Crain's Chicago Business recognized Jenner & Block Partners Nicole Allen, Precious Jacobs-Perry, and Shoba Pillay among its 2026 Notable Women in Law. The list honors attorneys across Chicago's legal landscape whose leadership, professional achievement, and community engagement have shaped business, government, and civic life throughout the region and beyond.
Widely recognized for defending Fortune 500 companies in high-profile class actions and government investigations, Nicole has represented some of the largest energy and agricultural companies in the world in matters before the DOJ, SEC, CFTC, and IRS, as well as in private litigation involving market manipulation, securities fraud, antitrust claims, and breach of fiduciary duty. She recently defended a large utility, securing dismissal of securities litigation and four derivative actions before discovery and negotiating a settlement that saved the client millions in litigation costs. Nicole also serves as general counsel for the Lincoln Park Zoo, where she advises on federal grant compliance, union negotiations, and vendor contract disputes.
A seasoned commercial litigator, Precious defends clients in breach of contract disputes, consumer class actions, and Biometric Information Privacy Act litigation across the technology, energy, food and beverage, and financial services industries. Among her notable wins, she secured a favorable settlement in ACLU v. Clearview AI that preserved the company's business model and allowed continued operations in compliance with applicable law. Beyond her litigation practice, Precious maintains a robust pro bono practice—including co-creating a partnership between Jenner & Block and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund to help obtain legal name changes for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary individuals. She also serves on the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic's Board of Directors.
A former federal prosecutor and Co-Chair of the firm's National Security and Crisis, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity, and Critical and Emerging Technologies Practices, Shoba brings deep technical acumen and national security experience to help businesses understand, prepare for, and respond to complex internal and external threats. During her eleven years as a federal prosecutor in the Northern District of Illinois, she prosecuted cybercrime, theft of trade secrets, espionage, and export control violations. In 2022, she served as court-appointed examiner in the Celsius Network bankruptcy, leading a landmark investigation of a global cryptocurrency lending platform with more than $25 billion in assets that uncovered widespread fraud and internal controls failures. Shoba also sits on the boards of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Beat the Streets Chicago, and Girl Security.
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