the insurance industry. As a policyholder lawyer, Kristen recovered tens of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds for her policyholder clients. Most recently, Kristen served as coverage and monitoring counsel on behalf of insurers.
Prior to attending law school, Kristen was a French teacher in the North Carolina public schools.
Education & Credentials
Education
University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
J.D., 2003- The John Marshall Law Review
- Editor-in-Chief
- Editor-in-Chief
- magna cum laude
- The Order of John Marshall
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
B.A., 1997- with Honors
Bar Admission
Spoken Languages
- French
Acknowledgements
- Best Lawyers in America
- Litigation - Insurance, 2024-2025
- Super Lawyers
- Texas Super Lawyers, 2021-2024
- Illinois Super Lawyers, 2017-2021, 2023-2024
- Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2008-2015
- Illinois Super Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyer in Illinois, 2020
- Illinois Super Lawyers, Top 50 Woman Lawyer in Illinois, 2017, 2020
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer
- Inaugural Salute! Women in Law Award Honoree, 2020
- “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40,” 2014
- American Bar Association
- "100 Women Who Inspire Us," 2019
- Crain’s Chicago Business
- “Notable Gen X Leaders in Law,” 2019
- “Notable Women Lawyers,” 2018
- Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law
- Inspiration Award, 2018
- Leading Lawyers, 2017-2019
- Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women
- Alta May Hulett Award, 2016
- Public Interest Law Initiative
- Distinguished Alumni Award, 2016
- Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business
- General Commercial litigation, 2024
Prominent Assignments
- Successfully defending ink manufacturer in four-week jury trial in Chicago involving alleged benzene exposure
- Obtaining dismissal of complaint alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) on behalf of an Illinois confectioner
- Representing former officer in Delaware Chancery Court litigation against public corporation on claims of breach of fiduciary duty
- Defeating successive motions for temporary restraining order in multiple separate matters involving misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, and fiduciary duty claims and defending decisions on appeal, e.g., Bridgeview Bank Grp v. Meyer, 2016 IL App (1st) 160042
- Successfully defending a former officer in a two-week federal jury trial on claims of breach of fiduciary duty and unfair competition
- Winning summary judgment on statute of limitations and laches grounds on claims of breach of fiduciary duty in closely-held family business and trust dispute and successfully defending dismissal on appeal
- Leading a joint defense group and winning a dismissal with prejudice and sanctions at the trial level and on appeal on behalf of a law firm and a national bank alleging multiple state and federal claims, including antitrust, conspiracy, fraud, and fraudulent conveyance
- Obtaining dismissal in defamation action against Bank and defending dismissal on appeal
- Defending a limited partnership in multiple actions in state and federal court alleging breach of fiduciary duty and RICO claims, and prosecuting a quiet title and slander of title claim on behalf of the partnership in multiple state courts
- Invalidating a contractual limitation on damages in a contract for the sale of goods under the UCC in an arbitration, thereby allowing the buyer client to request the full amount of damages
- Winning summary judgment on interpretation of shareholder’s agreement on behalf of estate of deceased shareholder
Professional Involvement
- American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS)
- Ethics and Professionalism Standing Committee, 2022-2023
- Outreach to Young Lawyers Standing Committee, 2022-2023
- Vice-Chair, Business Litigation General Committee, 2022-2023
- American Bar Association, Litigation Section
- Privacy and Data Security Committee, Newsletter Editor
- Illinois Bar Association
- Cook County Assembly
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Council
- UIC Law School
- Adjunct Professor, International Means of Dispute Resolution, Alternative Means of Dispute Resolution, and Counseling and Negotiations
- Co-Coach, Willem C. Vis International Moot Arbitration Team
- Advanced to Elimination Rounds, Vis East Hong Kong, China, 2022; Honorable Mention Best Oralist, 2022
- Advanced to Elimination Rounds, Vis East Hong Kong, China, 2021
- Honorable Mention Best Oralist, Vienna, Austria, 2020
- Honorable Mention Best Claimant’s Brief, Vis East Hong Kong, China, 2019
- Honorable Mention Best Respondent’s Brief, Vis East Hong Kong, China, 2019
- Third Place, the University of Houston Blakely Advocacy Institute’s “Write the Arbitration Award” Competition, 2019
- Illinois Supreme Court’s Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission
- Hearing Board, Member
- Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association, Member
Community Involvement
- Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
- Member, Advisory Board, 2019 - Present
- Volunteer, 2003 - Present
- Board of Directors
- Former President
- Former President Ex-Officio
- Former Member
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- All U.S. District Courts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh and Ninth Circuits
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Tax Court
Publications/Presentations
-
Moderator, “What’s New? Hot Topics and Big Changes in the World of Arbitration,” Webinar Sponsored by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Council, Illinois State Bar Association, June 2024
- Speaker, “Mastering the Deposition 101: The Nuts and Bolts (IL),” Pincus Professional Education, July 2024
- Presenter, “Arbitrating Insurance Cases: A Round-Table Discussion?,” HOT TOPIC Webinar, State Bar of Texas Insurance Law Section, September 2023
- Co-Author, "Year in Review: Some Latest Supreme Court Decisions Involving Arbitration,” In the Alternative, Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution, Illinois State Bar, March 2023
- Speaker, "Using Technology as an Effective Tool of Advocacy," Current Events in Business Litigation - What You Need to Know!, American Bar Association, February 2023
- Speaker, "Discovery & E-Discovery" and "Other Motions," Pincus Professional Education, 12th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts, Chicago, Illinois, December 2022
- Speaker, "Advocacy in Arbitration: Tips from an Arbitrator on How to Present Your Case," Illinois State Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, December 2022
- Author, "Navigating the International Waters of a Commercial Dispute: The Importance of the Arbitral Seat in International Arbitration, Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution, Illinois State Bar, October 2022
- Speaker, "Third Party Breaches and Vulnerability Management," University of Texas School of Law Office of Continuing Legal Education, 2022 Essential Cybersecurity Law, July 2022
- The Art of Jury Selection in Illinois: A Beginner’s Guide, Pincus Professional Education, May 2022
- Guest Lecturer, UIC Law School, Introduction to Private International Law and International Commercial Arbitration, April 2022
- ABC’s of Insurance Coverage, Part Two, High Rise Network, January 2022
- Navigating the International Waters of a Commercial Dispute, three-part series featured in ISBA newsletter: What Law Will Apply to a Commercial Dispute in Arbitration, August 2021; Tips for Selecting Arbitrators in an International Arbitration, October 2021; Taking and Gathering Evidence in an International Arbitration, January 2022
- Nonsignatory to International Arbitration Agreement May Be Allowed to Compel Arbitration, ISBA newsletter, January 2021
- Advocacy in Arbitration: Tips from an Arbitrator on How to Present Your Case, Travis County Women Lawyer’s Association, November 2021
- The ABC’s of Insurance Coverage, Two-Part Series, September 2021, High Rise Network
- How to Master the Deposition, Pincus Professional Education, April 2021;
- Wearables, Issues for Life Insurers, American Council of Life Insurers, November 2020;
- Stay Cool and Don’t Get Burned Hot Topics in Lawyer Professional Responsibility and Liability, August 2020