About Shawn M.
Shawn M. Collins built a legal life that begins in accounting and moves through one of the nation's law schools. He earned a B.B.A. in accounting and philosophy from the University of Notre Dame in 1976. He later returned to academics and completed his J.D. at the University of Chicago in 1986.
His early career began at a large Chicago firm. In 1986 he joined Mayer Brown and Platt, where he worked as a lawyer and learned how big-firm practice operates. The experience exposed him to complex litigation and to the business side of legal practice. Those years helped shape his approach to case preparation and client counseling.
In 1992 he left that setting and opened his own firm. As partner and owner of The Collins Law Office, P.C., he took on responsibility for both legal work and the daily operations of a small firm. Running a practice required him to switch roles often—trial lawyer, manager, and counselor to clients. He kept day-to-day focus on litigation while overseeing the firm’s trajectory.
Collins is admitted to practice in Illinois. He maintains active involvement in professional groups. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the DuPage Bar Association. He also belongs to the National Trial Lawyers and the American Association for Justice. Those memberships keep him plugged into continuing education and peer networks.
Colleagues describe him as methodical at trial and deliberate in negotiation. He draws on an accounting background when cases demand attention to financial detail. That combination has guided his handling of disputes that require both legal analysis and number-crunching. He prepares evidence carefully and tends to present it in straightforward terms.
Clients come to him for courtroom experience as well as for counsel on practical settlement choices. He has balanced trials and negotiated resolutions over the years. The work demands both strategic planning and attention to practical consequences for clients.
Today he continues to lead The Collins Law Office, P.C., practicing in Illinois. His current practice concentrates on civil litigation, where he handles trial preparation, courtroom advocacy, and related client advising.
