Emily Milman

Emily Mulder Milman serves as Assistant General Counsel of Euromarket Designs, Inc. d/b/a Crate&Barrel and CB2.

As one of only two in-house lawyers for the company, her legal work runs the gamut including contract negotiation, intellectual property counseling and managing litigation for three brands – Crate and Barrel, CB2 and The Land of Nod. Milman has worked for the company since 2012.  She is engaged with virtually every department of the company and works closely with the senior executive and management teams, as well as with outside counsel, including Gina Reif Ilardi, a partner at Sheppard Mullin, who notes that, “Emily listens carefully, asks good questions, identifies problems and effectively communicates solutions. She is good at making complex concepts understandable and practical….”

Milman, 37, is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Law. Prior to her current position, she was a partner in the General Litigation group at the law firm of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP in Chicago.

At Neal, Gerber, Milman was counsel for both local and national companies, in addition to representing individuals. Her cases involved white collar criminal matters and high-stakes commercial disputes.

Milman participated in and helped form several committees at her prior law firm, and served as co-chair of the Women’s Network, a group devoted to the business and professional development of the firm’s women attorneys.

Kathryn Doi, with the City of Chicago Department of Law, met Milman in law school. Doi said in 2010, their paths crossed professionally when a judge appointed Milman to represent a plaintiff in a civil rights case where Doi represented the defendant Chicago police officer.

The plaintiff claimed the police officer used excessive force and violated his Fourth Amendment rights, resulting in considerable physical injuries.

“Emily was a consummate professional during this case and a vigorous advocate for her client,” Doi said. “She was cognizant at every turn as to the issues faced by her client and the impact of each of the decisions that she was making on his behalf.”   In 2011, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois presented Emily with an award for excellence in pro bono service in recognition of her commitment to this client and the very favorable result that she achieved for him in this case. 

Angela R. Elbert, of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, served as a formal mentor to Milman when she began her career, and has watched her grow into the attorney she is today.

Elbert commended Milman’s fearlessness and no-nonsense approach to the practice of law.

“Emily has always been mature and confident enough to tell partners and clients for whom she worked her opinion about important issues, even when he answer was not a popular one,” Elbert said. “Clients really appreciate Emily’s ability to give straight answers, even for difficult questions.”

Elbert called Milman an exceptionally talented writer.

“She is still my most valued speech editor whenever I have an important speech to make,” Elbert said. “She has a way of synthesizing written words down to the core of the idea.”

Scott Fisher, of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, formerly worked with Milman on several matters, including one of the largest cases pending in the United States – a $4.5 billion price-fixing dispute.

“Emily brings her substantial intelligence and excellent judgment to bear on the most demanding matters,” he said.

In recent years, Milman has had significant involvement with Teb’s Troops, a charitable organization dedicated to funding the fight against melanoma. She is a current committee member of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, and she sits on the advisory board of her children’s nursery school.