Amy is the Chicago office’s managing partner. As a commercial litigator, Amy has tried matters to verdict through trial and arbitration. Her ability to synthesize complex issues at early stages of litigation provides favorable results and efficiencies for clients.  She has represented both defendants and plaintiffs in cases involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, insurance coverage, and employment issues in state and federal courts as well as in arbitration and mediation contexts. 

Amy has substantial experience conducting and managing complex discovery issues, including taking and defending depositions; successfully arguing discovery motions; working with experts; and electronic data and document preservation.

Before becoming a lawyer, Amy worked for Random House Children’s Books in New York where she drafted and negotiated contracts with authors, illustrators and other publishers for Random House. Amy also served as a Fulbright grantee in Cheonan, South Korea, where she taught at a public high school and volunteered at a school for North Korean refugees.

Amy leads the recruiting efforts and summer associate program in Shook’s Chicago office and has served as a member of Shook’s Search Committee.  

Representative Matters

Commercial Litigation

  • Currently defending a large financial technology firm against claims of misappropriation of trade secrets, in which the plaintiff is seeking over $100 million.
  • Represented a group of former directors and executives, including the CEO and CFO, against claims of breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent transfer arising out of Tribune Company's 2007 leveraged buyout and subsequent bankruptcy. In excess of 50 cases are now pending as part of a New York multidistrict proceeding. Selected by court and fellow counsel to serve as liaison counsel.
  • Represented a class consisting of approximately 1,500 medical providers and their practices in litigation against a large hospital system for breach of contract and other claims. After certification of the class was affirmed on appeal, at trial a jury awarded Amy's clients $58 million in damages. Conducted direct and cross-examination of key witnesses. 
  • Second-chaired arbitration in front of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) resulting in total victory and an award of attorneys’ fees.  Conducted direct and cross examinations of key witnesses.
  • Successfully represented investment fund in seven-year commercial and legal malpractice dispute against a Native American tribe and related parties stemming from the default and partial invalidation of a $50 million bond transaction. The client prevailed on jurisdiction and sovereign immunity issues, which enabled the case to proceed in state court rather than tribal court. Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc. v. Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, 807 F.3d 184 (7th Cir. 2015). After winning first phase of trial, which established a key issue of liability, the case settled favorably.   
  • Achieved complete victory for proprietary trading firm and its CEO through early motion practice in suit brought by a former trader, alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, and fraud.
  • Defended sellers of multimillion dollar company in post-closing dispute with the purchaser. Drafted motions to dismiss involving complex contract interpretation issues that helped lead to favorable settlement.
  • Obtained order compelling non-class arbitration in a putative consumer class action alleging provider deceptively failed to credit or refund certain Xbox Live customers whose services were allegedly interrupted. Maher v. Microsoft Corp., No. 17-753, 2018 WL 1535043 (N.D. Ill., March 29, 2018). 
  • Represented correspondent lender in suit by largest private purchaser of mortgage loans, seeking indemnification in connection with sale of millions of dollars in mortgage loans.
  • Defended Fortune 500 company against Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and other privacy-related statutory claims.

Insurance Coverage

  • Obtained summary judgment for insurer and affirmance in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in cyber liability coverage matter featuring several issues of first impression related to “personal advertising injury” coverage, scope of the “recording and distribution” policy exclusion, and reimbursement of defense costs. Am. Econ. Ins. Co. v. Aspen Way Enters., Inc., No. CV 14-09-BLG-SPW, 2015 WL 5680134 (D. Mont. Sept. 25, 2015), aff’d, Am. Econ. Ins. Co. v. Hartford Fire Ins. Co., 695 F. App’x 194 (9th Cir. 2017).
  • Represented insurers in general liability insurance coverage matters, including in complex, multi-party asbestos bodily injury coverage cases in California and Minnesota. Involved in all aspects of discovery and trial preparation.
  • Provides coverage advice on numerous issues relating to commercial general liability. 

Pro Bono

  • Amy regularly represents clients in pro bono matters, including asylum applicants, clients in court-mandated settlement conferences in the Northern District of Illinois, and young immigrants who are eligible for temporary reprieve from deportation and seeking work authorization (“Dreamers”). 

Presentations

Coverage for Supply Chain Disruptions: Caused by UFOs, Alien Abductions, or Earth-Bound Catastrophes, American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, March 8, 2024 (Panelist).

Independent Defense Counsel: Rate Caps, Guidelines, and Deduction (Oh, My!), American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, Tucson, Arizona, March 3, 2022 (Panelist).

Debiasing: How to Eliminate Bias, Shook Chicago Office Annual Ethics Conference, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, 2021 (with John Lewis).

Keys to an Effective Federal Civil Practice, Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, Illinois, May 21, 2019 (Moderator). 

Litigation-Related Contractual Clauses: How Contract Drafting Plays Out in Litigation, Association of Corporate Counsel, Chicago, Illinois, March 6, 2019 (Panelist, with Matthew Wolfe and Riley Mendoza). 

Lessons Learned from Suing a Native American Tribe (2017) (with Patrick Castle)

Ethical Issues in Class Actions (2017) (with Gary Elden and George Dougherty)

Serving as Local Counsel (2017) (with Gary Miller)

Key Contractual Clauses (2015) (Private Client Presentation)

Considerations in Collecting Documents (2014)

ESI-Related Strategies for Rule 26(f) Conference and Drafting/Responding to Discovery (2011)

Media coverage

Shook, Hardy & Bacon Appoints Amy Cho as Managing Partner of Chicago Office, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, August 4, 2021.

Shook Hardy Names 3 New Office Leaders Amid Expansion, Law360, July 21, 2021.

 

 

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