Cathleen M. Combs - a Chicago, Illinois (IL) Consumer law Lawyer

Chicago Consumer law Lawyer

Updated: 03/02/2026

Areas of Practice

Consumer law 25%
Class actions 75%
Deceptive Trade Practices
RICO Act
Trade Regulation
Unfair Competition
Mortgages & Foreclosures
Foreclosures
Garnishment
Debtor/Creditor
Secured Transactions
Uniform Commercial Code
Warranties
Race Discrimination
Sex Discrimination
Wage & Hour Laws — Employee
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act — Employee
Wrongful Termination — Employee
Wage & Hour Laws
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act
Bankruptcy Litigation
Complex Litigation
Federal Appellate Practice
Federal Trial Practice
Multidistrict Litigation
State Appellate Practice
State Trial Practice
Landlord/Tenant
Residential Real Estate
Title Insurance
Collections & Repossessions

Litigation: 100%

Attorney Information

Overview

Attorney Combs supervised the Northwest office of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, where she was lead or co-counsel in class actions in the areas of unemployment compensation, prison law, social security law, and consumer law. She joined what is now Edelman, Combs, Latturner & Goodwin, LLC in early 1991 and became a named partner in 1993. She is a member of the Illinois bar and admitted to practice in the following courts: United States District Courts for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of Illinois, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Ms. Combs received an Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association on May 18, 2012.

Ms. Combs has argued over fifteen cases in the 1st, 3rd and 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Illinois Appellate Court, and she is a frequent speaker on consumer law topics at various legal organizations including the Chicago Bar Association and the National Consumer Law Center's Consumer Rights Litigation Conferences. Ms. Combs is coauthor of The Bankruptcy Practitioner's Guide to Consumer Financial Services Actions After the Subprime Mortgage Crisis (LRP Publications 2010).

Education

Legal Education
- Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1976
  J.D.
Non Legal Education
- University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
  B.S.
  Major: Mathematics

Current Employment Position(s)

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Attorney
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Past Positions

Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, Supervisor, Northwest Office, 1982 - 1991
Balbach & Fehr, Associate, 1979 - 1981

Representative Cases

Johnson v. Heckler
- Citation: 607 F.Supp. 875
- Court: N.D.Ill.
- Year: 1984
- Serial Number: 1985122480
Sanders v. Shephard
- Citation: 541 N.E.2d 1150
- Court: Ill.App. 1 Dist.
- Year: 1989
- Serial Number: 1989094511
Maller v. Cohen
- Citation: 531 N.E.2d 1029
- Court: Ill.App. 1 Dist.
- Year: 1988
- Serial Number: 1988157059
Wright v. Department of Labor
- Citation: 519 N.E.2d 1054
- Court: Ill.App. 1 Dist.
- Year: 1987
- Serial Number: 1988021363
Barron v. Ward
- Citation: 517 N.E.2d 591
- Court: Ill.App. 1 Dist.
- Year: 1987
- Serial Number: 1987130861
City of Chicago v. Leviton
- Citation: 484 N.E.2d 438
- Court: Ill.App. 1 Dist.
- Year: 1985
- Serial Number: 1985148150
Jude v. Morrissey
- Citation: 454 N.E.2d 24
- Court: Ill.App. 1 Dist.
- Year: 1983
- Serial Number: 1983140198
Suesz v. Med-1 Solutions, LLC
- Citation: 734 F.3d 684
- Court: 7th Cir.
- Year: 2014
Nielsen v. Dickerson
- Citation: 307 F. 3d 623
- Court: 7th Cir.
- Year: 2002
Chandler v. American General Finance, Inc.
- Citation: 329 Ill. App.3d 729, 768 N.E.2d 60
- Court: 1st Dist.
- Year: 2002
Miller v. McCalla Raymer
- Citation: 214 F. 3d 872
- Court: 7th Cir.
- Year: 2000
Bessette v. Avco Financial Services
- Citation: 230 F. 3d 439
- Court: 1st Cir.
- Year: 2000
Emery v. American Gen. Fin., Inc.
- Citation: 71 F. 3d 1343
- Court: 7th Cir.
- Year: 1995
Siwulec v. J.M. Adjustment Servs., LLC
- Citation: 465 Fed. Appx. 200
- Court: 3rd Cir.
- Year: 2012
McDonald v. Asset Acceptance, LLC
- Citation: 296 F.R.D. 513
- Court: E.D.Mich.
- Year: 2013
Tocco v. Real Time Resolutions
- Citation: 48 F.Supp.3d 535
- Court: S.D.N.Y.
- Year: 2014

Bar Admissions

Illinois, 1976
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1976
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1988

Other Affiliations

Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar (Member)
Chicago Bar Association
National Association of Consumer Advocates

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Contact

Chicago, IL

20 South Clark Street
Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60603

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Phones:

Fax: (312) 419-0379

Email: Send a message

Websites:

Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Credit Cards Accepted
Free Consultations
Virtual Appointments

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