Kristi Cercone represents clients in all phases of litigation and alternative dispute resolution and focuses her practice on the defense of product liability and mass tort cases involving pharmaceutical and medical device companies. She also assists clients in protecting trade secrets and other intellectual property rights. In addition to her mass tort experience, Kristi regularly represents clients in matters before the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and advises clients on risk minimization, regulatory reporting obligations, warranties, and CPSC product recalls.
Kristi currently represents several universities and an athletic conference in In re: NCAA Student-Athlete Concussion Injury Litigation, a federal multidistrict litigation consolidating more than 500 putative class actions, and has represented companies in both multidistrict litigation (MDL) and class action litigation across the country.
Kristi also has represented companies facing data privacy and cybersecurity-related litigation and regulatory inquiries and counsels clients on data collection, use, security, and disclosure policies.
Kristi has significant experience addressing the unique litigation issues facing the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, including those related to the highly regulated environment they operate in and the specialized body of case law that has developed relating to those product liability claims.
Kristi maintains an active pro bono practice, having represented clients through Equip for Equality, the National Immigrant Justice Center, as well as other clients in need. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of Prentice.
- Harvard University (J.D. cum laude 2011; Comments Editor, Harvard Environmental Law Review); Illinois Wesleyan University (B.A. magna cum laude 2008)
- Illinois, California, and District of Columbia
- U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, Honors Law Program (2009)
Best Lawyers in America "Ones to Watch" — product liability litigation defense (2021, 2022)
Crain's Chicago Business "Notable Rising Stars in Law" (2021)
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Ruggero J. Aldisert, U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit (2011-2012)