Kristen Seeger

KRISTEN SEEGER is the co-leader of the firm’s global Commercial Litigation and Disputes practice and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. She focuses her practice on the successful resolution of shareholder-related disputes, including shareholder demands, derivative litigation, and securities class actions; complex commercial disputes; and the defense of SEC enforcement matters. Kristen has provided critical advice to some of the world’s leading companies as they respond to shareholder demands and government investigations, and she conducts investigations for boards and represents special committees on high-profile and sensitive matters. She has successfully defended corporations, officers and directors, financial institutions, and accounting firms in complex, high-stakes litigation in courts throughout the country. Clients regularly turn to her as a trusted and strategic advisor across a spectrum of business and governance challenges, involving her in their most complex and weighty issues.

“Kristen is an essential adviser, strong advocate, and champion of our brand.”
Chambers USA 2024

Chambers USA recognizes Kristen in Band 1 for her work in Litigation: Securities in Illinois (2021–2025), and has quoted clients saying that Kristen is: “a very experienced and knowledgeable attorney” and “a zealous advocate” (2023); “an amazing lawyer; she's very smart, client-focused, innovative, and resourceful” (2022); “an exceptionally strong and capable lawyer who is always remarkably prepared. She has a calmness of manner that relieves difficulties and inspires confidence” (2021). Chambers USA also listed Kristen as a “Notable Practitioner” in Sidley's Securities and Shareholder Litigation practice, which is regularly ranked Band 1 for Illinois Litigation: Securities (2020–2024). The 2024 edition praises the group as “a dominant and highly acclaimed practice that demonstrates outstanding expertise across the board in litigation, appearing in some of the most significant civil cases in the market.” Kristen was shortlisted for “Securities Litigator of the Year” in 2023 and 2024 by Women in Business Law. Crain's Chicago Business named her one of its “Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys” in 2023, one of its “Notable Women in Law” in 2022, and a “Notable Gen X Leader in Law” in 2021.

Kristen is deeply involved in both firm and civic life. Within Sidley, in addition to her Executive Committee and global practice leader roles, Kristen is firmwide co-chair of the Committee for the Evaluation and Compensation of Associates and serves on the Inclusion Committee. She serves on the board of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, the board of Leadership Greater Chicago, and is the past board chair and current emeritus board member of Mujeres Latinas en Acción. Kristen also is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and a Daniel Burnham Fellow (Chicago senior executive cohort).

Kristen’s recent representative engagements include:

• Advising clients in high-profile situations with significant and legal reputational stakes, and on sensitive pre-litigation issues.
• Representing clients in securities and shareholder derivative litigation in courts around the country, including in some of the largest matters by damages and highest profile by allegations.
• Conducting investigations for special committees and boards of directors.
• Advising multiple corporations as they respond to shareholder demands and conduct special committee and board investigations.
• Representing multiple clients in ongoing non-public SEC investigations.

Kristen also has successfully defended accounting firms in securities class actions, professional liability cases, and SEC investigations, and represents clients in connection with other commercial litigation and disputes. These matters have involved a broad range of accounting and disclosure issues, including issues related to public company disclosures, Reg FD, projections, restatements, loan loss reserves, the recording of impairment charges, allowances for doubtful accounts, revenue recognition, executive compensation, and internal controls.

Recent representative matters include:

• Serving as lead counsel to special committee of a board of directors in reaching its recommendations in favor of reincorporation and ratifying executive compensation package, both of which were subsequently approved by shareholders and litigated in Delaware.
• Representing global life sciences company in defense of securities fraud and shareholder derivative litigation in the District of New Jersey and on appeal to the Third Circuit, and in New Jersey state court.
• Representing global consumer health company in defense of securities fraud litigation in the District of New Jersey.
• Representing global retail pharmacy company in defense of securities fraud and shareholder derivative litigation in the Northern District of Illinois.
• Representing healthcare technology company in defense of securities fraud litigation in the Northern District of Illinois.
• Representing global retail pharmacy company in defense of post-transaction litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
• Representing global retail pharmacy company in defense of matters related to the fraud of its contractual counterparty, including in the District of Arizona and on appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
• Representing fitness and technology company in defense of shareholder litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
• Representing global retail pharmacy company in shareholder derivative litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery, as well as on appeal to the Supreme Court of Delaware.
• Representing global life sciences company in defense of shareholder derivative litigation in the District of New Jersey, New Jersey state court, and on appeal.
• Representing public company bringing a breach of contract claim against a counterparty in the District of Delaware.

Other representative matters include:

• Represented multiple clients in investigations by the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
• Represented trading firm in VIX Manipulation MDL in the Northern District of Illinois.
• Represented global life sciences company in defense of shareholder derivative litigation in the District of New Jersey and New Jersey state court, as well as on appeal to the Third Circuit.
• Represented multinational quick service restaurant company in defense of federal securities litigation and shareholder derivative litigation in the Western District of Kentucky and Kentucky state court.
• Represented Big Four professional services firm in defense of federal securities litigation in the Southern District of New York, as well as on appeal to the Second Circuit.
• Represented former officers and director of coal company in securities litigation in the Eastern District of Missouri and Missouri state court, as well as on appeal to the Eighth Circuit.
• Represented wind energy company and its current and former officers and directors in defense of federal securities and shareholder derivative litigation in the Northern District of Illinois and Illinois state court.
• Represented insurance company and its current and former officers and directors in defense of shareholder derivative litigation in Indiana state court and in a related appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals.
• Represented financial institution and its current and former officers and directors in defense of derivative suit litigation in the Southern District of Ohio and in Ohio state court, and related federal securities and ERISA litigation in the Southern District of Ohio.
• Represented Big Four professional services firm and one of its former partners in defense of professional negligence and breach of fiduciary duty litigation in Michigan state court and in related appeals to the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court.
• Represented Big Four professional services firm in defense of related federal securities, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty litigation in the Northern District of Illinois and before multiple panels of the American Arbitration Association.
• Represented Fortune 100 transportation company’s board of directors in defense of shareholder derivative litigation in the Western District of Tennessee.
• Represented the international coordinating entity of a Big Four professional services firm in defense of federal securities and secondary liability litigation in multiple federal courts.
• Represented multiple clients in connection with shareholder challenges to acquisitions in courts across the country.

• Within Sidley, Kristen is a member of the Executive Committee, firmwide co-chair of the Committee for the Evaluation and Compensation of Associates, serves on the Inclusion Committee, and previously served as deputy head of the 100+ lawyer Litigation group in Chicago.
• Kristen serves on the boards of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago and Leadership Greater Chicago, and is the past board chair and current emeritus board member of Mujeres Latinas en Acción.
• Kristen earned the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Executive Leadership Program Certification in 2024 and 2025, by participating in the 2024 and 2025 Built to Lead 2.0 programs.
• Kristen was selected for the Daniel Burnham Fellowship for senior executives in Chicago (Class of 2023), as a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow (Class of 2017), and as a member of the chief network of senior women executives.
• Kristen has served on the board of the Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women, as well as the American Bar Association’s Professional Liability Litigation Committee, Section of Litigation (Newsletter Editor from 2009–2011).