Daisy Ayllón

Daisy is a member of the Sexual Abuse & Hazing, Medical Malpractice, and Institutional Negligence teams. She has played a role in a number of high-profile cases, including a $40 million verdict for a child who was left paralyzed after a botched surgery, a $35 million settlement following a three-week trial for a small girl who was injured during her delivery and a $15 million verdict against a high school district for failing to protect a male student from sexual abuse by a female teacher. 

Romanucci & Blandin is especially proud to have Daisy as a Partner, as recent data reflects that only 1% of law firm partners in the United States are Black or Hispanic women. Daisy moved to the United States when she was 13 years old after spending her early childhood years near Toluca, Mexico. Growing up in poverty, Daisy developed a strong work ethic by helping her parents farm the land in their rural community and later working at a convenience store between the ages of 6 and 13. 

After her family moved to the United States, Daisy learned English and became an outstanding student. She eventually graduated from Villanova University's Honors Program in 2011 with a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Journalism. Daisy attended Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she received a full-tuition merit scholarship, was an editor of the Seventh Circuit Review, a Vice-President of the Moot Court Honor Society and was included on the Dean’s List.  When deciding what legal path to pursue, Daisy decided on personal injury litigation because she believes that individuals, particularly working-class people, deserve high-quality legal services.

Outside of the courtroom, Daisy prioritizes giving back to her community. She volunteers with several civic organizations, including Casa Central, which provides culturally responsive social services to young children, families experiencing homelessness, and elderly individuals. She has volunteered with “Lawyers in the Classroom,” a program that seeks to help students better understand the U.S. Constitution, our legal system and law-related careers. She also serves as an investigator with the Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, which evaluates judicial candidates to improve the quality of the judiciary. Daisy is passionate about educating others about their rights and responsibilities and has partnered with the American Bar Association Commission and Univision to better equip the Hispanic community with knowledge to advocate for their own rights.

At Romanucci & Blandin, Daisy is a member of the legal team representing hundreds of women, many of whom are Spanish speakers, who were sexually abused by former OB/GYN Fabio Ortega, a convicted sex offender. The legal team is pursuing institutional negligence claims against Endeavor Health (f/k/a NorthShore), which knew about Ortega’s sexually perverted conduct yet allowed him to continue to “practice medicine” and to abuse hundreds of women for decades. This is believed to be the largest sex abuse case - spanning hundreds of victims over decades - against a medical institution in Illinois and among the biggest in the United States.

The legal community has regularly recognized Daisy’s achievements and advocacy for her clients, earning her several awards from prestigious legal organizations and publications. Since 2017, Daisy has received the Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars award. Since 2019, Leading Lawyers has named her an Emerging Lawyer for five consecutive years. In 2021, Daisy received the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s 40 Under Forty Award. And in 2023, she received the Outstanding Young Alumna Award from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Experience

Languages

• English, Spanish

• J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, 2014
• B.A. Journalism, Villanova University, 2011

• Rising Stars, Illinois Super Lawyers, 2017-Present
• Emerging Lawyer, Leading Lawyers, 2019-Present
• The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch, 2025
• AAJ Leadership Academy, American Association for Justice, 2023
• Outstanding Young Alumna Award, Chicago-Kent College of Law, 2023
• Top Emerging Women Lawyers by Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2021 & 2023
• Top 40 Attorneys Under Forty to Watch in Illinois by Chicago Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2021
• Emerging Lawyer – Personal Injury Plaintiff, Leading Lawyers, 2018-2021
• Emerging Lawyer – Diversity, Leading Lawyers, 2021
• Top 20 Illinois Verdict, 2020
• Coach of the Year, Moot Court Honor Society, 2014

• Big Shoulders Fund Law Program, Mock Trial Coach, 2024-present 

• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2014-present
• Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, 2014-present
• Illinois State Bar Association, 2014-present
  • Judicial Investigator, Alliance of Bar Associations for Judicial Screening, 2017-present
• Chicago-Kent Young Alumni Council, 2018-present
• American Association for Justice, 2017-present
  • Content Curator, Professional Negligence Section, 2024-present
  • Class of 2023 Leadership Academy
• Secretary, Emerging Leaders Auxiliary Board, Casa Central, 2018-2020
• Tutor, Midtown Education Foundation, 2016- 2017
• Firm Liaison, Lawyers in the Classroom, Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago, 2015-2016

$40,000,000 verdict - medical malpractice

Verdict for a spinal cord stroke that occurred during surgery on a child, resulting in paralysis. Daisy directed and crossed several witnesses in this trial.

$35,000,000 settlement – birth injury

A family was awarded a $35 million settlement reached with NorthShore University HealthSystem and Dr. Fabio Ortega for a girl whose cerebral palsy occurred after medical malpractice and negligence by the doctor overseeing her delivery.

$15,000,000 verdict - school and sexual abuse

Verdict against J. Sterling Morton High School District 201 for failing to protect a male student from sexual abuse by a female teacher. Daisy was the first chair of this trial team.

$3,000,000 settlement – workplace injury

Settlement on behalf of a Hispanic construction worker who fell at a construction site and suffered permanent injuries to his back. Daisy’s client will never be able to work again as a construction worker and has permanent deficits that make simple day-to-day activities painful. Through her connection with the client and Spanish language skills, Daisy helped ensure that the client’s story was fully told during discovery depositions, which included various fact witnesses/co-workers with limited English skills.

$1,200,000 settlement - nursing home negligence

Settlement on behalf of a man who was allowed to fall and break his hip at a nursing home. This injury went undiagnosed for over two months and resulted in increased immobility, which in turn caused a stage 4 pressure ulcer, an infection, and death.

$1,100,000 settlement – medical negligence

Settlement on behalf of a veteran who developed a pressure ulcer on his heel, which became infected and resulted in a below-the-knee amputation. Daisy conducted the majority of discovery depositions, during which she obtained key testimony from the nurses admitting that they had violated the standard of care in various respects.

$950,000 settlement – nursing home negligence

Settlement on behalf of the estate of a nursing home resident who developed a pressure ulcer and became dehydrated because of inadequate care. While prosecuting the case, Daisy obtained testimony in which the nurses admitted to falsifying portions of the medical chart.

$800,000 settlement – nursing home negligence

Settlement on behalf of the minor children of a woman who required nursing home services due to early-stage schizophrenia. The woman presented with a change in condition, and her labs showed abnormally dangerous hemoglobin values; however, the nursing home staff failed to address her change in condition promptly, and the woman died.

$500,000 settlement - auto accident and negligence

Settlement for client injured in an auto accident due to negligent vehicle maintenance during an oil change.

$380,000 (plus attorneys’ fees and costs) verdict - nursing home negligence

Verdict in a case involving a woman who fell at the nursing home, developed a serious pressure ulcer due to increased immobility, and developed dehydration. Daisy was responsible for giving the opening statement during the trial, for arguing and drafting important motions in limine, and for conducting direct and cross examinations of numerous witnesses. Daisy was also responsible for conducting all the discovery depositions, during which she obtained key testimony from the nurses admitting that they had violated the standard of care in various respects.

Zayed v. Clark Manor Convalescent Center, Inc., 2019 IL App (1st) 181552; Mickiewicz v. Generation at Regency, LLC, 2020 IL App (1st) 181771 (Ill. App. Ct. 2020).

In Zayed v. Clark Manor and Mickiewicz v. Generation at Regency, Daisy helped persuade the Illinois Appellate Court to decline to follow a previous case, Giles v Parks, which shortened the statute of limitations for disabled individuals. Daisy personally argued this issue before the Illinois Appellate Court and, ultimately, both the Zayed and Mickiewicz panels declined to follow their precedent and described the result in Giles as “harsh and unfair” and a “miscarriage of justice”.  

Pro Bono Hague Convention

Complex case that allowed a mother to remain safely in the United States with her child.

• Illinois State Bar, 2014
• Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois, 2020
• General Bar for the Northern District of Illinois, 2020

Blog Posts

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• Panelist, Breaking into Medical Malpractice - Strategies for Investigation and
  Litigation, American Association for Justice - Lunch & Learn, Chicago, IL, January 2025 
• Co-Presenter, From Tragedy to Triumph: Stories of Resilience in Legal Battles, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association - Trial & Practice Tips Seminar, Chicago, IL, May 2024
• Co-CLE Instructor, How to Prep Clients to Give Good Testimony by Navigating Expectation/Group Bias Presented by Various Cultures, 2023 AAJ Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA, July 2023
• Speaker, Admitted Student Reception, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL, March 2023
• CLE Instructor, Nursing Home Injury Litigation: Common Claims, Medical Records, and Damages Assessment, Strafford Continuing Legal Education, October 8, 2020
• Panelist, Alumni Panel for Admitted Students, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL, April 30, 2020
• CLE Instructor, Deposing Nursing Home Staff and Corporate Representatives, Stratford Continuing Legal Education, April 9, 2019
• Speaker, An Overview of Nursing Home Litigation, Certified Nursing Assistant Association at Prairie State College, Chicago Heights, IL, February 22, 2019
• CLE Instructor, Protecting the Rights of Elderly Clients in Personal Injury in Personal Injury Matters, American Bar Association Commission on Law & Aging, February 19, 2019
• CLE Instructor, Common Ethical Dilemmas in Civil Practice, National Academy of Continuing Legal Education, September 14, 2018
• Panelist, Alumni Panel for 1L Orientation, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL, August 15, 2017
• Panelist, Alumni Panel for 1L Orientation, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL, August 17, 2016
• Panelist, Public vs. Private Sector, ABA 7th Circuit Spring Meeting, Chicago, IL, February 21, 2015

PUBLICATIONS

• Levin, Ayllón, & Radecki, Arbitration “Agreements”: Duress and Confusion, 19 Trial Journal 36; 2017
• Daisy Ayllón, Note, Distinguishing the Corporal From the Divine: Legal Fictions Create Bodies Not Souls, 9 Seventh Circuit Rev. 21; 2013

• Univision Chicago/ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, January 15, 2019: “What steps should you take if you suspect your loved one was neglected in a nursing home?”
• Univision Chicago/ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, November 27, 2018: “What should drivers take into account when traveling by road during this holiday season?”
• Univision Chicago/ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, October 24, 2018: “What is the difference between a civil and criminal case involving police brutality?”
• Univision Chicago/ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, September 12, 2018: “What are your rights and responsibilities as a patient?”
• Univision Chicago/ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, August 29, 2017: “What responsibility do schools have when students are in their care?”
• Univision Chicago/ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, March 15, 2017: “How one's immigration status may affect one's rights to sue due to negligence or other personal injuries.”
• Univision Chicago/ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, October 25, 2016: “What types of negligence can occur in nursing homes and what can be done to protect loved ones living in these places?”