Chicago Area

Justice Mary Jane Theis and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Cecilia A. Horan as an at-large Cook County Circuit Judge.

Ms. Horan was appointed to fill the position held by the Hon. Russell W. Hartigan, who is retiring from judicial office on Jan. 17, 2017.

The appointment takes effect January 19, 2016 and will terminate on Dec. 3, 2018, when the position will be filled by the 2018 General Election.

Judge Debra Walker, former President of the Illinois Bar Foundation, is the recipient of the 2017 National Conference of Bar Foundations (NCBF) Excellence Award.  The award, to be presented at the NCBF midyear meeting in Miami in February, recognizes an outstanding contribution to law-related philanthropy by an individual. Prior to her election to the Cook County Circuit Court in 2008, she was a partner at the law firm of Clausen Miller, P.C. where she concentrated on professional liability matters. 

Judge Walker has a long record of leadership in the legal profession. As a past president of the Illinois Bar Foundation, she served longer than any other board member in its 65-year history, holding the offices of Secretary and Vice President, as well as Chair of the Fellows program. A regular attendee at NCBF meetings, she served one term on the NCBF Board of Trustees, which included her service as chair of the Awards Committee and as a member of the Program Committee.  She also participated as a presenter at NCBF midyear and annual meetings. She was recently elected to the Illinois Judges Foundation board of directors.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis has begun an application process for a judicial vacancy in the Fourth Judicial Subcircuit of Cook County.

The vacancy is created by the retirement of the Hon. Thomas Davy.

Under the Illinois Constitution, judicial vacancies are filled on an interim basis by Supreme Court appointment. Justice Theis will make recommendations to the Supreme Court after applicants undergo a screening and evaluation process.

Sugar Felsenthal Grais & Hammer LLP (“SFGH”) announced Monday that Michael A. Brandess has been elevated to partner.

Michael joined the firm’s business transactions and corporate restructuring and creditors’ rights practice groups in 2011. He has a wealth of experience representing companies in a wide array of healthy and distressed situations. He has led complex restructurings and liquidations across the country, in industries ranging from energy, real estate, construction, agriculture, retail, financial services, telecommunications and restaurant franchises. Michael also consistently represents asset purchasers and sellers in complex transactions, creditors’ committees in difficult reorganizations and trustees during the wind-down of multi-million dollar bankruptcy estates.