Practice Areas
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Bio
Natalie Ellis is a dedicated advocate with experience in all stages of litigation, defending clients in complex product liability and mass tort claims in state and federal courts. Known for her sharp attention to detail and ability to quickly grasp the technical nuances of her clients’ products, she develops tailored strategies that align with business objectives and drive efficient, meaningful results.
She has secured dismissals in cases with settlement demands over $2 million by leveraging creative, disciplined, and daring negotiation tactics. Natalie currently manages a docket of more than 500 cases in Missouri and Illinois and also litigates complex civil claims such as fraud and wrongful death.
Natalie has in-depth knowledge of kratom and the scientific, regulatory, and industry-specific considerations that drive claims involving the product. Her familiarity with the evolving research and risk profiles allows her to strategically evaluate and defend kratom-related litigation.
Before joining RSHC, Natalie practiced medical malpractice defense at a Chicago-based firm, representing hospitals and healthcare professionals.
Experience
Clerkships
Judicial Extern, Hon. Sharon Johnson Coleman, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2017)
Credentials
Education
University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., 2017, cum laude
CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Advanced Trial Advocacy &
Professional Responsibility (2017)
Public Interest Law Initiative Internship, CARPLS (2017)
Administrative Editor, Elder Law Journal (2015-2016)
Black Law Student Association, President (2015-2016)
University of Illinois College of Law Trial Team (2015-2016)
University of Missouri-Saint Louis, M.A., Communication, 2014
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Murray State University, B.S., Organizational Communication, 2012, cum laude
Dean’s List
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, President (2011-2012)
Bar Admissions
Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Professional Memberships
American Bar Association
Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago (2016 – Present)
BWLA Scholarship Fund, Board Member (2025 – Present)
Law Firm Committee, Chair (2024-2025)
Judicial Evaluation Committee, Co-Chair (2019-2022)
Chicagoland Healthcare Risk Management Society (2020-2023)
Corporate Counsel Women of Color (2024 – Present)
Federal Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association (2022 – Present)
National Bar Association (2021 – Present)
Professional Women’s Club of Chicago (2023)
Honors & Awards
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Product Liability Litigation-Defendants, 2025-2026), Best Lawyers®
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Pathfinder Atlas Award (2025)
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Pathfinder (2025)
Publications & Presentations
“HOT TOPIC: Thermonuclear Verdicts—What Sparks Them and How Can We Navigate the Future,” (panelist) BWLA Half-Day CLE (April 17, 2025)
“Through Her Clerks’ Eyes II: The Barrier-Breaking Career of Judge Baker Motley, and Her Honor’s Living Legacy Empowering the Next Generation of Practitioners,” (moderator) Federal Bar Association (February 28, 2025)
“The Tension Between the Ethical Obligation to Promote Diversity in the Legal Field and the Current Climate,” (co-speaker) CCBA, BWLA, and BLMA Platt-Wheeler Legal Education Symposium (February 27, 2025)
“New Year, New AI Policy in Illinois,” (author) RSHC Client Alert (December 24, 2024)
"Navigating Gendered Bias, Expectations, and Stereotypes in the Courtroom and Beyond," (panelist) University of Illinois College of Law, Anderson Center Fall Symposium: What It Takes to Be a Trial Lawyer if You’re Not a Man, Champaign, IL (November 8, 2024)
“Finding Your Niche," (panelist) University of Illinois College of Law WLS Symposium Webinar (March 2024)
“Balancing The Scales,” (panelist) University of Illinois College of Law WLS Symposium Webinar (March 2023)
“FCA’S Scienter Standard: To Change or Not To Change, That is the Question,” Amundsen Davis Health Care Alert (February 23, 2023)
“Tag Talk,” Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville, KY (April 2021)
“How to Build Your Brand,” (moderator) Cook County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section (2018)
Community Service
Kimball R. and Karen Gatis Anderson Center for Advocacy and Professionalism (2022 – Present)
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Chicago Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter (2020 – Present)
Collegiate Transition Committee, Co-Chair (2020-2024)
Board Member (2024 – Present)
Delta Dear Committee, Board Member (2025 – Present)
Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc. (2018-2022)
Bar Mentorship Program, Mentor
Public Interest Law Initiative (2018-2021)
Alumnae Mentor