Avanti Bakane represents clients in commercial litigation, professional liability defense, class actions and consumer litigation.

She is involved in all phases of trial preparation and litigation, including discovery, research, preparing motions and various memoranda. Ms. Bakane joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP as an associate in October 2009. Previously she was a law clerk with the firm since January 2009 and was a summer associate in 2008.

During law school, Ms. Bakane was an extern for two semesters to the Honorable Irwin J. Solganick, Law Division, Circuit Court of Cook County. She also worked as a research assistant to DePaul Professors Steven H. Resnicoff and Song Richardson. She was a member of DePaul’s International Moot Court team for two years.

Before she attended law school, Ms. Bakane worked as a discovery paralegal for a year at a Chicago firm.

During her undergraduate studies, Ms. Bakane worked as a resident assistant with a number of programs. In addition, she was a consulting academic tutor for the University of Veritas in San Jose, Costa Rica, where she tutored, translated and taught Spanish for International University students learning the language.

Ms. Bakane is proficient in Spanish and Marathi. She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, Women’s Bar Association of Illinois and the Indian Bar Association of Illinois (IABA), where she is the 2011 Vice President of Membership. Ms. Bakane is a regular contributor to Hinshaw’s labor and employment newsletter, Employment Practices Alert. Her publications also include “Domestic Violence in India,” an article in the DePaul Women’s Law Caucus 2009 Digest.

In September 2008, Ms. Bakane participated in a round table discussion with other law students that was captured and published as “Law Student Roundtable,” in the September 11, 2008 edition of Chicago Lawyer.

Her presentations include “The Pending Proceeding Limitation to Rule 2004 Discovery,” presented at Hinshaw’s Chicago office in December 2009 Ms. Bakane volunteers for First Defense Legal Aid, where she provides legal advice to people who get arrested, between the time of arrest and being formally charged.

She participates in the Lawyers in the Classroom program, and is actively involved with Cause for Paws, a Chicago rescue, and generally to rescuing and fundraising for pit bulls.