Sean McDonnell is an associate in Mayer Brown's Chicago office and a member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice. He has experience in a wide variety of civil and criminal matters, ranging from contractual disputes to complex regulatory enforcement actions. Sean also has substantial investigation experience, having assisted in the conduct of internal investigations related to SEC and Department of Justice activity on behalf of corporate clients.
Sean was also a member of the litigation team that successfully represented then-candidate Rahm Emanuel against residency challenges to his mayoral candidacy, culminating in a unanimous decision in the Illinois Supreme Court.
Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Sean served as law clerk to the Honorable Rebecca Pallmeyer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2009, where he was the Senior Policy Editor of the Harvard Law and Policy Review.
Sean has been a guest lecturer at Northwestern University School of Law on topics relating to the nexus between law and politics. He is an executive board member of the Democratic Party of Evanston and is active in the American Constitution Society.