Overview

Elaine Liu is a Litigation & Dispute Resolution associate in Mayer Brown’s Chicago office. Elaine’s practice has encompassed all stages of litigation in federal and state courts as well as arbitration proceedings. She also provides counseling to clients seeking to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws. She has significant experience in a broad range of substantive areas, including primarily the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), labor and employment, consumer class actions, False Claims Act, financial services, and telecommunications. Elaine is also active in the firm’s pro bono program. 

Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Elaine worked as a judicial intern to the Honorable Laura Taylor Swain, Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and as a legal extern for the Bronx Defenders. Elaine received her JD from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and served as Editor-in-Chief and a member of the Board of Directors of the Columbia Business Law Review, as well as Co-President of the Education Law & Policy Society. Before attending law school, Elaine worked as a management consultant advising corporations on business strategy. Elaine received her AB cum laude with High Honors in Economics from Harvard University.

Areas of Focus

Practices

Experience

Elaine’s experience has included, for example:

  • Defending a multinational communications conglomerate against ERISA fiduciary breach claims relating to its administration of employee retirement plans and related disclosure obligations. 
  • Defending a global telecommunications company in False Claims Act litigation regarding education-related funding disbursements spanning two decades.
  • Representing a leading real estate investment management fund in an international arbitration seeking to recover from a foreign government damages of greater than $100 million due to fraud.
  • Compelled arbitration of a putative class action filed on behalf of thousands of consumers against an international automotive manufacturer, without the need for any discovery—leading the plaintiff to decide to voluntarily dismiss the action.
  • Defended an international defense technology company against ERISA class action lawsuits that challenged the administration of its 401(k) plan and alleged more than $1 billion in damages.
  • Secured dismissal with prejudice of an action alleging lending fraud by a multinational financial services company.
  • Advised a major company that provides consumer and commercial banking services on compliance with state and local employment laws in the US.

Perspectives

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News

Education

Harvard University, BA, cum laude
High Honors in Economics

Columbia Law School, JD
Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar

Admissions

  • Illinois

Court

  • US District Court for the District of Columbia
  • US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Activities

  • Young Lawyers Committee Member, Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF)
  • Associate Board Member, Chicago Committee on Large Law Firms
  • Ambassadors Board Member, Legal Aid Chicago