Chicago – March 1, 2024 – Chicago-based Cooley partners Tiana Demas, Erin Kirchner, and Lei Shen were recognized as Notable Women in Law by Crain's Chicago Business.

Demas, a litigation partner, was recognized for her work on complex cybersecurity, data and privacy issues, and white-collar criminal defense, including her work as a federal prosecutor in New York. She was noted for representing Dotdash Meredith in a pleadings-stage defense win regarding the Video Privacy Protection Act.

Kirchner, an M&A partner, was noted for representing acquirers, founders and private equity investors in M&A transactions, joint ventures and financing activities. In 2023, she led the team advising Sprout Social on its acquisition of Tagger Media and beverages and spirits company AMASS Brands in its strategic purchase of a wine retail and subscription business through a bankruptcy sale.

Shen, a data privacy partner, was highlighted for her work advising on data protection strategies and emerging technologies – such as artificial intelligence, biometric data, and autonomous vehicles. Shen was also noted for representations related to recent California attorney general investigations regarding the California Consumer Privacy Act.

Read the full list of Notable Women in Law (subscription required)

Honorees are chosen based on their experience, work impact, service as mentors and role models to women attorneys and how they demonstrate leadership in civic and community initiatives.