JOHN C. ELLIS

John C. Ellis has over a decade of legal experience and has litigated civil matters of all ranges of size and complexity in both state and federal court as well as through arbitration proceedings. He is admitted to practice in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.  John helps businesses and individuals bring or defend lawsuits related to breach of contract, personal injury, premises liability, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, trademark infringement, and other statutory and common law actions. Additionally, John advises clients in the role of hourly general counsel in a manner focused on anticipating and avoiding potential litigation.    

John founded Ellis Legal P.C. in 2015 after ten years of practice at an established eight-lawyer firm in Chicago where he gained experience in a wide array of practice types. At Ellis Legal, John continues to emphasize a client-centered approach endeavoring to provide cost-effective solutions to clients' legal issues. John has managed every phase of various types of civil litigation and his clients have particularly benefited from his specialized abilities in trial and trial preparation.  

John values frequent client communication and employs an aggressive but civil style of litigation aimed at maintaining prompt and fair results for his clients.

Phone: 312-967-7629
Email: jellis@ellislegal.com

SAMANTHA DITORE

As an associate at Ellis Legal, Samantha Ditore uses her extensive trial and appellate experience to effectively litigate claims on behalf of our clients.  Samantha represents those clients in a wide array of cases, including statutory claims, probate decedent and guardianship estates, and various commercial litigation matters such as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, trade secret, and fraud.  Whether she is prosecuting a claim or defending against a lawsuit, Samantha pursues and reaches successful resolutions for our clients at all stages, from pre-litigation settlement through summary judgment, jury trial, and when necessary, appeals to the Supreme Court of Illinois. 

Prior to becoming an associate at Ellis Legal, Samantha served  as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.  As a prosecutor, she successfully completed numerous jury trials, acting as first chair trial counsel on all but one of them.  She additionally conducted over 500 bench trials, substantive motions, and contested hearings relating to both civil and criminal disputes.  These matters extended from misdemeanor to felony offenses.       

In addition to her trial experience, Samantha brings valuable appellate experience to the firm.  While assigned to the Criminal Appeals Division of the State’s Attorney’s Office, she drafted appellate briefs and defended convictions in more than 20 cases involving serious felonies such as Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault and Armed Habitual Criminal charges.  During that time, Samantha presented oral argument in the First District Court of Appeals, where she successfully defended and upheld felony convictions of complex financial crimes including stringing of bids and money laundering.

Outside of her work at Ellis Legal, Samantha works as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law, educating law students in advocacy and evidence through both lecture and demonstration.  Samantha also serves on the Committee for the Howlett Cup, an annual mock trial tournament dedicated to fostering community among a diverse group of Chicago area Catholic high school students.

While a student at Loyola, Samantha was twice awarded the Philip H. Corboy Fellowship in trial advocacy, an award given to a select group of students annually who demonstrate superior trial advocacy ability. She was asked to serve as a coach for that same program following graduation, a post she now proudly holds. While in the Fellowship, Samantha attained unprecedented success as an advocate in law school trial competitions, including National Championships at both the 2012 and 2013 William W. Daniels National Invitational, and Regional Championships at both the 2013 and 2014 National Trial Competition Regional Tournament. Samantha was the first and only Loyola student to reach the semi-finals or better in consecutive years at the prestigious National Trial Competition co-hosted by the American College of Trial Attorneys and Texas Young Lawyers Association. She was also honored with the Best Advocate Award at the 2013 William W. Daniels National Invitational, awarded to the most skilled advocate out of over 60 advocates from around the country.

Phone: 312-767-5325
Email: sditore@ellislegal.com

JUSTIN DELUCA

Justin is an experienced litigator who represents clients in a variety of matters including employment disputes, breach of contract, fraud, personal injury, civil rights, class actions, wrongful death, and premises liability.  He has represented clients in State and Federal courts as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.    He uses his breadth of experience to achieve optimal results for his clients, either through settlement or trial, where he has successfully tried cases in both Federal and State Courts. 

Prior to joining Ellis Legal, Justin worked at one of the largest employment litigation firms in the United States where he gained invaluable knowledge and experience on how to navigate complex issues in order to achieve the best results for his clients.  Justin takes a hands-on approach to his clients’ legal issues and enjoys communicating directly with his clients at all stages of litigation.  He believes in being pragmatic while at the same time zealously advocating for his clients. 

Justin graduated from Loyola University School of Law where he was awarded the Philip H. Corboy Fellowship in Trial Advocacy, where he now works as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy, educating Loyola’s national ranked trial team and preparing students to become trial lawyers.  Outside of Ellis Legal, you can find Justin playing with his two dogs or spending time with his family and friends with good food and good wine.

DAVID DESCHEPPER

David has experience fighting for his clients in all stages of litigation including depositions, arbitrations, mediations, trials, and appeals. As an Associate, David represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of disputes including fraud, personal injury, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and other statutory matters.

Prior to joining Ellis Legal, David was a trial attorney for the Chicago Transit Authority’s Torts Division where he defended the CTA in personal injury lawsuits. In just his first year as an attorney, David completed three jury trials and secured favorable verdicts for his clients in each. Before representing the defense, David provided pro bono representation to victims of workplace discrimination in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mediations with Loyola University’s Mediation Clinic.  

David graduated from Loyola University School of Law where he was twice chosen as one of ten students in the law school to receive the Philip H. Corboy Fellowship in Trial Advocacy. As a Corboy Fellow, David competed in national trial competitions around the country winning a Regional Championship at the National Trial Competition Regional Tournament where he was awarded Best Advocate. After graduation, David was invited to teach as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law where he currently teaches alongside his former professors, and current co-workers, Justin DeLuca and Samantha Ditore. 

SOPHIA MAIETTA

As an Associate Attorney at Ellis Legal, Sophia advises and represents clients on a wide range of civil litigation matters, including breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and personal injury. She is currently admitted to practice law in Illinois and Minnesota.

During law school, Sophia clerked for a personal injury and food safety law firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Not only was Sophia a student practitioner representing clients in a legal clinic dedicated to advocating for social justice, but she also externed for a judge in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District Family Court Division.

At the University of St. Thomas School of Law, Sophia served as President of the Women’s Law Student Association and was a Senior Editor on the school’s Journal of Law and Public Policy. Outside of Ellis Legal, Sophia enjoys being outdoors, playing intermural sports, and spending time with friends and family.