Gretchen M. Wolf

Gretchen Wolf is a litigation partner in Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Chicago office, where she has practiced for more than 16 years, and represents a wide variety of clients in complex regulatory investigations, enforcement matters and civil litigation. She has extensive experience managing multijurisdiction and cross-border matters with investigation and litigation components and regularly assists clients in navigating related discovery issues.

Gretchen has represented corporations and individuals in many regulatory and government enforcement investigation matters, including matters before the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and state attorneys general. She has assisted boards and audit committees in conducting internal investigations of potential accounting irregularities, improper business practices and corporate governance issues. She also has experience advising on cross-border investigations, and has counseled clients on transaction due diligence, compliance matters and employee training, particularly related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Gretchen has represented companies and their officers and directors in a variety of litigation, including cases involving issues of complex accounting, antitrust, securities, consumer fraud, corporate transactions, product liability and other commercial matters.

In addition to handling high profile litigation and investigation matters, she serves as co-chair of Skadden’s Global Women’s Initiatives Committee, where she develops firmwide programs and strategies to support women attorneys. She also serves on the Chicago Diversity Committee and Immigration Impact Project Leadership Committee, as well as chair of the Chicago Summer Associate Program, where she oversees programming, activities and opportunities focused on ensuring summer associates have mentors and receive the support they need to be successful. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Selection Committee for Skadden’s Fellowship Foundation, which provides two-year fellowships to talented young lawyers to pursue the practice of public interest law on a full-time basis.

In her role as co-chair of the firm’s Global Women’s Initiatives Committee, Gretchen spearheaded the development of a firmwide virtual mentoring and networking program for Skadden’s newer women partners to bridge the gaps left by a remote work environment and to facilitate strategic relationships among women partners and male allies. Gretchen also serves as a partner mentor to Skadden Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Affinity Network and has participated in programming and mentoring for women associates focused on career goals, business development and work-life balance issues.

Gretchen also serves on the board of directors for the National Immigrant Justice Center and the Chicago Foundation for Women, which is a grant-making organization dedicated to increasing resources and opportunities for women and girls. She is a former board member and was honored by Chicago Appleseed in 2017 for her commitment to promoting fair and equitable access to the courts. Gretchen has taken on pro bono cases involving the Violence Against Women Act, asylum, DACA and other immigration matters. She also regularly oversees associate pro bono work, where she provides guidance and mentorship across the firm.

In 2020, Gretchen was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ Notable Women in Law, after being named in 2019 a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by the publication. She earned her law degree (with high distinction) from the University of Iowa College of Law.