Daniel Saeedi

When companies need to protect their trade secrets, enforce non-competition agreements and respond to breaches of fiduciary duties? They often turn to Daniel Saeedi, a top employment law partner with Chicago's Taft Stettinius & Hollister. 

But that's just the start of Daniel’s work. He also helps his clients conduct internal investigations focusing on intellectual property theft, computer fraud and data privacy issues, and then litigates these issues when the need arises.   Daniel is also known as an expert in the growing field of biometric information, and helps his clients comply with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act.  

"Mr. Saeedi has helped fellow lawyers look ahead and plan for the changes that technology will bring, and is bringing, to the legal field both pre-pandemic and in the new COVID-19 world," said Emily Masalski, partner and chief executive officer with Chicago's Hunter Masalski.

It's clear: Daniel is not just a legal representative for his clients. He is a full-fledged consultant. 

His peers say that Daniel is known as a leader in his field, one who not only earns top results for his clients but an attorney who also mentors young lawyers and devotes long hours to boosting the profession. 

"Daniel is well known in the legal community for his legal knowledge and skill," said Kenya Jenkins-Wright, general counsel with the state of Illinois' Guardianship and Advocacy Commission. 

But that is only part of Daniel's leadership, Jenkins-Wright said. What sets Daniel apart is his willingness to volunteer and mentor. 

"He always finds a way to support the needs of attorneys and the legal community," Jenkins-Wright said.

Daniel is a member of the ISBA Board of Governors and the Scope and Correlation Committee, and has also chaired the ISBA’s Standing Committees on Member Services, Marketing and Communications, and Racial & Ethnic Minorities and the Law. 

In addition, Daniel is a board member for Just the Beginning, an organization that encourages students of color and those from low-income backgrounds to pursue careers in law.  Daniel also serves as a moot court coach for John Marshall, taking a team of students each year to Hong Kong to compete in the VIS International Commercial Arbitration Moot.    

Daniel also serves on his firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.  In this context, Masalski added that Daniel also supports young lawyers as they navigate the challenges of taking parental leave to care for a new baby. 

"He walks the walk in terms of advocating for a better balance in the practice of law through improved family leave policies at the employer level and improved support from fellow colleagues," Masalski said. "His efforts to make our legal profession more inclusive by recruiting new ISBA members and Section Council participants have resulted in a more vibrant organization."