AMY J. KANAROWSKI
Partner

Amy became a partner of Lynch Thompson in 2018 after working with Dan Lynch for over a decade. Amy is an experienced litigator in a variety of practice areas, with particular emphasis on creditor’s rights, bankruptcy litigation, post-judgment enforcement and mortgage law, as well as other types of complex litigation. Amy has substantial experience in all facets of litigation, ranging from bench and jury trials to appellate advocacy to alternative dispute resolution. Employing a creative approach to litigation strategy, Amy has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to achieving results for clients both in and out of the courtroom. For example:

During extensive collections activities, Amy discovered a judgment debtor’s method for concealing millions of dollars in assets, which involved the use of trust accounts established by his attorney. In addition to the funds collected from the judgment debtor, Amy and the attorneys of Lynch Thompson also filed litigation against the judgment debtor’s attorneys. In that action, Amy and the attorneys of Lynch Thompson pursued legal theories that broke new ground, and obtained a confidential settlement amount satisfactory to the client.

In a case frequently cited for the requirements to find a debt non-dischargable in bankruptcy, Amy successfully represented, through a trial before the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, a bank who had relied on misrepresentations made by the borrowers on their loan application. The success at trial allowed Amy’s client to collect its debt where other creditors were prohibited as a result of the bankruptcy.

Amy was also a part of the Lynch Thompson trial team which secured a verdict for its client following a multi-day jury trial in the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiff asserted claims against the lessor-client, including claims alleging fraud and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing and sought over $20 million in damages. After a trial, the jury rejected all of the plaintiff’s claims and theories, finding in favor of the firm client and awarding no damages.

Amy recently obtained a victory at both the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Illinois First District Appellate Court against an examinee who refused to disclose information that might assist Amy’s clients in discovering assets to satisfy a seven-figure judgment entered in their favor. The trial court judge agreed with Amy’s arguments and held the examinee in contempt for his failure to answer Amy’s questions. Following oral argument, the appellate court likewise found in favor of Amy’s client.

Amy has also been successful in obtaining results for her clients with motion practice, reducing the costs to those clients and shortening the disruption of the ongoing litigation to their businesses. For example, Amy was successful on a motion to dismiss a claim brought by a law firm against her clients seeking to hold those clients liable for fees assessed to an LLC of which her clients were both members. Amy also obtained a dismissal of a case brought against her client insurance agent by an insured seeking a seven-figure payment claiming misconduct in the application process. Likewise, Amy’s success in obtaining a dismissal by motion of a claim brought by a former client’s employer claiming tortious activity by that client led to a confidential settlement of both that claim and Amy’s client’s wage claim.

Prior to law school, Amy spent five years teaching middle school, including a year at Chicago Public Schools. Outside of work, Amy enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her husband and four teenage sons/stepsons. She has been involved in community theater with her family, has taken classes in writing at the Second City and served in leadership roles with her sons’ scouting organizations.