Profile
Aaron Stanton is a partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. Mr. Stanton is chair of the firm's Litigation group and has been recognized as one of the top "40 Under 40" attorneys in Illinois by the Chicago Law Bulletin and selected by Crain's Chicago Business as a "Notable Gen X Leader in Law" and included in Crain's 2019 Book of Lists.
Mr. Stanton serves the commercial litigation and general business legal needs of his clients ranging from entrepreneurs and middle market companies to Fortune 500 companies. His clients include real estate brokers, financial institutions, real estate developers, health care service organizations, heavy construction equipment manufacturers, retailers, municipalities, and individuals. Mr. Stanton handles a wide range of commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts throughout the United States, including the defense and prosecution of fraud claims, contract and lease disputes, construction litigation, land use and development controversies, Lanham Act and false advertising cases, defamation, employment matters, housing discrimination, and trade disputes.
Utilizing his wealth of experience and the experience of Burke Warren's deep bench of real estate, corporate, employment, and tax attorneys, Mr. Stanton also serves as the outside corporate counsel handling legal matters for several businesses, including @properties; Zacks Investment Research, Inc.; Zacks Investment Management, Inc.; Avra Properties, LLC; and Nieman Brothers Company, Inc., and the Chicago Transit Authority Pension Plan.
In addition to his commercial litigation practice, Mr. Stanton, in conjunction with Burke Warren's real estate and corporate attorneys, assists his clients in a variety of corporate and real estate matters, including advising on the sale, purchase, and development of multifamily residential, commercial, and industrial properties; negotiating and executing investments in real property (commercial and multifamily) and bars and restaurants; assisting real estate developers in condo-conversions, town home developments, and the construction and operation of assisted living facilities; and structuring corporate entities, drafting private placement memoranda for start-up companies, and securing investments in start-up companies, both through private placement and convertible notes. Mr. Stanton also works with Burke Warren's sophisticated estate planning group to ensure that his clients' estate planning needs are met.
Prior to joining Burke Warren, Mr. Stanton served as a judicial law clerk for Judge Blanche M. Manning of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In 2000, Judge Manning selected Mr. Stanton from among hundreds of applicants for one of two law clerk positions. After Judge Manning asked Mr. Stanton to remain beyond his initial two-year commitment, he served as the judge’s “right-hand man” into 2005. While clerking, Mr. Stanton also served as an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where he instructed first year students on the fundamentals of legal writing.
Prior to clerking, Mr. Stanton served as a litigator at Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago, where he argued numerous motions before state and federal courts, took depositions, and prepared complex cases for trial. He worked on a diverse range of matters in his three years at Jenner, including insurance coverage, product liability, patent law, legal malpractice, employment issues, admiralty, and breach of contract actions.
Experience
Since joining Burke Warren in August of 2005, Mr. Stanton has obtained numerous favorable results for his clients in an array of litigation matters.
Professional/Community
- Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, adjunct professor (2000-2003)
- The Chicago Bar Foundation, vice-chair of the 2009–2015 Investing in Justice Campaign
- Chicago Food Depository, volunteer (2005-present)
- Evanston Township High School Booster Club, corporate fundraising chair (2008-2009)
- Kingsley Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, corporate fundraising chair (2013-2015)
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Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Education
University of Illinois (B.S., high honors, 1994)
University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 1997)
Clerkships
- Judge Blanche M. Manning, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois