Maria Z. Vathis

Associate

Maria Vathis is a member of the firm’s first-party property and business litigation groups.  Ms. Vathis concentrates her practice on large, multi-million dollar first-party property coverage claims for property damage, business interruption, environmental contamination, and other building problems like mold and asbestos.  She has handled claims arising from the September 11th terrorist attacks.  Ms.Vathis also handles complex litigation with an emphasis on representing professionals, such as attorneys and corporate officers.  Ms. Vathis has experience handling class action litigation, including actions arising from the transmission of unsolicited commercial faxes under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.  She also drafts commercial leases and handles commercial evictions.

Ms. Vathis is a member of the Federal Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association and Hellenic Bar Association.  Ms. Vathis is Treasurer of the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and is Editor of the Chicago Chapter’s newsletter.  Ms. Vathis is also Editor of the Hellenic Bar Association’s newsletter and Chair of the Communications Committee.  She also serves as an Associate Member of the American Cancer Society’s Discovery Ball Committee.  Ms. Vathis was one of the authors of Recent Developments in Property Insurance Law, published in May 2005.

Ms. Vathis was a summer associate with the firm.  She Co-chairs the firm’s Charity/Pro Bono Committee and has been a summer associate mentor. 

During law school, Ms. Vathis was an intern at the United States Attorney's Office and a law clerk at the Illinois Attorney General's Office.  At DePaul, Ms. Vathis was a member of the Dean's List and a researcher for Professor Terrence Kiely, focusing her research on products liability and toxic tort litigation.  Ms. Vathis was also awarded with a scholarship from the Hellenic Bar Association.

Ms. Vathis received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois in January 1998, studying political science with a concentration in business.

Education

  • J.D. DePaul University College of Law, 2001 
  • B.A. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan

Organization Affiliations

  • Federal Bar Association - Treasurer of the Chicago Chapter, 2006-2007; Member of the Chicago Chapter’s Board of Directors, 2002-2006; Secretary of the Chicago Chapter, 2007
  • Editor of newsletter for Chicago Chapter of Federal Bar Association, recipient of Outstanding Newsletter for 2005 Chapter Award from Nationals and Outstanding  Service and Dedication Award for 2004 from Nationals
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  •  Board Member of the Hellenic Bar Association