The SST Chicago window offices facing Lake Michigan.

Biography

Zoë Baker is a partner with Sinars Slowikowski Tomaska whose practice includes general negligence, product liability, toxic torts, mass torts, occupational injury, and other environmental claims. Originally from Brighton, England, she now lives on the north side of Chicago with her wife and daughter.

Zoë defends both domestic and international product and equipment manufacturers, premise owners, employers, contractors, and suppliers in general liability, mass toxic tort and product liability cases. She is responsible for all aspects of case management and has experience in defending multi-party personal injury claims involving alleged exposures to asbestos, mold, benzene, and Legionella bacteria. Zoë has successfully defended claims of tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, violation of non-disclosure and non-competition agreements, breach of contract, and breach of express and implied warranties in cases alleging multimillion-dollar damages. She also has experience defending and trying cases alleging general negligence and violations of the Dram Shop Act.

Of note, Zoë has drafted motions to dismiss as part of a nationwide defense for a distributor of raw asbestos that barred all new claims and dismissed hundreds of pending cases in Illinois. She also obtained summary judgment in Iowa for a purchase of asbestos-containing products on claims of negligence, breach of warranty, and strict liability and lack of duty and assisted in the successful defense of a national corporation in a products liability case alleging death via electrocution against theories of negligence and respondeat superior.

Prior to joining Sinars Slowikowski Tomaska, Zoë was Senior Law Clerk to the Honorable Diane J. Larsen, Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division where she authored draft opinions on a wide range of cases. Prior to starting practice, Zoë attended DePaul College of Law, where she obtained four CALI awards, was awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Service, and graduated summa cum laude. ​While in law school, she served as teaching assistant to her legal writing professor and as Editor of Articles, Notes and Comments for DePaul Law Review, Volume 61, 2011-2012. She also has an LLB degree in law from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England in 2007. Zoë is a lifelong follower of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.

When not in court, Zoë can usually be found in her home office sewing clothes.

Publications and Presentations

Contributor, "Civil Practice: Opening the Case" Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Chapter 12, "New Parties" (2019, 2023)

"Unfriending the Stored Communications Act: How Technological Advancement and Legislative Inaction Have Rendered Its Protections Obsolete." DePaul Journal of Art, Technology & Intellectual Property 22, no. 1
(2011)

Contributor, "McGrady on Domain Names: A Global Guide to Disputes, Registration, and Maintenance" Lexis Nexis.