Gary Zhao

Gary is an accomplished litigator. He represents clients in high-stake and complex business litigation matters nationwide. A partner in SmithAmundsen LLC’s commercial litigation group, Gary has secured victories for his clients in cases involving breach of contract, intellectual property, false advertising, unfair competition, business fraud and other shareholder disputes. Gary also has significant experience defending clients who are subject to regulatory investigations undertaken by various state and federal government agencies, including, but not limited to, the US Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.

Gary grew up in China and is a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese. His understanding of the Chinese language and culture, coupled with his legal expertise, allows him to serve as outside general counsel to several publicly traded and privately held Chinese companies and their subsidiaries in America.

Gary served as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). He is a past president of the both the Chinese American Bar Association and the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago. He was previously a co-chair of SmithAmundsen’s Committee for Diversity and Inclusion and, in that role, was tasked with furthering diversity initiatives for the firm to help ensure that all employees feel appreciated for the diverse perspectives they bring to the table.