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  • April 10, 2014 | People
    Richard Gordon Harbinger 1923-2014

    Beloved Richard Harbinger of Brentwood, Calif., passed away January 17 in Santa Monica. The family interred him at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Hollywood Hills.

    He was born in Los Angeles in 1923 to Louis and Anne. He was married to his loving and lovely wife Annette Wong Harbinger.

    He was a graduate of Fairfax High, UCLA, Princeton University and Notre Dame Law School. Richard was a member of the American Bar Association, the California Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Beverly Hills Bar Association. He also served on the board of the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation and the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists. A mentor and teacher of the Chinese students and scholars at UCLA, he taught at law schools in China.

  • March 28, 2014 | People
    Rodney Pitts 1948-2014

    Rodney Joseph Pitts, 65, of Lake Tapawingo, Mo., passed away Feb. 27, 2014 at his home.

    He was born May 15, 1948 in Litchfield, Il to Bill and Lola (Fensterman) Pitts. Rodney was a graduate of St. Louis University with a Juris Doctorate. He was an Attorney at Law in the Law Office of Rodney J. Pitts in Wood River, IL. He was an Assistant State Attorney in Madison County from (1973-1982). State of Illinois Special Attorney General (1976-1982), attorney for the St. Louis Regional Airport, Bethalto, IL, City Attorney for Village of East Alton, IL (1976-2004), Wood River Township Attorney (1991-2004), Adjunct Professor, Criminal Law, Lewis and Clark Community College, Godfrey, IL (1974-1977). He served as an Alderman in the City of Lake Tapawingo. On December 1, 1982 he was united in marriage to Nicole Kileen. Rodney was a Presbyterian by faith. He enjoyed fishing, guns, target shooting, and spending time with family and friends. Rodney was a tissue donor and encourages others to do likewise. He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant sister, Mary Gaye Pitts.

    In addition to his wife Nicole, he is survived by his son, Jason Walter Pitts of Maryland Heights MO; daughter, Alaina Marie Pitts of Wood River IL; grandchild, Haley Marie Monroe, brother, Gregory William Pitts of Lake Tapawingo, MO; sister, Barbara Ann Smith and husband Craig of Brighton, IL; one nephew Craig Smith II, his wife Michelle, and great niece Addyson.

  • February 28, 2014 | People
    Langhenry, Gillen, Lundquist & Johnson, LLC announces Bill Weiler passes Indiana Bar

    Langhenry, Gillen, Lundquist & Johnson, LLC is happy to announce that our partner, Bill Weiler, after 24 years of practice in Illinois, was admitted to the Indiana Bar. Bill joins LGLJ Associates John Masters and Nick Poteres, previously admitted to practice in Indiana.    With Bill's admission to the Indiana Bar, LGLJ is well-positioned to assist our clients in matters throughout the State of Indiana. Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding any of your Indiana legal needs.

  • February 5, 2014 | ISBA News | Events
    Hotel reservations being accepted for 138th Annual Meeting

    The 2014 Annual Meeting will be held at the Grand Geneva in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin from June 19–21. Take advantage of this opportunity to make your reservations for lodging early. To make reservations at the Grand Geneva, please call 855.833.5345 and reference reservation code #75C7TU or indicate you are attending the Illinois State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. Rates for 2014 are $177 for single or double occupancy, plus resort fee and tax. A deposit of first night’s lodging is required. Check-in after 4:00 p.m. and check-out before 12:00 p.m.

    The deadline for making reservations for lodging is on or before May 19, 2014. Reservations received after this date will be subject to availability. The deposit will be forfeited for all no-shows, early departures and cancellations less than 7 days prior to arrival.

  • January 13, 2014 | People
    Gerald F. Tuite, Sr. 1928-2013

    Gerald F. Tuite, Sr., 85, died Tuesday, December 31, 2013 in Naples, Fla. He was a former long time Rockford resident.

    Gerald was a combat infantry leader as well as a chief photographer for the US Army Signal Corp in Japan during the Korean War. After the Army, he attended Rockford College and Georgetown University. He then attended Chicago-Kent College of Law, graduating with Honors and a Juris Doctor degree in 1958. During law school, he worked as a claims adjuster for Travelers Insurance Company.

    In 1958, he opened his law office in Rockford, Illinois. His law firm of Gerald Tuite & Associates specialized in Labor Law, Workers' Compensation Law and Personal Injury Law. He was the Senior Partner of the firm, where he handled and litigated cases for injured workers. His son, Gregory Tuite, began practicing in his father's law firm and has taken over the firm, which is now known as Greg Tuite & Associates.

  • November 14, 2013 | People
    Frederic N. Richman 1937-2013

    Frederic N. Richman passed away Sunday at the age of 76.  For nearly 50 years, Fred provided much respected legal and business counsel to a range of clients in the areas of  labor relations, business, transactional and real estate law, as well as clients in the entertainment industry.  

    Fred was born and raised in Chicago. He lived in Rogers Park and went to Senn High School and then obtained his degrees in the Chicago area as well. Educated at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and then DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Fred was elected to the 2010 Class of Distinguished Counsellors by the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors. 

    Fred joined Loeb & Loeb in 2004 along with a lateral group of attorneys from the Los Angeles law firm of Richman, Mann, Chizever, Phillips & Duboff in Los Angeles. He and his group immediately became significant and valued contributors to the LA office.  During his esteemed career, Fred served as a labor arbitrator and a member of the arbitration panels of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Public Employee Relations Board and an arbitrator for the City and County of Los Angeles. He was also former chairman of the Labor Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and a member of the Board of Governors of Cedars Sinai Hospital.

    His burial took place in Los Angeles. Despite his move to Los Angeles, Fred has a long history in Chicago and has maintained close ties to the city. 

  • November 8, 2013 | People
    Nussbaumer joines Williams Venker & Sanders as Of Counsel

    Williams Venker & Sanders LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Kenneth M. Nussbaumer as Of Counsel to their highly regarded asbestos team.

    Ken has over 20 years of experience in personal injury litigation including cases in product liability, toxic torts and insurance defense. A graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Law, Nussbaumer has defended cases throughout southern Illinois and Missouri. His primary area of practice is the defense of asbestos and benzene cases.

    About Williams Venker & Sanders LLC: Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Williams Venker & Sanders LLC is one of the Midwest’s leading trial law firms. The firm is committed to timely service and the aggressive defense of clients, both inside and outside the courtroom. Providing focused, comprehensive strategies designed to achieve the best possible result, the firm’s lawyers represent clients in legal matters ranging from commercial litigation, employment law and health care law to personal injury, product liability and toxic tort litigation. For more information, visit www.wvslaw.com.

  • October 29, 2013 | People
    Hon. Robert Scott 1923-2013

    The Hon. Robert Clement Scott, 90, of Fort Lauderdale, passed away on Oct. 2.

    Born April 8, 1923, and raised in Chicago, he attended Mae McMillan School in Fort Lauderdale in 1937-38, and graduated from St. Ignatius High School in Chicago and the University of Notre Dame.

    Judge Scott was an infantry combat veteran of World War II who received the Bronze Star. After practicing law in Chicago, he moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1951, where he met his wife, the former Mary Louisa Smith.

    He was an early president of the Notre Dame Club of Fort Lauderdale, a 60-year member of The Florida Bar, and three- term member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors, a Fellow in the American College of Probate Counsel, and from 1982 to 1993 a Circuit Judge for Broward County. But, most important, he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather.

  • October 21, 2013 | People
    Lashly & Baer, P.C. welcomes new associate Michael P. McGinley

    Michael P. McGinley has joined Lashly & Baer, P.C. as an associate. McGinley holds a J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and practices in the areas of business litigation, general litigation and transportation litigation. He is a 1997 graduate of Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in English. Michael is currently the President of the Board for the St. Paul Catholic School, a board member of the Highland Splash Swim Team, and a chairperson for the St. Paul Catholic Church Kirchenfest. He is a member of the American Bar Association, The Missouri Bar, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Madison County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.

  • October 15, 2013 | People
    Joseph M. Russell joins von Briesen & Roper, S.C.

    Randall D. Crocker, President and CEO of von Briesen & Roper, s.c., has announced that Joseph M. Russell joined the Firm as a Shareholder. Russell is a member of the trial team representing BP in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He was formerly a Partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

    Russell is a Shareholder in the firm’s Litigation and Risk Management Practice Group. He has litigated a wide variety of cases in state and federal courts throughout the country, including commercial, franchise and distribution, mass tort, product liability, corporate, environment, consumer fraud, bankruptcy and trade secret cases.

    Russell is active in both pro bono and charitable endeavors. He has briefed and argued criminal appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals (7th Circuit) and served as class counsel for over 4,000 individuals who resided in state-funded institutions for mental disease who now have the opportunity to move into and receive services in community-based housing (Williams v. Quinn, N.D. Illinois). He was the recipient of the Access Living 2012 “Lead On!” award for representing individuals with mental illness.