Olivia Romano serves as in-house Legal Counsel to CBIS, a privately held global asset management firm based in Chicago with over $12 billion assets under management. She advises on a broad range of financial-business and litigation matters, including employment, HR, compliance, product development, investments, marketing, and commercial agreement negotiation across U.S. and international offices.

Prior to moving in-house, Olivia was a litigation and trial attorney at the Chicago offices of two law firms. Her practice spanned state and federal jurisdictions and focused on complex commercial litigation matters, representing both plaintiffs and defendants—including several Fortune 500 companies—in depositions, dispositive motions, and trials.

Olivia received her law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2020, with honors and pro bono distinction. Throughout law school, Olivia worked at the Champaign County Public Defender’s Office, served as a member of the Federal Civil Rights Clinic, and competed on the Trial Team, where she won two national titles. Olivia received multiple CALI awards for the highest grades in Trial Advocacy, Advanced Evidence, and Trial Team, was a Paul M. Lisnek Award recipient for Excellence and Ethics in Trial Advocacy, and received two Rickert Awards for her achievements in Advocacy and Service.

Since joining the adjunct faculty in 2023, Olivia has led the Trial Team to numerous national titles.

Notable successes include:

• Champions, 2025 Chicago Cup Trial Competition
• Finalists, 2025 National Ethics Trial Competition
• Regional Finalists, 2024 National Trial Competition
• Quarterfinalists, 2024 Hofstra Medical-Legal Competition
• Champions, 2023 Hofstra Medical-Legal Competition
• Champions, 2019 PJJ National Civil Rights Competition
• Champions, 2018 National Trial Advocacy Competition

Education

JD, University of Illinois College of Law
BA, Loyola University Chicago

Trial Team
Trial Advocacy