Kara L. McCall

Kara L. McCall is a partner in Alston & Bird’s Chicago office who handles complex litigation from initial strategy through trial and appeal. Her practice includes toxic tort, product liability, consumer class actions, and commercial litigation. She represents clients in industries such as food and beverage, nutritional supplements, chemicals, construction products, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Her work frequently involves scientific evidence, nationwide claims, and disputes requiring coordinated defense strategy across multiple jurisdictions.

Kara earned her J.D. from The University of Chicago and her B.A. from Butler University. She later served as a law clerk to Judge Diane P. Wood of the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Her academic and clerkship background supports a litigation practice that requires close legal analysis, persuasive writing, appellate strategy, and the ability to present technical scientific issues in a form that judges and juries can understand.

Kara has defended consumer products and other companies in class actions involving labeling, consumer fraud, and product claims. She has served as lead trial counsel in toxic tort litigation involving medical-device sterilization and has handled product liability and commercial disputes nationwide. Her work includes developing discovery plans, challenging class certification, managing mass-plaintiff litigation, negotiating nationwide settlements, and defending cases in state and federal courts through trial and appellate stages.

Kara L. McCall has been recognized by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, Law360, Crain’s Chicago Business, the National Law Journal, and other legal publications. She participates in bar and professional organizations and has held leadership roles involving class action and products liability issues. Her practice combines trial experience, appellate judgment, and detailed management of scientific and consumer claims, helping companies respond to high-stakes litigation while controlling discovery, class exposure, and settlement risk.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Alston & Bird LLP
• Member, Indiana State Bar Association
• Member, Illinois State Bar Association
• Products Liability Committee, Food and Supplements Subcommittee, Co-Chair, American Bar Association (2016-2018)
• Class Action Committee, Co-Chair, Lawyers for Civil Justice (2022-Present)
• Member, Chicago Bar Association, Alliance for Women
• Member, National Association of Women Lawyers
• Member, Women in Law Empowerment Forum
• Member, Defense Research Institute

Licensed State

• Indiana
• Illinois

Education

• The University of Chicago
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Butler University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges