Steve Gistenson is a Member of Dykema Gossett PLLC, resident in the Firm’s Chicago office. Steve has specialized for over 30 years in complex litigation matters. He represents individual sole proprietors, private business organizations and public companies. These clients represent a broad spectrum in business, from start-up organizations to well-established businesses with several billions of dollars in revenues.

Steve represents clients in a variety of potential and existing commercial and business disputes involving issues concerning: restrictive covenants; labor and employment; employee benefits and executive compensation; tortious interference; real estate acquisition, development and leasing; land use; construction; eminent domain; lending; consumer rights; bankruptcy; antitrust; environmental compliance; insurance coverage; estates and trusts; intellectual property; shareholder, partner and member disputes; data privacy and security; business mergers and acquisitions; licensing; franchising; and taxation. Steve has litigated matters before juries and judges at the trial level and before appellate courts, both in state and federal courts across the country.  He has also represented clients in mediation and arbitration proceedings across the country.

Steve has developed long-term relationships with his clients, and those relationships have evolved beyond working together when there is litigation or the threat of litigation. Partnering with clients to navigate complex business issues, mitigate risk, and develop growth strategies is an integral part of Steve’s practice.

At Dykema, Steve is the Member responsible for lateral hiring of Members and Senior Counsel at all of the Firm’s offices. He is also Co-Chairman of Dykema’s Retention Subcommittee of the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Steve received his Juris Doctor Degree from the John Marshall Law School, where he was selected as an associate justice of The John Marshall Law School Moot Court Executive Board and received awards in legal writing and advocacy in various independent moot court competitions.  While in law school, Steve also prosecuted felony cases for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office as part of a program under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711.

Bar Admissions

Illinois, 1986

Education
John Marshall Law School, J.D.

• Moot Court

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A.

Professional Associations

• Chicago Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association