Collette Woghiren is a trial lawyer who represents clients in complex civil litigation matters impacting their businesses nationwide, including breach of contract, tort defense, business torts and products liability. She has served as co-first chair before state and federal courts and represents clients in all phases of litigation from inception through appeal. Collette has been a member of several successful trial teams, including a month-long state court civil trial. She has argued and won countless dispositive issues in state and federal courts, including securing dismissals in favor of her clients during the early stages of litigation as well as winning dispositive motions in advance of trial. In addition, she has counseled clients on a variety of areas across a range of jurisdictions and industries. Collette also has experience working with expert witnesses in many substantive areas, including health care quality, economics and products liability. Since 2019, Collette has been listed as a “Rising Star” in General Litigation by Illinois Super Lawyers.
Active in the firm and in the legal community, Collette is deeply committed to pro bono service. Collette won the prestigious Excellence in Pro Bono Service Award in 2017, 2018 and 2019, presented by The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and The Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She also was awarded the NGE Excellence in Pro Bono Award in 2017. Both legal service awards testify to strong litigation skills that win cases for Collette’s clients.
Collette is devoted to improving diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and spends significant time mentoring diverse law students and attorneys as well as writing and speaking about diversity and inclusion issues. Collette is a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Pro Bono Committee and Summer Associate Hiring Committee.
In 2023, Collette was one of seven NGE attorneys to receive the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
Before attending law school, she was a high school English teacher. During law school, she was a legal intern for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- Excellence in Pro Bono Service Award, The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and The Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, 2019
- Excellence in Pro Bono Service Award, The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and The Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, 2018
- Excellence in Pro Bono Service Award, The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and The Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, 2017
- NGE Excellence in Pro Bono Award, 2017
- Illinois Super Lawyers, "Rising Star" in “General Litigation” since 2019
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit