Kendall Woods is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Chicago office and a member of the Litigation practice group. Ms. Woods concentrates her practice in the area of construction law, regularly representing owners, developers, contractors, and subcontractors nationwide. She negotiates construction contracts, advises clients in risk mitigation and dispute avoidance strategies, and represents clients in all phases of litigation and dispute resolution proceedings when necessary.

Ms. Woods has extensive experience working with clients on delay and lost productivity disputes, design and construction defect disputes, wrongful termination, insurance coverage issues in the construction industry, and construction injury. She also has significant experience in commercial and business law issues, copyright and trademark litigation, aviation litigation, products liability litigation, premises liability litigation, insurance claims, and corporate litigation.

Ms. Woods works with clients to find creative and cost-effective solutions to resolve their complex legal issues. She believes that the practice of law should always focus on obtaining successful outcomes for her clients, whether that means the avoidance of disputes or prevailing in litigation. She takes a proactive approach to counseling her clients on the risks and benefits of each stage of dispute resolution because Kendall knows that the best path to a client’s success is ensuring the client is always fully informed and involved at every stage.

She believes that early involvement strongly positions her clients to avoid potential claims and presents an opportunity for clients to resolve and avoid unnecessary conflict. Her clients know that she provides creative solutions to assist in resolving disputes. When early efforts at resolution prove unsuccessful, Ms. Woods’ innovative and effective litigation skills consistently achieve positive results for her clients.

In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Woods believes it is important to participate and gain experience in other capacities of the legal field. As a result, she taught upcoming attorneys the skills of legal writing during her four years as an adjunct professor of legal writing at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She also spent one year as a staff attorney for the Illinois Supreme Court and served as a judicial extern for a district judge at the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. Ms. Woods regularly speaks at conferences on prevailing issues in the construction industry and is a regular contributor to various industry publications.

Awards and Honors

  • Designated an Illinois Super Lawyer (2023 – present)
  • Designated an Illinois Leading Lawyer in Construction (2019 – present)
  • Recognized as Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2010 – 2015)

Professional Involvement

  • Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing, Loyola University Chicago School of Law (2015 – 2019)
  • National Association of Women in Construction, Midwest Region, Chicago Metro Chapter
    • Past President
    • Past Treasurer
  • Member, American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law
    • Steering Committee, Division 7, Insurance, Surety & Liens
    • Publication Committee
    • Diversity Committee
  • Member, Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys
  • Member, Professional Women in Construction, Chicago Chapter
  • Member, Construction Financial Management Association
  • Member, Chicago Bar Association
  • Member, Illinois State Bar Association
  • Secured arbitration award in favor of general contractor in $2.5 million dollar termination for cause dispute on government project.
  • Represented owner in $30 million design construction defect dispute.
  • Secured jury verdict in favor of general contractor in $6 million dispute between construction contractor and owner.
  • Secured summary judgment in favor of general contractor in $10 million dollar lawsuit alleging defective construction and trespass.
  • Represented developer in $4.5 million dispute over engineering defect in multi-million dollar high-rise office building construction project.
  • Represented subcontractor in $2 million Miller Act dispute on government project between a subcontractor, general contractor, and surety.
  • Represented corporate officer against claims of breach of fiduciary duty arising from forced sale of business.
  • Trademark dispute overuse of architectural plans.
  • Copyright dispute over alleged infringement on trade name and trademark of fitness facility.
  • Represented condominium unit purchasers in a construction defect, design error, and fraud action against a real estate developer, its architect, engineer, contractors, and real estate listing agent.
  • Represented subcontractor in multi-million dollar multi-party litigation arising from motor vehicle death in construction area.
  • Represented national rental company in wrongful death action arising from construction site incident.
  • Represented airplane component manufacturer in multi-million dollar wrongful death litigation.
  • Secured summary judgment in favor of landowner in lease dispute.

Pro Bono Representation

  • Secured compensation for pre-trial detainee against correctional officers for use of excessive force against client that resulted in bodily harm and the officers’ deliberate indifference and failure to provide proper medical attention.

Ms. Woods earned her J.D., cum laude from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she received first place in the Intraschool Moot Court Competition, served on the National Moot Court Team, and was a Student Editor for the Consumer Law Review. She earned her B.S. from Indiana University, Bloomington.

  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit