Tia C. Ghattas

Senior Counsel

Tia Ghattas is a litigator and for a decade, served as the office managing partner of the firm's Chicago office.  As lead counsel in numerous bench and jury trials, she has extensive national litigation experience in both state and federal courts. She also serves as party appointed mediator in alternative dispute resolution forums. Tia focuses on counseling clients faced with litigation risks.

Tia's diverse experience and background includes representing clients along the supply chain — from multinational companies and clients in the retail, hospitality, health care, pharmaceutical, medical device, dietary supplement, transportation, development, property ownership and management, construction, product manufacturing and transportation sectors.  Her experience encompasses litigating contracts, advising and defending product liability matters, transportation & logistics, intellectual property, construction matters and general commercial litigation.

Her national trial practice allows Tia to partner with clients to understand the business and help facilitate risk management protocols, contract drafting and negotiations, emergency response protocols and to implement and execute litigation/trial strategy. Tia also serves as the co-chair of the firm's Transportation & Logistics industry team. She serves as national coordinating counsel for one of North America's leading manufacturers of component parts for commercial vehicles. As part of her work with manufacturers and contractors, Tia has developed a relationship with clients to consult on compliance with industry standards, limiting or controlling risk and the nuances of contracts related to construction and/or product manufacturing. She has also served as local counsel for major record labels known as the Recording Industry Association of America in the Northern District of Illinois for copyright infringement.

Tia's litigation practice is nationally based and focuses on commercial matters, products liability defense, construction and mass toxic tort defense. She has tried more than 25 jury trials to verdict and has participated in numerous alternative dispute resolution forums.

Tia received her Bachelor of Science from Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana in 1993, cum laude, on a full basketball scholarship. In 1999, she received her law degree from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. While a student, she clerked for the U.S. Attorney's Office, served as a lieutenant governor for the Seventh Circuit of the American Bar Association and placed second overall in the Fred Herzog Moot Court Competition.

Experience

News

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Leading Lawyers Network Recognizes 19 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers as Top Illinois Practitioners

March 05, 2024

Ira Bodenstein, Jack Carriglio, Janet Davis, John Dunn, Mitch Edlund, Wendy Enerson, Gary Gassman, Tia Ghattas, Jeremy Glenn, Erin Bolan Hines, Mark Rabinowitz, Peter Roberts, Brian Shaw, Joseph Tilson, Julie Trester, Peter Valeta, Anna Wermuth, and Brian Williams were recognized as Leading Lawyers, Christina Sanfelippo was recognized as an Emerging Lawyer.

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys to its Best Lawyers in America 2024 Edition

August 17, 2023

Best Lawyers selected 232 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Three Cozen O’Connor Attorneys recognized as Crain's Chicago Business 2022 “Notable Gen X Leaders in Law”

December 12, 2022

Three Cozen O’Connor attorneys have been recognized as 2022 Notable Gen X Leaders in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business for their success and accomplishments in their leadership roles within the firm and across the legal community.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Leading Lawyers Network Recognizes 23 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers as Top Illinois Practitioners

March 02, 2022

The Leading Lawyers Network has named 22 Cozen O’Connor lawyers to its annual list of Illinois’ top practitioners and named one other as an Emerging Lawyer in its 2022 survey results.

Three Cozen O’Connor Attorneys recognized as Crain's Chicago Business 2021 “Notable Gen X Leaders in Law”

November 29, 2021

Three Cozen O’Connor attorneys have been recognized as 2021 Chicago Notable Gen X Leaders in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business for their success and accomplishments in their leadership roles within the firm and across the legal community.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Leading Lawyers Network Recognizes 26 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers as Top Illinois Practitioners

January 26, 2021

The Leading Lawyers Network has named 24 Cozen O’Connor lawyers to its annual list of Illinois’ top practitioners and named two others as Emerging Lawyers in its 2021 survey results.

With driver drug testing facilities struggling to stay afloat, DOT considers enforcement leniency

July 08, 2020

Tia Ghattas was featured in the Commercial Carrier Journal discussing how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it will attempt to use discretion in enforcing the 2020 requirement that fleets issue random drug tests for 50% of their drivers.

Publications

Keeping Pace with Truck Driver Drug and Alcohol Testing During COVID-19 [Alert]

June 25, 2020

Tia Ghattas, Josh Greenbaum and Kendall Hayden discuss the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration exemptions for some regulations for certain motor carriers and their drivers that sunset on July 1.

How States Are Relaxing Truck Weight Rules During COVID-19

May 20, 2020

Tia Ghattas, Josh Greenbaum and Kendall Hayden contributed an article to Law360 outlining how some states have approached weight requirements and permit requirements, and what trucking companies should do to adhere.

Pandemic Drug Test Guidance Offers Relief To Trucking Cos.

May 06, 2020

Tia Ghattas, Josh Greenbaum and Kendall Hayden contributed an article to Law360 discussing the guidance on compliance with drug and alcohol testing requirements during COVID-19.

Winter 2009 [Commercial Litigation Observer]

February 25, 2009

Congratulations are due to the twenty-five attorneys from six of the firm’s national offices who have been selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Lawyers were selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America based on a rigorous peer–review survey that has been developed and refined for nearly 25 years. The current edition is based on 1.8 million confidential evaluations by only the top attorneys in the country. The Cozen O'Connor offices with Attorneys recognized are Cherry Hill, Denver, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

Arbitration Clauses Do Not Apply To Disputes Arising Out Of Related Contracts [Commercial Disputes Observer]

January 01, 2008

In U.S. Small Business Administration v. Chimicles, 447 F.3d 207 (3d Cir. 2006), the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that an arbitration clause contained in one contract does not apply to a dispute arising out of a related contract, even if the second contract explicitly refers to the first.

Summer 2007 [Commercial Disputes Observer]

August 01, 2007

Summer 2007 - Commercial Disputes Observer -

Events & Seminars

Past Events

2019 CLM Annual Conference

March 13, 2019 - Orlando, Florida

Critical Issues in Litigation – 2015

May 20, 2015 - New York, NY

Industry Sectors

Education

  • University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, J.D., 1999
  • St. Joseph's College, B.S., cum laude, 1993

Awards & Honors

Leading Lawyers Network, “Top Illinois Practitioner” 

Crain's Chicago Business, "Notable Gen X Leaders in Law" 2019 - 2022

Best Lawyers in America, 2022-2025

 

  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court -- Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court -- North Dakota
  • American Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Transportation Lawyers Association