A Top Rated Defense Litigation
& Business Law Firm
James P. DeNardo is a veteran appellate and employment attorney. He combines the skills and knowledge gained in an extensive career handling appellate cases at the highest levels in state and federal court with litigation experience as a skilled and respected employment law attorney. He provides insightful and cost effective solutions to clients. His knowledge of the trial and appellate courtroom give him a complete perspective on the litigation process for his clients.
Jim graduated from law school and spent a half year as law clerk to Justice Daniel J. McNamara of the Illinois Appellate Court. Jim served in Viet Nam as a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps. During his tour in Viet Nam, in addition to his court-martial work and as a foreign claims officer, he was tasked with teaching soldiers about the Geneva Conventions after the My Lai incident. He finished his career in the military stationed in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The focus of Jim’s practice at McKenna Storer is primarily employment law and workplace issues, such as discrimination in the employment setting, equal employment litigation and public accommodations and commercial facilities litigation. He has represented clients in litigation in state and federal courts and at the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Jim has also appeared extensively in appellate courts at the state and federal levels including the Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Jim is a devoted father of two and grandfather of one. He is a voracious reader and movie buff. He takes classes for enrichment through Northwestern University.
Representative Decisions:
American Family Mutual Insurance Company v. Roth, 485 F.3d 930 (7th Cir. 2007)
Coniston Farm, LLC v. Friedman Distributing, Inc., 2012 IL App (1st) 112892-U
Successfully represented insurers in disputes with agents over whether termination of the agencies breached the agency contracts.
Representation of a municipality in a lawsuit over whether termination of an employee was in retaliation for the employee filing an EEOC charge of gender discrimination.
Representation of an insurer in its request for a preliminary injunction in a dispute over whether customer lists taken by agents were trade secrets.
Liability carrier appointed McKenna to defend the employer in a sexual misconduct case that ultimately resulted in a settlement that was favorable to the defendant.
