Vincent Rizzo

Vincent Rizzo is currently an attorney at Hinshaw & Culbertson and focuses his practice in litigation at both the federal and state level, with a particular emphasis in the areas of tort liability, civil rights defense, and labor and employment. He has extensive experience representing entities and employees in claims involving Title VII, Section 1983, negligence, and premises liability. He has litigated countless cases to resolution including successfully trying several federal civil jury trials to defense verdict and obtaining multiple summary judgments. Vincent also advises employers and employees on all aspects of the employment relationship, spanning from hire through termination, employee misconduct and other disciplinary matters. He regularly presents trainings to clients on workplace compliance and best practices. Before joining Hinshaw, Vincent was an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago Department of Law. In that capacity, he represented the City of Chicago in litigation involving federal civil rights, municipal prosecutions, and administrative appeals. Vincent serves as co-president of the Cook County Bar Association's LGBTQ section, co-chair of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues Network of the ABA Section of International Law, a member of the leadership council for Lambda Legal and secretary of the executive board of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago. He also is a pro-bono volunteer for the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, representing low-income plaintiffs in labor and employment matters and volunteers for the name change project, providing free legal name change services to transgender people. Vincent is also a member of the Judicial Evaluation Committee and in this capacity, serves a vital part in investigating and providing substantive recommendations regarding judicial candidates and sitting judges seeking retention. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Changing Worlds, an organization that fosters inclusive communities through oral history, writing and art programs that improve student learning, affirm identity and enhance cross-cultural understanding.