Kathryne Hayes’ practice includes civil and commercial litigation, ARDC defense, legal malpractice defense, and ethics counseling for lawyers and law firms. She serves as outside ethics counsel to solo practitioners and law firms in Chicago in various matters relating to professional responsibility and liability.  

Ms. Hayes has also handled various matters before the Illinois ARDC from the investigative stage through trial and appeal. Many investigations are concluded without further action and remain confidential. Formal complaints have been satisfactorily concluded by discipline on consent or following a hearing. Ms. Hayes has also obtained directed finding at trial as well as dismissal following contested hearing. 

Ms. Hayes also represents individuals and businesses in a variety of disputes in state and federal court as well as civil appeals in a variety of matters. 

Ms. Hayes was named one of the Forty Under 40 Illinois Lawyers to Watch, Law Bulletin Media, 2024. You can read more about Forty Under 40 here https://digitaleditions.lawbul... 

She was also peer selected as a Leading Lawyer (2026) Emerging Lawyer (2022-2025) in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Professional Malpractice Defense Law: Including Legal/Technical/Financial.

Ms. Hayes is the co-author of the Conflicts chapter of IICLE's Attorneys' Legal Liability Chapter (2025 and 2022 Editions).

In 2025, Ms. Hayes was appointed to serve on the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee. 

Ms. Hayes previously served as the Chair of the ISBA Standing Committee on Professional Conduct (2023-2024) and as the Chair of the ISBA Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission Committee for (2023-2024). Ms. Hayes previously served as the Vice-Chair and secretary of both committees. Prior to serving as secretary, Ms. Hayes was a member of both committees and continues to serve on both committees as a member. Ms. Hayes previously served as the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 co-chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s YLS Professional Responsibility Committee.

In 2025, Ms. Hayes was a panelist on the CBA Professional Responsibility Committee's March 20, 2025 panel (Ethical Issues in the Use of Local or 'Coverage' Counsel) (March 20, 2025); the Law Bulletin's Ethics 2025 seminar (May 13, 2025); and the CBA's One-And-Done All Day Ethics Program (May 21, 2025).

In 2024, Ms. Hayes was a panelist on the Chicago Bar Association's One-and-Done: 6-Hour Professional Responsibility Overview (6/17/24) and the Law Bulletin's Ethics 2024 seminar (6/20/2024).

Ms. Hayes was a panelist at the Practicing Law Institute's Illinois Professional Responsibility MCLE Marathon 2023, Use of Technology in Legal Practice and Key Ethical Considerations (May 12, 2023). She was also a panel member for the Law Bulletin's Ethics 2023 program:  Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Operating Agreement Disputes (May 31, 2023).

In 2022, Ms. Hayes co-presented 'Trust Accounting 101: How to Bill Properly, Collect Your Fees, and Stay Out of Trouble' (CBA, June 8, 2022) and was panel member for the Law Bulletin's Ethics 2022 program: Your fees: A review of the state of play for contingency fees, referral fees and fees for limited representation (June 16, 2022).

Ms. Hayes was a panelist on the topic of “Ethics in Marketing” presented by the ISBA on September 23, 2020.

Ms. Hayes presented “Pitfalls in Trust Accounting” at the Peoria County Bar Association’s Columbus Day Professional Responsibility Seminar on October 11, 2019.

She was also a presenter at the following CBA CLEs: Billing Ethically & Getting Paid (June 12, 2019); Basics for New Lawyers – Avoiding Legal Malpractice and Disciplinary Issues (January 11, 2019); The Status and Evolution of Attorney Advertising (April 24, 2018); The Ins and Outs of Fee Sharing (January 3, 2018); Dealing With Client Dishonesty:  Ethical and Civil Liability Considerations (September 6, 2017); Lifecycle of an ARDC case (January 7, 2015).

Kathryne is also proud to serve on the Development Advisory Board of One Tail at a Time. 

Ms. Hayes graduated from the Honors College of the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2008. During her time at UIC, she participated in an accelerated law degree program with Chicago-Kent College of Law. Ms. Hayes graduated from Kent in 2010 and was sworn into the Illinois bar in 2010. She is also admitted to the Northern District of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.