Three Partners Honored as Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business

A trio of partners — Diana Doyle, Jana Kovich, and Heather Waller — have been named to Crain’s Chicago Business’s 2026 list of Notable Women in Law. According to the publication, “these Notable attorneys reflect the breadth of influence shaping business, government, and civic life. Their work spans boardrooms and courtrooms, regulatory agencies, and nonprofits, with impact felt locally and nationwide.” Honorees were chosen “for their leadership, professional achievement, and community engagement,” and the successes of those selected to the list “illustrate how legal expertise supports growth, accountability, and innovation across Chicago’s economy.”

• Diana Doyle is a nationally renowned transactional tax lawyer who has dedicated her nearly 30‑year career at Latham to advising multinational public and private companies on complex transactions, including structuring taxable and tax‑free mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions; cross‑border migrations; and partnership tax matters. She regularly represents leading clients across a range of industries, including publicly traded Stericycle on its US$7.2 billion acquisition by Waste Management. Her pro bono work has included creating the tax‑efficient structure for the US$5.8 million fund for victims of the Highland Park Fourth of July shooting.
• Jana Kovich advises life sciences and technology startups and venture capital investors on a full range of transactional and operational matters across the company life cycle. She partners with founders, management, and investors to develop a sophisticated understanding of long‑term business objectives and distills complex legal concepts into actionable commercial advice across high‑growth sectors. Her work includes dozens of venture capital, growth equity, and exit transactions each year. Recently, she helped guide Tegus, a Chicago‑based investor research platform, through critical funding rounds and strategic acquisitions, and represented the company in its US$930 million acquisition by AlphaSense.
• Heather Waller, a seasoned trial lawyer, spearheads Latham’s work on a variety of complex litigation matters in state and federal court. She regularly represents clients in securities litigation at both the trial and appellate levels and has extensive experience defending clients in connection with investigations by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and related civil litigation. She recently represented GTCR BC Holdings in Illinois federal court, where she examined multiple witnesses during a two‑week preliminary injunction hearing. Ultimately, the Latham team defeated the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block GTCR portfolio company Biocoat’s acquisition of Surmodics.