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  • February 6, 2013 | People
    Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP welcomes Natalie Momoh as new associate

    The law firm of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP is proud to announce the hiring of Natalie A. Momoh as a new associate. Prior to joining the firm, Momoh practiced as a litigator at Kirkland & Ellis LLP defending Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes, complex commercial disputes. Momoh’s experience as a commercial litigator assists her in advocating for her clients' interests with integrity and zeal.

    "Although divorce can be painful, it can also be an opportunity for a new beginning. I am transitioning to family law because I am passionate about working with individual clients and helping them reshape their lives,” said Momoh. “Schiller DuCanto & Fleck has an established reputation based on their legal excellence, professionalism and outstanding client-focused service.  The firm is known as an innovator in the practice of family law and I am honored to join such a well-respected group of lawyers.”

    The firm of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP is the largest family law firm of its kind in the country. It is internationally recognized as a model for firms practicing family law and has a primary focus on helping affluent clients solve problems to achieve the best possible results. The firm’s mission of ensuring quality, knowledge and experience to their clients is evident through their numerous awards, including being named as one of the best law firms in 2012-2013 by U.S. News & World Report.It has also been recognized for having outstanding lawyers in peer ratings and publications such as Best Lawyers in America and Law Dragon Top 500.

  • January 31, 2013 | People
    Collections firm Firsel Law Group, Ltd. names Rosenfeld president

    Firsel Law Group, Ltd.is pleased to announce that attorney Ronald Rosenfeld will serve as the firm’s new president, effective January 2, 2013. The firm, based in Lombard, Illinois, exclusively specializes in debt collections.

    Rosenfeld comes to Firsel Law Group with extensive experience in corporate and securities law. A former in-house counsel for Entrade, Inc., he most recently served as a partner in the firm of Ruben Firsel & Rosenfeld LLC in Bannockburn. In his new role at Firsel Law Group, he will counsel debt holders in creating customized debt collections programs to maximize recoveries. The firm handles all levels of debt portfolios, including primary, secondary/mid-prime, tertiary, and post-judgment enforcement.

    For more information about services from the Firsel Law Group, Ltd., visit www.firsellaw.com.

  • January 30, 2013 | People
    Querrey & Harrow elects Atkins, Callicoat as new shareholders

    Querrey & Harrow is proud to announce the election of Stacey McGlynn Atkins and Jason Callicoat to the position of Shareholders in the firm.

    Stacey McGlynn Atkins concentrates her practice in municipal liability and employment litigation. Ms. Atkins has been recognized by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Stars for 2011-2013. Ms. Atkins is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, American Bar Association, and the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Ms Atkins received her JD in 2002 from The John Marshall Law School and her BA in 1995 from Syracuse University. Ms. Atkins is a resident of the Chicago neighborhood Jefferson Park.

    Jason Callicoat concentrates his practice in municipal liability and construction law, defending municipalities in civil rights litigation and defending construction companies in injury cases and breach of contract litigation. Mr. Callicoat is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association and the Chicago Building Congress. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Callicoat received his JD in 2005 (with honors) from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and his BJ (summa cum laude) in 1996 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mr. Callicoat is a resident of Berwyn.

    Querrey & Harrow is a full service law firm serving the Chicago metropolitan region and counties throughout Indiana.

  • January 30, 2013 | People
    Robbins Schwartz opens Champaign-Urbana office and welcomes Hall as partner


    Robbins Schwartz is excited to announce the opening of our new office in Champaign-Urbana. From this office Robbins Schwartz will continue to provide our central Illinois clients with a full range of legal services.  

    We are also pleased to announce that Guy C. Hall has joined the firm as a partner in our new Champaign-Urbana office.  

    Guy has over 25 years of legal experience and has worked with local governmental entities, including park districts, on real estate transactions, taxation issues, creditor’s rights and general legal compliance issues. Guy also provides legal representation to a number of businesses, including electric cooperatives and health care institutions. Prior to joining Robbins Schwartz, Guy was a partner in the law firm of Dobbins, Fraker, Tennant, Joy & Perlstein.

    About Robbins Schwartz: Since its founding in 1970, Robbins Schwartz has provided a full range of legal services to educational institutions, public entities and private sector clients. With offices in Chicago, Champaign-Urbana, Mokena, Decatur and Collinsville, Robbins, Schwartz is uniquely positioned to serve schools, colleges and municipal bodies, as well as clients in the corporate sector throughout Illinois.  For a complete description of the legal services provided by Robbins Schwartz visit the Firm’s website at www.robbins-schwartz.com.    

  • January 25, 2013 | People
    Mathis, Marifian & Richter names Laura Schrick as Shareholder

    The law firm of Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. (MM&R), today announced that Laura E. Schrick has been named a shareholder effective Jan. 1, 2013. Schrick, a resident of the City of St. Louis, has been an associate with MM&R since 2009.

    Schrick practices tort and commercial litigation.  She has successfully represented individuals and businesses in a variety of federal and state court matters. She is licensed in Illinois and Missouri and is admitted to practice before the Illinois and Missouri state courts, as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Missouri, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  She was named to the 2013 Illinois Rising Stars list, an award recognizing the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state as determined by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business.

    Schrick is a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, St. Clair County Bar Association, and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL). She is active in her community serving as a member of the Leadership Belleville Class of 2013, Family Hospice Board of Directors, and an Adjunct Instructor of Paralegal Studies at Southwestern Illinois College.

    For more information about Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. visit www.mmrltd.comor call 618.234.9800.

  • January 24, 2013 | People
    Lewis Brisbois adds Huszagh, Kantrow as partners in Chicago office

    Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP is pleased to welcome new partners Fritz Huszagh and  Josh Kantrow to the firm’s Chicago office.

    Fritz Huszagh has over 31 years of experience handling insurance matters, counseling both insurers and policyholders, as well as litigating in state and federal courts throughout the country.  His experience includes casualty and property contracts of nearly every type, written for individuals, professionals, governmental entities, public/private corporations, associations and partnerships. In addition, Mr. Huszagh has represented clients in accident, disability, health and life insurance matters.  He has been involved in numerous reinsurance arbitrations, either as counsel or as an arbitrator/umpire.  Finally, Mr. Huszagh has counseled clients in connection with policy drafting and regulatory matters, and has consulted for attorneys in need of insurance expertise.

    Prior to practicing law, Mr. Huszagh worked for an insurer as an underwriter of several professional liability lines. Thereafter, he became a claims manager and then Vice President of claims for an insurance company as well as an MGA with professional and excess books of busines.

    Mr. Huszagh has written extensively about insurance, authoring numerous chapters in Illinois legal handbooks pertaining to insurance, reinsurance, interpleader, and insurance of products liability.  He has also spoken at, and published for, various local and national groups, including the ABA, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, DRI, ARIAS and BCBSA.

  • January 16, 2013 | People
    Dianne Zimmerman joins Malecki, Tasch & Burns LLC of Oak Brook

    Malecki, Tasch & Burns LLC of Oak Brook is pleased to announce that Dianne Zimmerman has joined the firm as a senior associate. Ms. Zimmerman's practice will focus on Employment Law and Human Resource counseling. Ms. Zimmerman  brings to the position a wealth of experience with issues pertaining to employment and labor issues, including performance management, discipline, terminations, discrimination charges, harassment  complaints, wage and unemployment compensation claims, staff downsizing, restructuring and compensation issues. Her experience includes conducting grievance hearings and mediations, negotiating union contracts, and preparing for arbitrations and union organizing campaigns.

    Ms. Zimmerman began her career as a Labor and Employment Associate with Katten, Muchin, Rosenman LLP of Chicago. Most recently she worked in her own private practice advising clients on employment issues and Employment Law Compliance. She also served as Executive Director of Human Resources and Legal Counsel for Dominican University  in River Forest, Illinois. She was also Director of Human Services at Rush University Medical Center where she served as

    Co-Director  of the Human Resources Management Course in the Masters  Degree program of the College of Health Systems Management. Ms. Zimmerman graduated from the Hastings College of Law of the University of California in San Francisco. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science, magna cum laude from Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

  • January 15, 2013 | People
    Schiller Ducanto & Fleck welcomes new associate Caroline Poduch

    The law firm of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP is proud to announce the hiring of Caroline E. Poduch as a new associate. Previously, Poduch worked at a law firm in Madison, Wisconsin where she practiced in the areas of family law and estate planning. Poduch handles complex cases involving child custody, maintenance, child support, and property division. She also has extensive experience with trusts and estate planning.   

    “For many people, family law issues expose them to the court system for the first time. My goal is to provide clients with a clear understanding of the proceeding and to be compassionate throughout the entire process,” said Poduch. “Schiller DuCanto & Fleck has an established reputation of legal excellence, professionalism and innovation in the practice of family law. Through their lens, they pay thorough attention to every case and work as a team to achieve the desired result. I am thrilled to become a member of this prestigious firm.”

  • January 14, 2013 | People
    Hoeppner Wagner & Evans adds Shelbie Byers as associate

    Hoeppner Wagner & Evans LLP is pleased to announce that Shelbie J. Byers has joined the firm as an associate. 

    Ms. Byers, who is located in the firm’s Merrillville office, focuses her practice on Labor & Employment Law and Litigation. Prior to joining Hoeppner Wagner & Evans, Ms. Byers was an associate at the Chicago office of Proskauer Rose LLP where she represented clients before the state and federal courts and administrative agencies in a variety of labor and employment matters. Previous to her employment with Proskauer, she was employed as an Associate attorney in the Employment and Labor Group of Sidley Austin LLP. 

    Ms. Byers received her law degree summa cum laude from Valparaiso University School of Law in May 2008 where she was a member of the Hispanic Law Students Association, a member of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity and an Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity Fellow (one of thirty in the State.) Shelbie was the Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Valparaiso University Law Review.

    Ms. Byers is licensed to practice in the States of Indiana and Illinois. 

    “We are excited that Shelbie has chosen to join our firm,” noted William F. Satterlee, III, Managing Partner of Hoeppner Wagner & Evans. “Shelbie has a solid educational background and experience in the legal field that will lead her into a successful career as a member of our team.” 

  • January 11, 2013 | People
    Julia Jensen Smolka promoted to Partner at DiMonte & Lizak, LLC

    DiMonte & Lizak, LLC announced today that Julia Jensen Smolka has been elected to partner. As a Commercial and Bankruptcy Litigation Attorney, she defends preference actions, prepares consumer bankruptcy petitions, under Chapters 7 and 13, and business petitions under Chapters 11 and 7. Julia advocates Creditors Rights in Bankruptcies, as well as, prosecuting and defending breach of contract suits. She has extensive litigation and collection experience and considerable experience in perfecting, prosecuting and defending mechanic liens and construction litigation claims.

    "Julia is an accomplished lawyer, capable of vigorously representing her clients without losing sight of their overall business objectives. We are delighted to welcome her to the partnership and look forward to her future," said David T. Arena, Member at DiMonte & Lizak, LLC.

    Julia received her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and her B.A. from The University of Illinois at Chicago. Julia is also an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Harwood-Heights Norridge Chamber of Commerce, the Senior Assistance Center and is active in the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce.