Meet Symone

Symone Shinton | Founder

At the age of fourteen, Symone was sexually abused by an adult member of her local church in her hometown in Florida. Her abuser was imprisoned, and Symone experienced firsthand how the legal process can be its own separate trauma for survivors of sexual abuse. Navigating poverty with her single, immigrant mother, they were unaware that she had a legitimate lawsuit against the church until it was too late. This was not Symone’s first experience with the legal system. Before she started high school, Symone argued at her father’s criminal sentencing hearing. She understood then that she was destined to become a lawyer.

Symone graduated valedictorian of her law school in Chicago, achieving academic awards wherever she directed her attention. Enticed by the financial security and intellectual challenge, Symone spent the first seven years of her career working for some of the largest and best corporate defense firms. In that era, Symone learned Fortune 500 companies from the inside out. She became an expert in how these entities protect themselves from high-stakes personal injury lawsuits nationwide. Symone was trusted by those companies to prepare, defend, and take dozens of depositions of C-Suite executives and corporate scientists. She managed teams of lawyers across the nation and collaborated with some of the nation’s best and largest law firms, including litigation that would go on to settle for $12.5 billion. Symone values the relationships and experiences she developed and brings her network and credibility into her current practice when negotiating with companies.

In 2023, Symone transitioned to representing survivors of sexual abuse, feeling called to use her talents to empower and educate disenfranchised individuals who have legitimate claims against companies. Symone has represented over 1,000 survivors of sexual abuse at her prior firm, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements for the firm’s clients. Symone’s practice concentrates on litigating against the institutions that negligently provide platforms for sexual predators.

In 2025, Symone founded her own law firm to fully devote her practice to holistically empowering survivors of sexual abuse on her own terms. Symone provides a bespoke approach tailored to each client's unique circumstances and traumas, partnering with them to restore their sense of agency and control by taking legal action. Symone recognizes that the legal process can be its own source of trauma that deters many survivors from coming forward. Symone's survivors can expect transparent representation where they know what to expect and have the choice to actively or passively engage throughout representation. Symone views herself as a translator and a megaphone, but it is always the survivor who is speaking.

Professional Organizations

  • National Crime Victim Bar Association - Amicus Brief Writing Committee Member

  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Member

  • Milestone Foundation, Partners for Justice Founding Member

  • Panelist, Women En Mass Torts, Emerging Trends: Defendant Tactics in Mass Torts – Sexual Abuse (2025)

  • Panelist, AAJ Chicago, Navigating the Illinois Gender Violence Act (2025)

  • Panelist, Trial Lawyers of Mass Torts, Associate’s Role on Complex Trial Teams (2023)

  • Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation - Annual Sponsor

  • Ascend Justice - Annual Sponsor

  • Secretary of the Board, Private Plug Foundation (2026)

  • Board Member, Chicago Bar Association's Lawyers in the Classroom Program (2024-present)

Her Approach

Symone knows firsthand that the legal system can retraumatize survivors, and she has built her entire practice around changing that reality. She provides transparent, survivor-centered representation where clients maintain control over their case and choose how actively they want to engage in the process. Drawing on her years defending Fortune 500 companies, Symone now uses that insider knowledge to hold powerful institutions accountable, approaching each case with the understanding that legal action is not just about compensation, it's about restoring agency, dignity, and voice to those who have been silenced.

The Survivors’ Lawyer

The nation’s choice for ethically empowering survivors of sexual abuse through transparent representation rooted in integrity.