Rodney Lewis is an experienced and seasoned litigator and has assisted corporate clients in complex commercial litigation matters across an array of industries in state and federal courts, including consumer class action defense under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, various state consumer protection laws, construction and commercial real estate litigation, False Claims Act defense, privacy and data security matters, and general commercial disputes. His concentration is in litigating financial services and business disputes. 

Since joining Polsinelli, he has successfully defended several clients in civil trials, defeated motions for class certification, won cases on summary judgment, obtained favorable results for clients through alternative dispute resolution processes, and negotiated favorable settlements for clients where appropriate. Honed by a decade of running his own business in the competitive entertainment industry, Rodney is dedicated to understanding his clients’ business and possesses project management skills that help him identify and implement effective strategies for clients.

Education

  • DePaul University College of Law (J.D., with high honors, 2005)
    • Herzog Scholar; Hinshaw Scholar
  • University of Illinois (B.A., 1992)
    • President's Award Scholar

Bar Admission

  • Illinois, 2006

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Professional Affiliations

  • Law360 Illinois Editorial Board, 2025
  • Chicago Committee for Minority Lawyers in Large Law Firms
    • Board Member
  • American Bar Association
  • National Bar Association
  • March of Dimes Chicago
    • Board Member, 2015 to Present
  • Edutainment Project
    • Board Member, 2012 to Present
  • Envision Unlimited
    • Associate Board Member, 2011-2012

Recognition

  • Named one of 2018's "Most Notable Minority Lawyers" by Crain's Chicago Business
  • Honored as one of Chicago Defender's "50" Men of Excellence 
  • Appointed to Board of Directors of the Chicago Committee, 2018 
  • 2015 L.C.L.D. Leadership Council Fellow
  • Selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Business Litigation, 2013- 2016
  • DePaul University College of Law Distinguished Alumni, 2015 Section
  • Walk-on Member of University of Illinois Varsity Basketball Team
  • Theater Alliance Awards Winner 
  • Ebony Magazine Future Leaders Finalist
  • Represented United States in Music International Festival

Clerkships

  • Judicial Clerkship: Hon. Ann Claire Williams, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
Publications
All Publications
Texas Expands Its Mini-TCPA: Text Messages Now Covered, Litigation Risk Rises
Key Takeaways: The Texas Mini-TCPA now expressly includes text messages as “telephone solicitations,” expanding the scope of businesses required to comply with Texas’s unique registration and security requirements. Violations of the Texas Mini-TCPA’s do-not-call and mobile telemarketing consent provisions are now deemed “unfair or deceptive practices” under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, increasing litigation risk. Companies should review their approach to telemarketing in Texas and consider whether they should obtain a Texas telemarketing registration certificate or whether their activities fall into any of the statutory exemptions. Texas Mini-TCPA Amendments Take Effect Texas is one of several states that have adopted their own version of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), also known as a “Mini-TCPA.” The Texas Mini-TCPA covers much of the same
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TCPA Class Actions Challenge Companies for Not Scrubbing Against the FCC’s Reassigned Numbers Database
Key Takeaways: Companies should scrub calling lists against the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND) at least every 31 days to protect themselves from TCPA liability. Plaintiffs’ firms are targeting companies for contacting phone numbers where the subscribers had consented to be contacted but the phone numbers subsequently were reassigned to new subscribers who did not provide prior express written consent and with whom no established business relationship exists. Businesses that fail to verify reassigned numbers and remove them from their databases may face costly litigation and substantial financial settlements or judgments. TCPA Lawsuits on the Rise The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) prohibits a range of outbound telephone activity directed towards consumers who do not consent to being contacted. Recently, however, plaintiffs have begun to bring
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