Steffanie N. Garrett is a partner in Holland & Knight's Chicago office. Ms. Garrett concentrates her practice in complex state and federal litigation, including contract disputes, fraud, fiduciary disputes, commercial real estate and eminent domain, along with conducting internal corporate investigations and responding to government investigations. She has extensive bench and jury trial experience, and has first chaired more than 1,000 trials and evidentiary hearings. She also represents clients on appeal and in regulatory and administrative hearings, and advises clients on record retention and management policies. She is co-chair of the Chicago Healthcare Litigation Team.

Representative Work

Conducted two consecutive expedited arbitration hearings involving installation and operability of software program for home health care agencies. Both arbitrators issued awards in favor of our client, the software developer, denying claimants' claims and awarding our client funds owed under the parties' contracts plus interest, attorneys' fees and costs.
Represented healthcare software company whose outside accountant stole almost $700,000 from them over a period of five and one-half years. Supervised forensic accounting and, without filing lawsuit, obtained settlement for client of embezzled funds, interest, cost of forensic accounting and attorneys' fees. Accountant was successfully prosecuted for felony theft.
Conducted one-week state jury trial of a complex eminent domain case involving valuing the partial taking of a gasoline service station property. The testimony included numerous expert opinions of real estate appraisers, civil engineers and land planners. After deliberating for exactly one hour over lunch, the jury returned a verdict in favor of our client, the condemning authority.
Conducted two-week federal jury trial involving constitutional claims of retaliatory transfer of an employee against multiple defendants. The case received significant press coverage. The jury returned a verdict in favor of our client, the only defendant found not liable.
Mediated estate dispute on behalf of beneficiaries against the trustee for accounting and breach of fiduciary duty. Recovered assets improperly taken by trustee along with costs of accounting and attorneys' fees.
Lead counsel in the defense of 18 federal lawsuits against a municipality for alleged constitutional violations with total claims exceeding tens of millions of dollars, which included coordinating and supervising a team of ten attorneys and paralegals and creating a database to organize the cases.

Ms. Garrett has served as a Special Assistant Attorney General to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. She was an Assistant Cook County State's Attorney, Criminal Trial Division, from 1991-1997.

Ms. Garrett has served the Chicago office as Deputy Practice Group Leader for Illinois Litigation, chair of the Mentoring Program for associates and partners, chair of the Associate Task Force, co-chair of the Diversity Committee and co-chair of the Summer Associate Program.

Ms. Garrett is an active community volunteer, and has held leadership positions on various boards and committees concerning human rights and cultural offerings for children.