Chicago Area

Jean Allard was the first female partner at the law firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and, along with former University of Chicago President Hanna Holborn Gray, was among the first women to become members of the exclusive Chicago Club.

In 1979, Ms. Allard helped start and became the first chairwoman of the Chicago Network, an organization of influential local women. Her motivation in launching the group was to foster the idea of women helping women, said MarySue Barrett, a member of the Chicago Network who succeeded Ms. Allard as president of the Metropolitan Planning Council in 1996.

Read the full obituary in the Chicago Tribune

Arnstein & Lehr LLP is pleased to announce that three ISBA members have been elevated to equity partner/partner in the firm’s Chicago office.

The following attorney has been elected to equity partner:

Thomas F. McGuire is a member of the firm’s Estate Planning and Tax Practice Groups in Chicago. His practice is concentrated in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, and taxation. McGuire received his undergraduate degree and law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The following associates have been promoted to partner:

W. Toby Eveland is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group in Chicago. His practice focuses on business litigation, class action litigation and complex insurance disputes, in fields such as real estate, construction, higher education, risk management, professional liability, health care, employment, intellectual property, warranty, and condominium law. Eveland received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from the University of North Alabama and his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

The Illinois State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division will host its Annual Bean Bag Party and Tournament on Saturday, March 10, from noon to 4 p.m. Please join us in supporting this event to benefit the Illinois Bar Foundation/YLD Children’s Assistance Program. The YLD Children's Assistance Fund is a special fund of the Illinois Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable entity.

• When: Saturday, March 10, 2012 from noon to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: Mahoney’s Pub and Grille, 551 N. Ogden Ave. (on Ogden near Grand),Chicago, IL (map and directions)
• What: Appetizer bar and domestic draft beer, mixed well drinks and soft drinks
• Cost: $35 per person per wristband or $100 for entrance fee for Bean Bag Tournament for a team of two with two wristbands. You must be 21 years old and older to participate.
• Deadline: Bean Bag Team registration and wristband registration open until Tuesday, March 6 and thereafter wristbands can be purchased at the door the day of the event
• Register at www.isba.org/sections/yld/beanbag

Prizes will be given to the first and second place teams. Questions? Contact: Matthew Coleman, mcoleman@ridgeassoc.comor or Elizabeth McKillip, Elizabeth.mckillip@icemiller.com.

Jason P. Eckerly has been elected to shareholder status at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd.

Mr. Eckerly is an experienced litigator and trial counsel whose practice focuses on the defense of toxic tort, asbestos and general liability litigation. He serves on many of the firm’s national coordinating counsel teams, developing and coordinating the defense of large corporations across the country.

He is a 1998 graduate of Michigan State University and a 2002 graduate of DePaul University College of Law.

From its roots as a four-lawyer shop in Chicago just over 25 years ago, Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd., has grown to a law firm with approximately 150 lawyers and offices in Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Jersey City, New York and Philadelphia. To learn more about the firm, visit www.smsm.com.