Sugar Felsenthal Grais & Hammer LLP (“SugarFGH”), formerly known as Sugar & Felsenthal LLP, has added two name partners: tax partner, Adam J. Grais, and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights partner, Aaron L. Hammer. Douglas J. Antonio has also joined the firm as partner, bringing his extensive experience in taxation, real estate, affordable housing and community development matters.  Attorneys joining the firm’s expanded bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice include Mark S. Melickian as counsel and associates Michael A. Brandess and Jack R. O’Connor.

“After 30 years of successfully building this firm with Steve Felsenthal, I am proud to have Aaron and Adam establish a springboard for our continued success over the next 30 years,” said founding partner Richard A. Sugar. “The energy and resourcefulness that these two talented attorneys bring to the firm’s clients will assure a continued high level of service in keeping with our firm’s traditions and values,” added Sugar.    

Partner Adam J. Grais focuses his practice on federal income tax matters and serving the myriad needs of family offices and businesses. He is a member of the firm’s Federal Tax Planning and Litigation Group, Tax Credit and Affordable Housing Group, and its Business Transactions and Real Estate Group. Prior to joining the firm in 2005, Grais served as in-house counsel to the financial group of the Pritzker family and he continues to provide counsel to the Pritzker interests.  Prior to going in-house, Grais worked in the tax department of a large multinational law firm.  Grais has also served as a consulting expert witness in complex tax shelter cases and represented clients in tax disputes before the Internal Revenue Service.  He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago.

Aaron L. Hammer brings his well-established national bankruptcy practice to SugarFGH with a broad base of clients including Fortune 500 companies, creditor’s committees and financial institutions.  He also frequently represents large corporate debtors, bondholders, hedge funds, receivers, landlords and buyers and sellers of distressed assets in both domestic and cross-border insolvency proceedings.  Hammer was named a “Leading Lawyer in Field” by Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in its 2011 and 2010 publications, recognized by Turnaround & Workouts as an Outstanding Young Restructuring Attorney in 2010 and honored by the Turnaround Management Association with its Large Transaction of the Year award in 2009.  Hammer received his J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from Northwestern University School of Law where he served as an adjunct professor of law for nearly a decade.

“With almost 100 years combined experience of its bankruptcy and creditors’ rights professionals, SugarFGH now has one of the most experienced insolvency practices in the Midwest,” said Howard B. Samuels, Founder and President of Rally Capital Services LLC, a leading turnaround firm.  Partners Etahn M. Cohen and Leland H. Chait each bring decades of experience handling complex distressed transactions and insolvency litigation, respectively.  Counsel Mark S. Melickian joins the team after serving as in-house counsel at Navistar Financial Corporation, following long stints at several global law firms.  Melickian has represented significant commercial interests in dozens of high-profile chapter 11 bankruptcies including Montgomery Ward, Kmart Corporation, United Air Lines,Delta Air Lines, Pacific Gas & Electric,World Com and Favorite Brands.  He received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.  Bankruptcy paralegal Craig Coleman brings over ten years of experience, and associates Michael Brandess and Jack O’Connor round out the firm’s expanded Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights practice group.

Douglas J. Antonio joins SugarFGH as a member of the Tax Credit and Affordable Housing Group, the Federal Tax Planning and Litigation Group and the Business Transactions and Real Estate Group.  For the past 12 years Antonio was a partner at Duane Morris, LLP where he served co-chair of the Affordable Housing and Community Development sub-practice group.  Antonio has a diverse tax, real estate and corporate practice and represents developers, investors, lenders and other for-profit and non-profit sponsors in creation of projects utilizing a number of federal and state tax subsidy programs, including historic, new markets, low-income housing, energy and employment tax credits.  Antonio received his J.D. (with Honors), M.B.A., B.S. (in Mathematics) and B.A. (with High Honors in Economics) from the University of Maryland and holds an LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a past Chairman of the Tax Committee of the Chicago Bar Association.

SugarFGH is a premier boutique law firm for business known for its big firm capability and small firm flexibility and responsiveness.  Serving corporate, institutional and individual clients, SugarFGH handles complex business transactions, commercial litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring law, federal income tax planning and litigation, federal, state and local tax credit planning and estate planning and administration.  Based in Chicago, the firm builds enduring, trusted relationships with its clients and provides them with creative legal solutions in challenging and changing business environments.