Francis Liesman

Prior to joining Kirkland, Francis was involved in the following representative matters:

• Defended a private equity sponsor against a series of mass tort lawsuits brought in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, including securing summary judgment on the eve of jury selection in a bellwether trial.
• Counseled private equity sponsors in an employment-related contractual dispute regarding the vesting of equities in Delaware Chancery Court.
• Counseled financial institutions in suits brought against a public company regarding the exercise of stock warrants in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
• Represented a private equity sponsor in a commercial fraud action in Delaware Chancery Court related to the sponsor’s acquisition of a marketing business.
• Defended a health care company against trademark claims in federal court.
• Defended a nonprofit health system in a data breach class action under Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) in federal court.
• Represented a private equity sponsor in tort litigation involving the sponsor’s home health care portfolio company in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
• Represented a pharmaceutical company in a multimillion-dollar contract dispute at arbitration.
• Defended a public technology company in American Arbitration Association commercial arbitration concerning $100 million claim for earnout payments allegedly due under a purchase agreement governing the acquisition of a high technology manufacturer.
• Represented a private company in a JAMS commercial arbitration related to a contractual dispute with a large private retailer.
• Defended a special purpose acquisition company against an investigation brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in which the Commission ultimately declined to pursue an enforcement action.
• Counseled individual executives in a sweeping federal corruption probe through multiple jury trials.
• Represented a former executive of a non-profit corporation in a civil investigation brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Inspector General.
• Defended an individual executive in a breach-of-contract suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
• Conducted an internal investigation into the adequacy of a public company’s compliance program and accounting controls in response to a whistleblower report and reported findings to the company’s Audit Committee.
• Represented global pharmaceutical and medical device companies in SEC, DOJ and internal investigations involving alleged violations of the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act relating to the promotion and sale of company products.
• Conducted anti-corruption, economic sanctions and export control due diligence in connection with dozens of cross-border transactions in the telecommunications, energy, life sciences, pharmaceutical, consumer goods, food and beverage, and agri-business industries.
• Represented the City of Chicago and its agencies in federal and state constitutional challenges to City ordinances, including those affecting lobbying practices, fiduciary duties owed by City officials, motor vehicle ticketing, taxation and housing regulations.
• Represented the City of Chicago in various due process and takings challenges to zoning ordinances affecting permitted uses of real property.
• Defended the City of Chicago against breach-of-contract and First Amendment claims arising from the City’s permitting practices in connection with National Basketball Association events.
• Defended the City of Chicago against claims arising under the Administrative Procedure Act relating to the construction of the Obama Presidential Center.

Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP, 2021–2025

Corps Member, Teach for America, 2014–2016

Assisted in representing the City of Boston in a First Amendment case, Shurtleff v. City of Boston, before the United States Supreme Court.

Assisted in defending the legality of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Represented an incarcerated plaintiff in bringing civil rights claims against correctional officers in federal court.