James H. Cundiff advises clients on family wealth and business planning, federal estate, gift and generation-skipping tax planning, and estate and trust administration. James represents entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and other business leaders and wealthy individuals on estate and tax planning matters.
Counseling closely held businesses and family members, James is actively engaged in the structuring of family businesses as well as business control and succession planning, multi-generational wealth transfer planning, and estate plan design and implementation. James works with several single-family offices on the creation and administration of private investment pools and private trust companies. As a certified public accountant, James bridges the gaps between financial, tax and legal issues. James frequently writes and speaks on a variety of tax and estate planning subjects.
- Best Lawyers in America, Trusts and Estates, 2023–2027
- Leading Lawyers Network, 2009–Present
- American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”), Fellow
- American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants
- American Bar Association
- Chicago Bar Association
- Southern Illinois University School of Law, JD /MAcc
- Southern Illinois University, BS, magna cum laude
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Wyoming

Eleanor West
Eleanor (Ellie) West centres her practice on private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions. Ellie works across a wide range of sectors, and has particular expertise in the health care and life sciences industries.
Ellie regularly advises domestic and international private equity sponsors on transactional matters (including leveraged buy-outs, growth capital investments, add-on acquisitions and the implementation of management incentive plans). She also advises a range of multi-national corporations on cross-border acquisitions, disposals and restructuring transactions.
- Advised Great Point Partners on the sale of Softbox Systems, a global provider of temperature controlled packaging (TCP) systems and solutions to the pharmaceutical, life sciences and cold chain logistics industries to CSafe Global, a portfolio company of Frazier Healthcare Partners and Thomas H Lee Partners
- Advised PharmaLex Group and Auctus Capital on the acquisition of Phlexglobal, a leading technology and services organization for clinical and regulatory compliance solutions, from Vitruvian Partners
- Advised WEP Clinical and its founder shareholders in relation to an investment made by The Jordan Company in the WEP Clinical group, a market leader in the design and execution of expanded access and named patient programs
- The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom, Private Equity Law, 2023-2025
- Legal 500 UK, Recommended, 2022-2026
- BPP Law School, LPC
- King''s College London, LLB
- England and Wales
- English

James Ross
James Ross advises clients on a broad range of international and domestic corporate/commercial tax issues, including corporate restructuring, transfer pricing and thin capitalisation, double tax treaty issues, corporate and structured finance projects, mergers and acquisitions, and management buyouts. He counsels US groups in the structuring of UK and European inbound investments, including in relation to redomiciliations and providing advice on technical issues in the context of revenue investigations and statutory audits. He is particularly adept at advising on intellectual property holding structures.
- Advised US-based multinationals on restructuring their British and European groups, and on the implementation of corporate redomiciliations and UK holding company structures
- Advised European-based multinationals on the establishment of functions and activities in the UK
- Advised multinational groups on structuring for optimising the management and holding of intellectual property
- Chambers UK 2021 and 2022, ranked within Tax and described as “a great lawyer who is responsive and knowledgeable.“
- The Legal 500 UK 2012 to 2022, recommended in Corporate and Commercial: Corporate Tax
- World Tax and World Transfer Pricing 2013 to 2020
- Bloomberg BNA Tax Treaties Analysis, editorial board
- University of Law, LPC
- University of Law, CPE, BA
- Jesus College University of Oxford
- England and Wales
Michael P. Chu
Michael P. Chu focuses his practice on all aspects of patent law, including complex litigation, opinions and prosecution. He serves as the Local IP Litigation Practice Group Leader in McDermott’s Chicago office. Mike is also the head of the Firm’s Racial & Ethnic Diversity Committee.
- Representing hospital and researchers relating to immunotherapeutic treatments and medical devices (Immunomedics, Inc. v. Roger Williams Medical Center et al., Civ. Action No. 2:15-cv-04526 (D.N.J. 2015-present))
- Obtained an award of attorney fees and dismissal in client’s favor in patent infringement lawsuit relating to papermaking processes (Nalco Co. v. Solenis LLC, Civ. Action No. 1:15-cv-008913 (N.D. Ill. 2015-2017))
- Represented defendant in lawsuit brought by supplier and obtained stay in favor of international arbitration (Key Tronic Corporation v. SMART Technologies ULC Civ. Action No. 2:16-cv-00028-TOR (E.D. Wa. 2016-2017))
- Sought a temporary restraining order against an importation port to prevent loss of trademarked goods from China; the case successfully settled in the client’s favor (WesPac International, LLC v. Apex Maritime, Inc., Civ. Action No. 1:14-CV-01579 (N.D. Ill.))
- Represented complainant Eastman Kodak Company in the pending ITC investigation relating to infringement of Kodak patents for digital imaging technology; the case successfully settled (Certain Electric Devices for Capturing and Transmitting Images, ITC No. 337-TA-831 (2011-2013))
- IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, 2021-2024
- Chambers USA, Intellectual Property, 2021-2026; Band 2, 2024-2026
- Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Intellectual Property (2016-2023, 2025-2027), Trademark Law (2023-2027), Litigation – Patent, Patent Law, 2026-2027
- Legal 500 USA, Recommended Lawyer, 2022 and 2024-2025
- Crain’s Chicago Business, Notable Leaders in Community Development, 2022
- American Bar Association
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), president, 2003
- NAPABA Law Foundation, president, 2009 to 2012
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago, board chair, 2011 to present
- Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms, board chair, 2016
- William & Mary Law School, JD
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BS, Mechanical Engineering
- Illinois
- US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- US Patent and Trademark Office
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- English
- Chinese (Mandarin)

Elizabeth C. Lu
Elizabeth advises multinational corporations on US federal and international tax matters.
Elizabeth helps businesses navigate the US tax implications of their global operations and transactions. She advises businesses on loss and other attribute planning, subpart F and net CFC tested income, foreign tax credits, foreign-derived deduction eligible income (FDDEI), the base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT), the corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT), and other key provisions of the Code.
Elizabeth counsel clients on global supply chain restructurings, post-acquisition integrations, internal reorganizations, debt financings, and intellectual property migrations. She also has experience with tax treaties, tax audits and controversies, and the tax aspects of acquisitions and dispositions.
- Advised a client with respect to a $2 billion outbound transfer of intangible property
- Advised a client on entering into a $4.3 billion strategic partnership with an outside investor
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, Tax Law, 2024–2027
- Rising Star, Tax – Euromoney Expert Guide, 2021
- Yale Law School, JD
- University of Chicago, BA
- Illinois

Jeff Cassidy
Jeff Cassidy focuses his practice on general corporate matters and transactions.
While in law school, Jeff was associate editor for the University of Illinois Law Review, volunteered with the University of Illinois Community Preservation Clinic and the Marshall County Public Defender’s Office, and was a judicial extern for the Honorable James E. Shadid, chief judge of the US District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, JD, cum laude
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BS, with honors
- Illinois

Daniel R. Campbell
Tries commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts, including private capital litigation, collective and class actions, and products liability actions
Handles aviation disputes, including fixed-wing and rotorcraft, mass disaster, and accident matters
Defends clients in alcohol and beverage industry disputes and trust and estate litigation
Advises clients on bet the company litigation including in high exposure class actions, deal disputes, and wrongful death matters.
Daniel R. Campbell is a trial lawyer with significant experience trying cases in state and federal courts. He focuses his trial practice on a variety of commercial litigation matters, including private capital litigation, collective and class actions, products liability and aviation actions, alcohol and beverage industry disputes, and trust and estate litigation matters. Daniel is the co-lead of the firm’s class-action litigation practice and chair of the Associates Committee.
- Obtained complete acquittal after a criminal jury trial in the first-ever criminal no poach trial in the 130+ year history of the Sherman Act on behalf of former senior executive of DaVita, Inc.
- Co-chaired, and prevailed in, an evidentiary hearing on a motion for preliminary injunction in a trade secrets case alleging theft of software and source code trade secrets where plaintiff alleged more than $120 million in damages –; cross examined plaintiff CEO and directed key expert witness at hearing in obtaining favorable result
- Won a case at Illinois Supreme Court after successfully arguing that a self-represent relator in a False Claims Act case could not recover attorneys’ fees for work performed by the relator-law firm’s own attorneys. This case represented a matter of first impression in Illinois and is now the law of the state
- First-chaired a three-day emergency arbitration related to termination for cause of private equity fund member
- Co-chaired, and prevailed in, a five-day jury trial in a police brutality case under Section 1983
- Chambers USA, 2026
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, Commercial Litigation (2023-2026), Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (2023-2026), Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, 2026
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, 2025
- McDermott Will & Schulte Partner Pro Bono Award, 2025
- Crain’s Chicago Business, 40 Under 40, 2023
- McDermott Will & Schulte, Class-Action Litigation Practice Group, co-lead
- McDermott Will & Schulte, Private Capital Litigation Group, co-lead
- McDermott Will & Schulte, Associates Committee, chair
- McDermott Will & Schulte, Technology Committee, member
- Legal Aid Chicago, Board of Directors, member; Governance Committee, co-chair
- University of Illinois College of Law, JD, magna cum laude
- University of Missouri, BA, summa cum laude
- Illinois
- Missouri
- US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- US District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
- US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- US District Court for the District of Colorado
- US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- English

John M. Callahan
Advises public companies, private equity firms, nonprofit health systems, academic institutions, and governmental entities on health sector M&A
Manages transactions involving hospitals, behavioral health companies, physician practice management platforms, laboratories, pharmacies, and other health care companies
Structures joint ventures between taxable and tax-exempt entities and complex transactions in changing regulatory and commercial landscapes
Counsels clients on international health M&A transactions
John Callahan advises clients on health sector mergers and acquisitions. Public companies, private equity firms, nonprofit health systems, academic institutions, and governmental entities have trusted John to assist them in executing their most critical transactions. His unique focus on corporate and healthcare law drives an efficient and client-oriented approach to executing transactions.
- Chambers USA, Band 1 in Healthcare, 2012-2026
- BTI, M&A Client Service All-Stars, 2021
- Best Lawyers in America, Healthcare Law, 2014-2027
- University of San Diego, JD
- University of Notre Dame, BA
- Illinois
- English

Edward G. Zacharias
Guides development and launch of digital health products and AI-enabled products and services
Structures data use, disclosure, and commercialization strategies for health technology clients
Leads full scale ransomware and other cybersecurity incident remediation and response for private and public companies
Manages government investigations related to privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection issues
Advises on HIPAA, HITECH, and health information privacy compliance
Counsels on website and mobile app tracking technologies and wiretapping risk
Edward (Ed) Zacharias serves as managing partner of the firm’s Boston office and co-heads the Digital Health Practice Group, where he guides clients through the regulatory, privacy, and cybersecurity complexities that define health technology innovation.
Ed provides strategic counsel from conception through launch of AI-enabled and digital health products, structuring sophisticated data frameworks that help clients execute critical business objectives while avoiding legal pitfalls. He has deep experience advising website and mobile application tracking technologies and their regulatory and litigation risks, including under wiretapping statutes.
- Represented a multinational technology platform on multi-jurisdiction AI, privacy, and wiretapping analysis for a product launch
- Advised a national retail chain on structural and healthcare compliance issues tied to in-store clinics and pharmacies
- Advised a Fortune 20 company on a HIPAA compliance program and data-use strategy for its entry into healthcare services
- Led ransomware response for a health system with more than 500 clinical sites, coordinating legal, compliance, forensics, media, regulatory, and ransom-negotiation work
- Handled numerous OCR HIPAA investigations, including matters resolved with no adverse findings and favorable settlements
- Represented a public technology company in investigating and responding to an international cyberattack
- Advised a large electronic health record company on data use and disclosure issues for a personal health record offering
- Thomson Reuters, Stand-out Lawyer, 2023-2026
- Chambers USA, Healthcare, Band 2, 2018-2026
- Legal 500 US, Leading Lawyer in Media, Technology and Telecoms: Cyber Law, 2021 and 2024-2025
- The Best Lawyers in America, Healthcare Law, (2022-2025 and 2027), Privacy and Data Security Law, 2027
- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Top 20 Managing Partner, 2024 and 2025
- Burton Awards, Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award, 2023
- BTI, Client Service All-Stars, 2022
- Acritas Stars, independently rated lawyers, 2020
- Boston Bar Association, council member
- McDermott Will & Schulte Digital Health Group, co-head
- Boston University School of Law, JD
- Case Western Reserve University, MA, Bioethics
- Coleman College, AS, Computer Applications and Networks
- Boston College, BA
- Massachusetts
- English

Kate Williams
Kate Williams focuses her practice on commercial real estate transactional matters, with a particular focus on the renewable energy and healthcare industries. With nearly 20 years of legal experience, she represents renewable energy developers, lenders, tax equity sponsors, and offtakers; healthcare private equity sponsors; physician practices; hospitals; and capital providers, among other investors.
Kate advises clients in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition, disposition, and financing of commercial real property interests. She has extensive experience with drafting and negotiating complex solar, wind, data center, battery storage, medical office, laboratory, and hospital ground lease agreements. She assists clients with obtaining favorable solutions to challenging surface and mineral estate matters concerning the construction, development, operation, and financing of renewable energy projects.
- Represented Chestnut Carbon, a nature-based carbon project developer, on the real estate aspects of a non-recourse project finance facility of up to $210 million
- Represented Hannon Armstrong Capital LLC in a $30 million term loan financing for a renewable natural gas facility located in Jessup, Maryland
- Represented American Electric Power in the real estate aspects of purchase negotiations in connection with the acquisition of several solar project companies
- Represented Irradiant Partners, LP, an investment manager focused on liquid credit and renewable private equity and credit, in the offering of a maximum aggregate principal loan amount of $100 million to an innovator in the renewable energy space because of its use of anaerobic digestion
- Represented a private-equity-backed healthcare system operator in a $1.25 billion transaction, which involved the acquisition of real estate interests in nine acute care hospitals and numerous ancillary-owned and leased properties under a complex tax-driven master lease and mortgage loan structure
- Dover MA Planning Board, elected official
- American Bar Association, Ground Leasing Committee chair and editor of the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section’s e-report
- Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, member
- Boston Bar Association, member
- Dover MA Public Schools Parent Teacher Organization, volunteer
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, LLM
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, JD, with distinction
- DePaul University, BA
- Massachusetts
- Illinois
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
- English
