Romanucci & Blandin prides itself in being a leader for women in the workplace and, in fact, our firm is more than 50 percent female. Recently we announced two promotions of female attorneys to leadership roles.
Daisy Ayllón has been named Partner at the firm on the Sexual Abuse & Hazing, Medical Malpractice, and Institutional Negligence teams. Daisy has played a role in a number of high-profile cases, including a $40 million verdict for a child who was left paralyzed after a botched surgery and a $35 million settlement following a trial for a girl who was injured during her delivery.
Romanucci & Blandin is proud to have Daisy as a Partner as recent data reflects that only 1% of law firm partners in the United States are Black or Hispanic women. Daisy spent much of her childhood in Mexico where she developed a strong work ethic helping her parents farm and later working at a convenience store. After her family moved to the U.S., Daisy learned English and was an outstanding student. Daisy decided on a career in personal injury litigation because she believes individuals, particularly working-class people, deserve high-quality legal services.
Outside of the courtroom, Daisy volunteers with several organizations, including Casa Central, that provides culturally responsive social services to families experiencing homelessness. In 2023, she received the Outstanding Young Alumna Award from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Debra Liss Thomas has been named Managing Attorney at the firm. In this role, she collaborates extensively with Managing and Senior Partner Gina A. DeBoni on administration of the firm, while also being responsible for continuing legal education programs and professional development of the firm’s attorneys and staff.
She has been a member of R&B legal teams on cases including the historic $27 million settlement for the murder of George Floyd, a $21.3 million verdict at trial for a mother’s death in a car accident arising from a wrongful police chase, and a $12.35 million settlement for failure to diagnose a young mother’s fatal breast cancer.
A third-generation attorney, Debra also earned her master’s degree in education. Debra serves on the American Association for Justice’s Exchange Advisory Committee and is the current Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Standing Committee on Member Services, and a member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Women and the Law. She received the Chicago-Kent College of Law Bar & Gavel Society Award in 2002.
This article was originally published in the WBAI Fall 2024 Newsletter on page 20.