Kim R. Walberg

Kim concentrates her practice in commercial litigation, including breach of contract, business torts, shareholder disputes, class action defense, construction litigation, zoning litigation, commercial lease disputes, enforcement of restrictive covenants, trust litigation and Section 1983 civil rights litigation. She is the chair of Taft’s Chicago Litigation group and previously served on the firm’s Executive Committee.

Kim has defended the City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department in multiple class actions alleging due process violations based on the purported deprivation of money and other personal property. She has achieved successful resolutions of these cases at the district court level, involving issues which have been appealed and affirmed by the United States Supreme Court.

Kim has also represented the Chicago Park District against opponents of the relocation of the Chicago Children’s Museum from Navy Pier to Grant Park. She successfully defended the Park District’s position at both the circuit court and appellate court levels, taking on legal precedent from the 1800’s concerning Chicago’s Lakefront.

Kim is a pioneer in Illinois video gaming litigation, setting the industry precedent in the area of the enforceability of pre-licensure contracts between video terminal operators and establishments. She also represents Chicago’s premier financial institutions in various litigation matters relating to bank practices and owned real estate.

• Successfully obtained a temporary restraining order against an establishment on an agreement for future video gaming operations executed before the Illinois Video Gaming Act’s passage.
• Prosecuting numerous lawsuits and injunctions on behalf of Illinois video terminal operators to enforce contract rights.
• Representing medical supply company enforcing noncompete, nonsolicit and nondisclosure agreements  against former sales representatives working for competitor.
• Representing executors and trustees in trust dispute to set aside estate plan alleging undue influence and lack of testamentary capacity.
• Defending Illinois bank against borrower’s attack on foreign judgment.
• Defending Chicago Board of Education against class actions brought by teacher’s union relating to turnarounds and layoffs.
• Obtained million dollar judgment, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and conveyance of title to property on behalf of trusts against self-dealing trustee.
• Defended employee in injunction case in which former employer sought the enforcement of restrictive covenants including industry wide noncompete and nonsolicitation provisions.
• Obtained temporary restraining order and multi-million dollar summary judgment for municipal debt collections company against a competitor servicing south suburban municipalities using a similar name.
• Represented City of Chicago in litigation challenging City’s Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise affirmative action program in construction contracting.
• Represented multiple directors of a public company in complex securities fraud litigation.
• Represented successfully an incarcerated petitioner in his appeal before the Seventh Circuit seeking writ of habeas corpus.
• Obtained multimillion dollar judgment on behalf of major accounting firm in breach of contract case against the State of Indiana.
• Represented Chicago Board of Education in modifying 25-year desegregation consent decree in case brought by the United States Department of Justice.
• Represented the City of Chicago in multiple class actions brought by arrestees claiming the City’s policy regarding inventorying arrestees’ property is unconstitutional.
• Represented Chicago bank in million- dollar construction litigation and lease dispute.
• Represented the City of Chicago in Fourth Amendment litigation challenging the Chicago Police Department’s use of contact cards at Chicago Housing Authority properties.

• Speaker, “Other Motions,” 14th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts, Pincus Professional Education, Dec. 10, 2024.
• “Talented Dynamic and Innovative Thinkers Thrive at Taft,” Acquisition International Magazine, Issue 9 2023.
• Panelist, “Roundtable on Diversity in Law,” Crain’s Chicago Business, April 25, 2022.
• Panelist, “Corporate LiveWire: Virtual Round Table on Gaming Law,” June 2016.
• Moderator and Presenter, “Chasing the Civil Action: Balancing Civility and Advocacy to Achieve Your Client’s Objectives,” Firm In House Ethics CLE Presentation, May 2013.
• Instructor, “Legal Editing: Improve Your Work and That of Those Who Work for You,” Pincus Professional Education, August 2012.
• Panelist, “Circuit Court Boot Camp: A Practical Trial Litigation Skills Program,” Pincus Professional Education, May 2012.
• Presenter, “Ethical Issues for Attorneys in Real Estate Litigation,” Real Estate and Land Use Litigation Seminar, Law Seminars International, March 2012.
• Guest Lecturer, Contracts in Complex Commercial Transactions, Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
• “Sales Representative and Distributorship Contracts in Illinois,” Lexwork International and globalEDGE publication, Summer 2010.
• “Are Appellate Courts Moving from Multi-Factor Tests to Singular Tests?” Appellate Practice Journal, Section of Litigation, American Bar Association, Fall 2009, Vol. 29, No. 1.