Thomas Kanyock

Tom Kanyock represents clients in all levels of state and federal courts. Although based in Illinois, Tom has appeared pro hac vice in many other jurisdictions throughout the United States and is a member of the Trial Bar for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Tom focuses primarily on civil and business disputes and has a long history of handling significant litigation. He has also developed a unique niche as a consultant and coach for other attorneys facing litigation and trials.

Tom represents oppressed minority equity shareholders and LLC members who are victimized by those in control, attempting to squeeze them out of profits while freezing them into their responsibilities. He has won awards ranging from hundreds of thousands to over $13.4 million. Tom has significant experience battling various forms of oppression, including:

• Squeezing victims to force a lowball buyout of their ownership interests,
• Diverting company assets to other entities controlled by the oppressors,
• Terminating minority shareholders’ employment, while withholding dividends or distributions,
• Refusing to release sufficient compensation to pay taxes in pass-through entities as they come due,
• Seeking to impose and enforce restrictive covenants,
• Denying the right to inspect corporate records,

Tom has been an active member of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section Subcommittee on Business Divorce, as well as the Chicago Bar Association’s Business Divorce and Complex Ownership Disputes Committee. He has presented on topics such as how a small firm can cost-effectively take on a large one, business valuation, differences between Delaware and Illinois business oppression law, and gender and other discrimination in the boardroom.

After graduating from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1992, Tom began his career handling complex tort litigation in jurisdictions throughout the Midwest. He gained extensive experience trying high-impact lawsuits in Illinois and litigating in other states. In 2008, Tom opened his own practice, which he merged with a partner in 2011 before joining the Patterson Firm as of counsel in 2024. These diverse experiences have made Tom an extremely capable and knowledgeable trial attorney. He has co-authored articles published in the Illinois Bar Journal and the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, and he is a contributing author for publications of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section. Tom has been a keynote speaker for the ABA, has presented to the Illinois State Bar Association, and regularly presents to the Chicago Bar Association and other attorney and client organizations.