Steven M. Ruffalo

Partner
Office: Chicago
sruffalo@kdlegal.com
p: 312-651-2434
f: 312-423-9303

Steven Ruffalo is a Partner in the firm's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. He has extensive experience in litigating, trying, and settling a wide range of cases across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. His practice focuses on distilling complex disputes into practical solutions, often working with corporate and individual clients on issues including professional malpractice, business conflicts, contested estates, financial exploitation, property disputes, employment matters, and corporate governance issues.

Steven frequently provides pre-litigation counsel, helping clients proactively address potential disputes and avoid costly litigation. Through mediation and strategic resolution techniques, he has shielded clients from prolonged litigation, fostering efficient, confidential outcomes.

Experience

Representative Experience

Represented employers and senior executives in employment disputes over restrictive covenants and wrongful termination.
Defended employers in BIPA-related class and collective actions, including handling coverage disputes.
Provided general and litigation counsel to mid-market, closely held companies across sectors, including a global logistics provider, food and beverage co-packer, contractor supply and rental center, national accounting firm, and insurance casualty broker.

Professional Associations

Member; Past-President; Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, DuPage County Bar Association
Member, Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee

Civic Involvement

President, DuPage County Bar Association
Board of Directors, Anima - Glenn Ellyn Children's Chorus
Board of Directors, College of DuPage Foundation
Ethics Officer, The Village of Glen Ellyn
Secretary, Medinah Country Club
Special Counsel, College of DuPage

Awards & Recognitions

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer & Client Rated, 1999-Present
AVVO Superb Rating
Leading Lawyer, Nation's Top Lawyers

Seminars & Presentations

Presenter, Arbitration and Mediation Case Law Updates & Trends, October 30, 2024
Presenter, Current Trends in Arbitration and Effective Mediation Strategies, DuPage County Bar Association, May 19, 2024
Presenter, Developments in the Enforceability of Arbitration Clauses, DuPage County Bar Association, November 14, 2023
Presenter, Legal Action Television Program Starting Your Own Business, DuPage County Bar Association, 2012

Publications

Author, "In the Matter of Good v. Evil: Good's Motion to Intervene," DuPage County Bar Association, December 2010
Author, "Pretrial Settlement Conferences: A Roundtable Discussion With Judges Patrick J. Leston, Hollis L. Webster and Bonnie M. Wheaton," DuPage County Bar Association

Credentials

Education

J.D., University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1988
M.B.A., Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois, 1988
B.S. in Business Management, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1984

Bar & Court Admissions

Illinois, 1989
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit
Federal Trial Bar U.S. District Court for the Northern District of IL
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of WI

Practices & Industries

Practices

Industries

Beyond the Office

Fishing

Golf

Notre Dame Football

Insights

Financial Services

Steven M. Sherman Joins Krieg DeVault’s Real Estate and Environmental Practice; will Focus in the Areas of Energy and Public Utilities

November 30, 2023

Secured Lender

Are We in a Banking Crisis? What the Silicon Valley and Signature Banks’ Failure Tell Us About the Future of Financial Institutions (Podcast)

April 13, 2023

Real Estate

13 Krieg DeVault Attorneys Recognized by 2023 Best Lawyers®; 7 Named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America® Listing; 1 Receives “Lawyer of the Year” Designation; 6 Receive “Ones to Watch” Designation

August 18, 2022

Financial Services

Your Customer Is Heading Towards Bankruptcy, What Should You Do Now?

June 23, 2022

Firm News and Events

Krieg DeVault Partners John B. Baxter and Robert A. Greising Named to Chambers USA 2022 List; Firm Named to Chambers USA 2022 List for Real Estate

June 22, 2022

Financial Services

Supreme Court Confirms that to Violate the TCPA your Automatic Telephone System Must Use a Random or Sequential Generator

April 7, 2021

Secured Lender

Krieg DeVault's Kay Dee Baird Elected Chair of the Indianapolis Bar Association's Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section for 2021

January 1, 2021

Real Estate

The Importance of Paying Attention to Notices Received in Bankruptcy Cases: Creditor Misses Proof of Claim Bar Date and Loses Claim for $2 Million

November 13, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Moratorium on Residential Property Evictions and Mortgage Foreclosures Will Continue Through the End of July 2020

July 5, 2020

Financial Services

CFPB Provides Flexibility to Financial Institutions When Dealing with Billing Errors, Payment Rules and Deposit Accounts Terms Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

May 17, 2020

Real Estate

A Message from Krieg DeVault LLP's Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy Practice Group on Our Response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic

March 23, 2020

Financial Services

Financial Services Regulators Respond to COVID-19

March 22, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Court of Appeals Expands De Facto Merger Exception to the General Rule Regarding Corporate Liability for Debts

March 8, 2020

Secured Lender

Seventh Circuit Confirms that the Bankruptcy Code Expressly Subordinates a Seller's Reclamation Claim to the Prior Rights of a Secured Creditor

February 19, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Supreme Court Rejects Imposition of “Rule of Reasonableness” on the Statutes of Limitations Applicable to a Lender's Pursuit of a Defaulted Mortgage Installment Promissory Note

February 19, 2020

Financial Services

Indiana DFI Enforcement Action Against Auto Dealer Underscores the Importance of Ensuring Indirect Lending Partners Understand Consumer Credit Laws

May 8, 2018

Thought Leadership

The Department of Defense Issues an "Interpretative Rule" to the Military Lending Act - Auto and Personal Property Lenders Faced With Regulatory Uncertainty

January 9, 2018

Thought Leadership

Hold Your Filings: Preliminary Injunction Placed on Government Enforcement of CTA and Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Requirements

December 4, 2024

Firm News and Events

Senior Associate Elizabeth M. Roberson Named Indiana State Bar Association Employment, Labor & Benefits Law Section Chair

November 26, 2024

Labor and Employment

Partner and Firm Executive Committee Member Brian M. Heaton Elected to Serve as President of the Board of Directors of the Association for Corporate Growth Indiana

May 23, 2024

Krieg DeVault Podcast Series

Secure Act 2.0 Allows Employers to Make Matching Contributions to Retirement Plans Based on Employees’ Student Loan Payments

August 17, 2023

Labor and Employment

NLRB Memo Clarifies the Implications of McLaren Macomb and Whether Employers’ Severance Agreements Violate Employees’ NLRA Rights

June 1, 2023

Employee Benefits

Known By the Successful Company We Keep® - Krieg DeVault Issues Annual Ad Showcasing Transactions from Many of Our Valued and Successful Clients

January 30, 2023

Labor and Employment

Owners / GCs / Subs / Suppliers / Lessors – Check Your Contracts. Court of Appeals Decision Highlights Challenges when Dispute Resolution Process Varies

August 25, 2022

Employee Benefits

U.S. House of Representatives Reintroduces the MORE Act: Will 2021 be the Year Federal Cannabis Prohibition Finally Ends?

June 14, 2021

Labor and Employment

COVID-19 Vaccinations: Employer Incentives and Other New Guidance from the EEOC

June 3, 2021

Secured Lender

Indiana Supreme Court Curtails Attempted Expansion of Exceptions to General Rule Regarding Successor Liability in Corporate Transactions

May 7, 2021

Business

Governor Holcomb Signs Legislation Modifying Indiana’s Zero Tolerance Per Se Driving Law for Marijuana or Marijuana Metabolite

April 20, 2021

Labor and Employment

Indiana Supreme Court Affirms Freedom of Contract Principles in Closely Held Company Valuation Case: Choose Your Words Carefully

February 2, 2021

Business

Rock, Meet Hard Place: Reflections from 2020 on Compliance Risks Surrounding Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

December 18, 2020

Labor and Employment

Time to Tidy Up Remote Work Policies as Work from Home Arrangements Likely to Continue

December 18, 2020

Labor and Employment

How to Identify and Curb Employee Abuse of Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family Medical Leave and Still Comply With the FFRCA

December 18, 2020

Labor and Employment

The [Economic] Reality for Employers: The Department of Labor's Proposed New Rule for Determining Independent Contractor Status

October 5, 2020

Labor and Employment

COVID-19 Safety Compliance Alert: Time to Re-Evaluate Current Plans as Indiana Enters Stage 5

September 28, 2020

Labor and Employment

What Employers Need to Know about the Revised FFCRA Regulations

September 18, 2020

Business

Businesses That File Indiana Sales and Withholding Taxes Must Transition Accounts to New Indiana Department of Revenue System Starting September 8, 2020

September 8, 2020

Labor and Employment

Employee Opioid Use, Addiction, and the ADA: EEOC Guidance Indicates Opioid Use and Addiction May Give Rise to ADA Rights

August 24, 2020

Business

Tax-Exempt Organizations Should be Prepared to File and Pay the Section 4960 Excise Tax on Executive Compensation by July 15, 2020

June 29, 2020

Business

Paycheck Protection Program: Aggregated Guidance for Loans and Forgiveness

June 24, 2020

Business

PPP Loan Forgiveness Applications Available

June 18, 2020

Labor and Employment

Recent Seventh Circuit Title VII Sex Discrimination Case Offers Reminders for Employers About the Need for Consistency in Employment Practices and Decisions

June 17, 2020

Labor and Employment

IRS Releases FAQs on Tax Treatment of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund and Emergency Financial Aid Grants under CARES Act

May 10, 2020

Thought Leadership

UPDATED - Paycheck Protection Program: Confirm the Necessity or Return the Funds

May 5, 2020

Thought Leadership

Further Relief for Indiana Businesses During the Time of COVID-19: Remote Meetings and Suspending Five-Year Limit on Reinstatements

May 4, 2020

Thought Leadership

IRS Provides Updated Guidance Related to Recent COVID-19 Releases

May 3, 2020

Labor and Employment

Getting Back on Track: How Indiana Businesses can Create the Plan Required by Governor Holcomb's Executive Order 20-26 to Keep Employees and Patrons Safe by the May 11, 2020 Deadline

May 3, 2020

Thought Leadership

SBA Issues Additional Interim Guidance on Paycheck Protection Program Clarifying Treatment of Self-Employment and Partner Income

April 15, 2020

Thought Leadership

Insurance Coverage for COVID-19: Six Steps to Help Your Business Maximize Insurance Coverage That May Be Available to Offset COVID-19 Losses and Claims

March 29, 2020

Labor and Employment

Employment Law Bulletin - Department of Labor Continues to Provide Additional Information on Paid Leave Requirements Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

March 29, 2020

Thought Leadership

Employment Law Bulletin - Department of Labor Publishes Additional Information on Paid Leave Requirements Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

March 25, 2020

Thought Leadership

Indiana Blue Pencil Doctrine is More of a Blue Pen Doctrine as it Permits Courts to Strike through but not Erase Unenforceable Provisions in Restrictive Covenants

January 1, 2020

Labor and Employment

Corben A. Lee Joins Krieg DeVault's Business, Acquisitions, and Securities and Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Groups

January 27, 2019

Firm News and Events

Daniel Tychonievich Joins Krieg DeVault's Business, Acquisitions, and Securities Practice Group; will focus on Intellectual Property and Technology Matters

January 27, 2019

Firm News and Events

Proposed Regulations Allowing for Expanded Usage of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) - Another Step In President Trump's Focus on Health Care Reform

November 18, 2018

Thought Leadership

Proposed Regulations Allowing for Expanded Usage of Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) - Another Step In President Trump's Focus on Health Care Reform

November 18, 2018

Thought Leadership

Representative Experience

Represented employers and senior executives in employment disputes over restrictive covenants and wrongful termination.
Defended employers in BIPA-related class and collective actions, including handling coverage disputes.
Provided general and litigation counsel to mid-market, closely held companies across sectors, including a global logistics provider, food and beverage co-packer, contractor supply and rental center, national accounting firm, and insurance casualty broker.

Professional Associations

Member; Past-President; Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, DuPage County Bar Association
Member, Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee

Civic Involvement

President, DuPage County Bar Association
Board of Directors, Anima - Glenn Ellyn Children's Chorus
Board of Directors, College of DuPage Foundation
Ethics Officer, The Village of Glen Ellyn
Secretary, Medinah Country Club
Special Counsel, College of DuPage

Awards & Recognitions

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer & Client Rated, 1999-Present
AVVO Superb Rating
Leading Lawyer, Nation's Top Lawyers

Seminars & Presentations

Presenter, Arbitration and Mediation Case Law Updates & Trends, October 30, 2024
Presenter, Current Trends in Arbitration and Effective Mediation Strategies, DuPage County Bar Association, May 19, 2024
Presenter, Developments in the Enforceability of Arbitration Clauses, DuPage County Bar Association, November 14, 2023
Presenter, Legal Action Television Program Starting Your Own Business, DuPage County Bar Association, 2012

Publications

Author, "In the Matter of Good v. Evil: Good's Motion to Intervene," DuPage County Bar Association, December 2010
Author, "Pretrial Settlement Conferences: A Roundtable Discussion With Judges Patrick J. Leston, Hollis L. Webster and Bonnie M. Wheaton," DuPage County Bar Association

Education

J.D., University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1988
M.B.A., Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois, 1988
B.S. in Business Management, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1984

Bar & Court Admissions

Illinois, 1989
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit
Federal Trial Bar U.S. District Court for the Northern District of IL
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of WI