People

Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, one of the nation’s most renowned personal injury and wrongful death law firms, has named the Honorable Henry R. Simmons (Retired) as the new Managing Partner of the firm.

Thomas K. Prindable, who has served as Managing Partner for 20 years, will become Senior Partner at the firm.

Judge Simmons was on the bench in the Cook County Circuit Court for 19 years until he retired in 2011 when he became a Certified Mediator with ADR Systems of America. His experience on the bench included serving in the Law Division as well as the Criminal Division where he was a Felony Trial Judge.

Prior to serving on the bench, Judge Simmons served as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney. For 12 years, Judge Simmons handled assignments in the Felony Trial Division, Juvenile Court, Felony Review, Appellate Division and the Consumer Fraud Unit where he served as supervisor.

He was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the Committee on Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases from 1994-2004. He has been recognized by several organizations for his work and his dedication to the profession including receiving the American Legion Award of Excellence (Post#808). The Cook County State’s Attorneys’ Office Recognition of Service Award was bestowed upon him for his serving as a weekly volunteer for the HighSight Organization in Chicago that supports high school students in the area of academics and social support from 2006-2008. He will be honored in November, 2014, as the Judge of the Year by the Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP) for his volunteer work with this organization that helps lawyers in need.

Kurt Paul Froehlich, 71, of Champaign, Illinois, passed away at 11:02 a.m. Friday, August 22, 2014, at Champaign-Urbana Nursing & Rehab, Savoy, Illinois.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at noon on Friday, September 5, 2014, at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 405 W. Clark St., Champaign, Illinois 61820, with the Reverend Father David Sajdak officiating. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery, Champaign, with military rites by American Legion Post 71. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Holy Cross Catholic Church.

Kurt was born on March 23, 1943, in Moline, Illinois. He was the son of Dr. Kurt P. and Loris J. Barrett Froehlich. He married Bonnie J. Froehlich on August 27, 1966, who died January 1, 2009.

He is survived by a son, Kevin Paul Froehlich of Phoenix, Arizona. He married Peggy Ann Sancken Smith on July 31, 2010, in Pontiac, Illinois. She survives.

Also surviving is one brother: Jeff E. Froehlich (Karen), Jackson, Michigan; one sister: Paula Bennett (Rik), Placentia, California; and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and -nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

He was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church, Champaign.

Kurt was a partner in the Champaign law firm of Evans, Froehlich, Beth & Chamley, where he concentrated his practice in public and municipal finance and local government law. Kurt was an expert on local government law, municipal finance and taxation.

He counted as friends and colleagues scores of municipal attorneys and officials from across the state and nation and served as a mentor to many.

ISBA Past President Tom Leahy, 62, of Chicago and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, died Saturday, August 23 after a short and valiant struggle with cancer. He served as ISBA President from 1993-1994 and as Chairman of ISBA Mutual Insurance Company from 1995-1996. Visitation will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28 at St. Clement Church, 642 W. Deming Pl., Chicago until celebration of Life Mass at noon. Private interment at Graceland Cemetery will take place at a later date

A graduate of Highland Park High School, University of Notre Dame and Loyola University School of Law, Chicago, Tom was a practicing trial lawyer specializing in plaintiffs' personal injury for over 35 years. During law school, Mr. Leahy worked for the personal injury defense firm of Clausen, Miller, Gorman, Caffrey & Witous and the plaintiff personal injury firm of Philip H. Corboy & Associates. Mr. Leahy became an associate attorney at the Corboy firm after graduation and remained there until he left to start his own firm in 1980, The Law Office of Tom Leahy. In 2002 he joined with Peter Hoste to form his Chicago law firm, Leahy & Hoste.

The law firm of Bozeman, Neighbour, Patton & Noe, LLP is pleased to announce that Daniel F. Hardin has joined the firm as an Associate.

Daniel graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2012. While in law school, Daniel was the Managing Editor for the Journal of Law, Technology and Policy. Daniel received the Rickert Award for Excellence in Legal Writing, one of the College's highest honors. Daniel is originally from Portland, Oregon and graduated magna cum laude from Portland State University in 2007.

Prior to joing the firm, Danield worked as a judicial law clerk for Justice Mary W. McDade of the Illinois Appellate Court. He also served as a volunteer attorney at a legal aid clinic in Rock Island. Daniel is licensed in Illinois and will sit for the Iowa Bar examination in July of 2014. Daniel is engaged in general practice with a focus on litigation.

Bozeman, Neighbour, Patton and Noe was founded in 1954 by Virgil Bozeman and has been located in the 5th Avenue Building in downtown Moline since its founding. The firm also has offices in Davenport and Cambridge.

The firm now consists of 11 partners, 2 associates and 4 of counsel attorneys. BNPN provides consistent, professional and quality representation for its many clients in Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa.