MARY EILEEN CUNNIFF WELLS, PARTNER
mwells@millershakman.com
(312) 759-7211
Mary Eileen Cunniff Wells

Ms. Wells has represented companies, individuals, and government agencies and officials in complex litigation matters in both state and federal court. Her practice involves a wide variety of substantive areas of the law, including legal ethics, constitutional law, commercial law, professional liability, FOIA, and family law matters.

Selected Engagements

Represented individual in a partnership dispute involving breach of fiduciary duty claims and contested control over closely held entities.

Represented law firm and attorney in action in federal court involving federal constitutional and state law claims.

Represented individual before the Chicago Board of Ethics.

Represented government in groundbreaking investigations and litigation related to the deceptive marketing of opioid prescription painkillers.

Successfully defeated First Amendment challenge to personnel policy of government agency.

Represented government agency in breach of contract disputes and challenges to procurement decisions.

Obtained favorable settlement of statutory challenge to a city zoning determination.

Defended municipal taxi dispatch service challenged on constitutional grounds.

Education

B.A., Georgetown University, College of Arts and Sciences, Government, Sociology, 2005
Graduated magna cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa

J.D., Stanford Law School, 2010
Pro Bono Distinction
Member, Stanford Journal of International Law


Experience

Admitted to the Illinois Bar, 2010

Law clerk to the Hon. Ruben Castillo, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2010-2012

Law clerk to the Hon. William Bauer, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 2012-2013

Assistant Corporation Counsel in the City of Chicago Department of Law, Constitutional and Commercial Litigation Division, 2013-2016

Associate with this firm, 2016-2018; became a partner in 2019

Admitted to the bars of the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit


Memberships

Chicago Bar Association

Federal Bar Association