Cynthia S. Grandfield
Cynthia Grandfield concentrates her practice in federal and state civil litigation. Ms. Grandfield’s litigation experience includes: civil rights, eminent domain/condemnation, labor and employment, employment discrimination, workers compensation, administrative review, construction, personal injury and premise liability defense, zoning and other real estate suits, injunctive and equitable relief, contract disputes, election and voting rights, and environmental.
Prior to joining the Del Galdo Law Group, LLC, Ms. Grandfield served as a litigation associate at a law firm also focused on the representation of units of government and education entities and as a McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney in the Civil Division. She has extensive experience in all phases of litigation and appeals, including many trials and evidentiary hearings. Ms. Grandfield has also been successful in drafting and arguing dispositive motions, deposing expert and key fact witnesses, and negotiating favorable settlements.
Ms.Grandfield attended the DePaul College of Law on a Dean’s Merit Scholarship, was named to the Dean’s List, and obtained her Juris Doctor cum laude in 2002. While at DePaul, she served as the Managing Editor of Notes and Comments of the DePaul Business and Commercial Law Journal and published an article in the Journal. She also attended the University of Dayton on a Dean’s Merit Scholarship, was named to the Dean’s List, and obtained her Bachelor of Science in 1999.
AREAS OF EXPERIENCE
• Litigation
• Complex Litigation
• Trials
• Appeals
• Municipal Prosecutions
• Governmental Affairs
SAMPLE/SIGNIFICANT REPRESENTATIONS
• Kendall v. Village of Maywood (N.D. Ill. 2009) – won summary judgment for defendants in § 1983 First Amendment employment retaliation and constructive discharge suit upon application of Pickering balancing test.
• Hunt v. Waukegan (N.D. Ill. 2008) – won summary judgment and dismissal in §1983 civil rights excessive force and false arrest suit on grounds of collateral estoppel and probable cause as an affirmative defense.
• Garrett v. Village of Orland Park (Cook County 2008) – won summary judgment in premises liability personal injury action on grounds of municipal tort immunity and lack of proximate cause.
• Edens Bank v. Village of Northfield (Cook County 2008) – won dismissal of several counts of zoning suit including administrative review, equitable estoppel, and vested rights on grounds of waiver, non-existence of justifiable reliance, and improper review mechanism.
• Village of Maywood v. Alechri Properties, et al. (Cook County 2008) – granted preliminary and permanent mandatory injunction for building code compliance against owner of several large multi-unit apartment buildings. Court further granted order of receivership under municipal code allowing municipality to collect rents and profits through receiver to put towards compliance of buildings with code.
• Smith v. Sucharzewski, et al. (Cook County 2006) – settled personal injury action involving collision between squad car and motorcyclist with catastrophic injury for extremely favorable amount subsequent to court’s granting of motion in limine excluding a substantial amount of evidence.
• Barrington Library v. Pepper Construction (Lake County 2006) – defeated traverse motion in eminent domain action subsequent to evidentiary hearing and briefing despite the lack of an offer based on an appraisal prior to filing in case taken over subsequent to filing of the complaint.
• Zapata v. County of McHenry, et al. (McHenry County 2004) – obtained verdict of zero liability in case involving collision of squad car with motor vehicle.
• In re: Lowe’s Waste Transfer Station (McHenry County Pollution Control Board 2003) - represented County staff in month long waste transfer station siting hearing involving numerous environmental experts and the drafting and arguing of several related substantive motions.
EDUCATION
• J.D., cum laude, DePaul College of Law
• B.S., University of Dayton
PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT
• Chicago Bar Association, Judicial Evaluation Committee
• Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
• Illinois, 2002
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois