Anne McClain Sidrys, P.C.

Partner Litigation

Chicago +1 312 862 2448

Anne McClain Sidrys, P.C.

Overview

Anne McClain Sidrys is a litigation partner in Chicago. She is a Certified Public Accountant and, prior to law school, worked for five years as an auditor for Deloitte, Haskins & Sells (now Deloitte & Touche). In her 30 plus years at Kirkland, Anne has focused her practice on financial and complex commercial litigation, and has handled a number of disputes involving breach of contract, product liability, fraud, non-compete agreements and trade secret violations.

Anne has successfully tried a number of cases and has handled various arbitrations and mediations. By way of example, Anne tried a case for Motorola in the Southern District of New York where the plaintiffs sought $3.8 billion of fraudulent transfer and preference claims. Motorola won the lawsuit and the plaintiffs were not awarded any damages. She has also tried and arbitrated various matters for IBM, including a breach of contract/fraud case where the plaintiff sought over $360 million from IBM. In that matter, the plaintiff was not awarded any damages and IBM was awarded its entire counterclaim in excess of $20 million. Most recently, Anne tried a products liability case for 3M, which resulted in a complete defense verdict for 3M. Each of Anne’s trials and arbitrations have resulted in complete victories for her clients.

Anne was featured in the November 2015 National Law Journal “Winning” contest for her work on the IBM/Carlson trial. She was also featured in the “Big Suits” article in The American Lawyer for her work in the Motorola/Iridium bankruptcy matter. She was named as a 2012 BTI Client Service Super All-Star and as a favorite litigator by the BTI Consulting Group in its 2012 Client Service All-Stars report. In 2014, Law360 featured Anne in the article “Female Powerbrokers Q&A,” for her work in litigation. Anne was also named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” list from 2014–2023 and as a “Litigation Star” from 2014–2024. Anne was recognized as one of two “favorite outside counsel” in commercial litigation by IBM’s then General Counsel in The Wall Street Journal. In 2018, Crain's Chicago Business named Anne to its second annual list of “Chicago's Notable Women Lawyers.” Anne has also been recognized in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers list and Law Bulletin Media’s Leading Lawyers. In 2023 and 2024, Anne was recognized by Best Lawyers® for her work in commercial litigation.

Anne was featured in the following articles for her role in K&E Parenting Link, a program she co-founded to respond to questions and issues raised by parents at Kirkland: Law Firm’s Luncheon Meetings Hit the High Points – “On Parenting,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, May 3, 2005; “The Daddy Diaries, Fathers Juggle Work, Kids, and Stress, Too,” The Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2005.

Summary of Professional Experience

Kirkland & Ellis, 1993–present (Partner since 1998)

The Honorable James B. Moran, Northern District of Illinois, 1992–1993 (Judicial Clerk)

Deloitte, Haskins & Sells (now Deloitte & Touche), 1984–1989 (Audit Manager)

Distinctions

Certified Public Accountant, 1985

Trials/Arbitrations

  • In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2885 (N.D. Fla.): Representing 3M Company and its subsidiary Aearo Technologies in products liability litigation concerning 3M’s allegedly defective dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs™ version 2. In 2019, the cases were consolidated and centralized by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. A number of those cases are being tried by Kirkland. In November 2021, Anne led a Kirkland trial team in one such action which resulted in a complete defense verdict for 3M. 
  • IBM Confidential Arbitration: Represented IBM in significant arbitration involving an IT/contract dispute. IBM was awarded the full amount of its damage claim, plus millions in pre-judgment interest. 
  • Carlson, Inc. v. IBM Corporation (D. Minn.): Represented IBM Corporation in a $360 million lawsuit brought by Carlson alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud in relation to outsourcing services performed by IBM. IBM brought a counterclaim against Carlson for failure to pay early contract termination fees. Complete victory for IBM: $0 awarded to Carlson and the full $20 million counterclaim awarded to IBM.
  • Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Iridium LLC v. Motorola, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.): Led the Kirkland team for Motorola in a multibillion dollar fraudulent conveyance and preference action brought by Unsecured Creditors against Motorola. Anne chaired the six-month trial which resulted in complete victory for Motorola as $0 was awarded to the Unsecured Creditors on their $3.8 billion claim.
  • Procter & Gamble v. Stoneham (Ohio Ct. Com. Pl.; Ohio Ct. App.): Represented executive in non-compete and trade secrets action brought by Procter & Gamble. Tried case to successful verdict. 

Complex Commercial Litigation

Discover (Pulse)

  • Represent plaintiff Pulse in an antitrust lawsuit filed against Visa.

IBM

Carlson Inc. v. IBM

  • Discussed above. Complete victory for IBM at trial. Court awarded plaintiff nothing and awarded IBM its entire counter claim.

IBM Various Contract Disputes

  • Handle (and have handled and resolved) a number of commercial disputes involving IBM outsourcing contracts. 

Bowman, et al. v. IBM, et al.

  • Represented IBM in class action pending in the Southern District of Indiana alleging §1983, negligence and breach of contract claims against IBM and its subcontractors relating to prior IBM contract with the state of Indiana.

  • Successfully opposed class certification. Case successfully resolved.

Land v. John Doe, et al.

  • Represented IBM in lawsuit pending in the Southern District of Indiana alleging §1983 and negligence.

  • Successful dismissal of action on motion to dismiss.

  • Successful appeal before the Seventh Circuit.

  • Refiled lawsuit in Indiana state court; dismissed on motion to dismiss.

Gibson v. IBM; Novak v. IBM

  • Represented IBM in lawsuit pending in the Southern District of Indiana alleging §1983 and negligence in connection with IBM’s prior contract with the state of Indiana. Case successfully resolved.

Boehringer Ingelheim

  • Represent Boehringer in various contract disputes.
  • Represented Boehringer in various antitrust disputes.
  • Represented Boehringer in various confidential employment/trade secret disputes.

Revlon

  • Represented Revlon in various contract/employment disputes.

  • Represented Revlon in confidential non-compete/trade secrets matter.

Intelsat

  • Represented Intelsat in bankruptcy proceeding. 

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Iridium LLC v. Motorola, Inc.

  • Discussed above. Tried $3.8 billion fraudulent conveyance and preference action brought against Motorola in New York bankruptcy court. Complete victory for Motorola as the Unsecured Creditors were awarded $0 on the $3.8 billion claim.

Memorylink Corp. v. Motorola, Inc.

  • Represented Motorola in patent infringement and fraud action.

  • Successful summary judgment; affirmed on appeal before Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

Memorylink Corp. v. Motorola, et al. (Legal Malpractice)

  • Represented Motorola and individuals in malpractice case filed against the company and various individuals.

  • Successful dismissal of action on motion to dismiss.

  • Argued on appeal to Federal Circuit Court of Appeals; affirmed.

Represented Motorola in various contract, non-compete and trade secret disputes.

JMB Realty v. Alright Parking

  • Represented JMB Realty in contract action. Tried case to successful verdict.

Pre-Litigation: Deal/Contract Disputes and Alternative Dispute Resolution

  • Successfully negotiated and resolved (through mediation or otherwise) various pre-litigation disputes relating to the design and installation of IT systems.
  • Successfully negotiated and resolved (through mediation or otherwise) disputes involving purchase price adjustments, warranty terms or other contract terms relating to purchases or sales of businesses (or a line of business).
  • Successfully negotiated and resolved (through mediation or otherwise) employment disputes, including, for example, disputes relating to non-competes, employee termination and/or employee compensation.

Securities Fraud, Accountants’ Liability and Financial Litigation/Investigations

  • Silverman v. Motorola, et al.: Represented Motorola and individual defendants in federal securities class action litigation pending in the Northern District of Illinois.

  • Williams/Cinotto Shareholder Derivative Litigation: Represented Motorola and its officers and directors in shareholder derivative action in Illinois state court.

  • St. Lucie Pension Fund v. Motorola, et al.: Represented Motorola and individual defendants in federal securities class action litigation in the Northern District of Illinois. Successful resolution on motion to dismiss.

  • Waber v. Brown, et al.: Represented Motorola and its officers and directors in shareholder derivative action in the Northern District of Illinois. Successful resolution on motion to dismiss.

  • M&C Partners III v. Galvin, et al.: Represented Motorola board of directors in shareholder derivative action brought in Illinois state court. Successful dismissal of action after briefing and arguments on motion to dismiss.

  • Warner v. Parkinson, et al.: Represented Baxter International, Inc. in shareholder derivative action pending in Lake County, Illinois.

  • Baldwin v. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP: Represented PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in accounting malpractice/negligence misrepresentation action in Illinois state court.

  • CBeyond, Inc. Derivative Action: Represented Madison Dearborn Partners in derivative action brought in Georgia state court.

  • In re Red Hat, Inc. Securities Litigation & Derivative Actions: Represented PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 federal securities litigation, and in related shareholder derivative action. PwC dismissed from both lawsuits after filing/briefing motions to dismiss.

  • Rivera v. Parkinson, et al.: Represented PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in shareholder derivative lawsuit.

  • In re Norand Securities Litigation: Represented accounting/auditing firm in federal securities litigation.

SEC/DOJ Investigations/Litigation

Pharmaceutical Pricing Litigation

  • Represented Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation and its subsidiaries (Roxane Laboratories, Inc., Ben Venue Laboratories and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) in more than 25 state AG lawsuits and DOJ actions involving antitrust claims relating to pharmaceutical pricing and state reimbursement.

DOJ

  • Represented a variety of clients in False Claims Act investigations.

SEC — Chicago Office

  • Represented outside board of directors for large financial institution in SEC investigation.

  • Represented venture capital company and individuals in SEC inquiry regarding potential insider trading.

SEC — Washington, D.C., Office

  • Represented telecom company in SEC investigation.

SEC — Atlanta Office

  • Represented accounting firm in SEC investigation.

Judicial ClerkHonorable James B. MoranUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois1992–1993

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Memberships & Affiliations

Trial Bar, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

American Bar Association

  • Member, Illinois and Minnesota Bar

University of Chicago Law School

  • Instructor, Accounting Theory & the Law

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 1992Illinois

Courts

  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois1993
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit1994
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit1994
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit2010

Education

  • Georgetown University Law CenterJ.D.

    magna cum laude

    1992

    Order of the Coif

    Associate Editor, The Georgetown University Law Review

  • University of IowaB.B.A.with Highest Distinction/Honors1984