Bringing in the Experts

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Celeste Antoinette Niemann

In his April Illinois Bar Journal article, “Bringing in the Experts,” Cook County Circuit Court Judge James M. Varga takes a basic and practical aim at permitting or barring expert witnesses and admitting or excluding opinion-witness testimony based upon Illinois Rules of Evidence 702-705, Illinois Pattern Jury Instruction—Civil 2.04, and Illinois caselaw.

Introductory DUI & Traffic Law Program

Presented by the ISBA Traffic Laws & Courts Section


3.50 hours MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, or Legal Ethics credit


Original Program Date: April 12, 2023
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 30, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Update your knowledge on the issues you need to be aware of during your next DUI and traffic-related case. State’s attorneys, public defenders, and attorneys with limited exposure to DUI and traffic law who attend this seminar will gain a better understanding of:
  • The rules and time limits for filing statutory summary suspensions;
  • How confirmations of suspensions work;
  • The changes and updates to case law and legislation that may impact your client;
  • Statutory resources you can use to protect client driving records;
  • The limitations of court supervision; and
  • Much more!
Program Coordinator:
J. Brick Van Der Snick, Van Der Snick Law Firm, Ltd., St. Charles

Program Moderator:
Ted Harvatin, Harvatin Law Offices, Springfield


Ethical Issues: Attorneys Representing DUI and Traffic-Related Cases*
This presentation explores the ethical issues that can arise when setting legal fees and preparing clients to testify. Topics include: how to balance “winning” with your ethical obligations; the Rules of Professional Responsibility governing attorney’s fees and client testimony; and how to control client expectations in the context of ethics.
Carl R. Draper, Feldman Wasser, Springfield

The Nuts & Bolts of Statutory Summary Suspension Petitions
Don’t miss this introductory look at statutory summary suspension petitions, including the rules and time limits for filing, the necessary forms needed, and confirmations of suspension and how they work.
Adam M. Miller, Van Der Snick Law Firm, Ltd., St. Charles

New Case Law & Legislation
Get the case law and legislative updates you need with this informative segment.
Thomas M. Moran, Ahern & Moran, Palatine

Understanding Traffic Violations and Their Impact
Join us for this comprehensive look at how traffic tickets affect driving records, the limits of court supervision, and resources attorneys can access to help protect the records of their clients. Topics discussed will include the Illinois Vehicle Code, Illinois Administrative Code, Illinois Register, and the Code of Federal Regulations.
Jason A. Wilkins, Jason A. Wilkins, P.C. – Traffic Attorney, Carol Stream


Program Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $105 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • Non-Member Price $175
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students - Free

Ethical Considerations in Criminal Defense Law

Presented by the ISBA Criminal Justice Section

1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, or Legal Ethics credit


Original Program Date: April 12, 2023
Accreditation Expiration Date: May 15, 2025 ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­(You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Join us from the comfort of your home or office as we explore the rules governing the conduct of criminal defense lawyers. Topics include: the issues that may arise in the day-to-day practice of criminal law, how to address conflicts of interest, how to handle confidentiality issues you may face, and the allocation of authority between lawyer and client.


Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Anisa L. Jordan, The Jordan Law Firm, Arlington Heights

Program Speaker:
Eugene Gormakh, Law Offices of Michael S. Ross, New York


Program Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $30 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • Non-Member Price $50
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students - Free

Common Area Maintenance, Insurance, and & Taxes Provisions in Commercial Leases - A National Perspective

Presented by the ISBA


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: November 10, 2022
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 3, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Common area expenses (CAM) are part of virtually every office and retail lease. These expenses cover everything from parking lots and reception areas to common meeting spaces and restrooms. In triple net leases, landlords seek to recover these expenses from tenants. This can be a significant component of a tenant’s lease expense.The scope of CAM, caps or other limitations, and audit rights are highly negotiated. Landlords and lenders are often reluctant to give any concessions. This program will provide you with a practical guide to negotiating and drafting CAM provisions in commercial leases.
  • Scope of common area maintenance (CAM) expenses
  • Relationship to minimum maintenance standards
  • Treatment of taxes and insurance
  • Differentiating operating v. capital expenses in CAM recovery
  • Caps on CAM, fixed CAM, gross-up considerations
  • Audit and information rights for CAM
  • Understanding landlord, lender, and tenant motivations and concerns


Speaker:

Anthony Licata is a partner in the Chicago office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he formerly chaired the firm’s real estate practice. He has an extensive practice focusing on major commercial real estate transactions, including finance, development, leasing, and land use. He formerly served as an adjunct professor at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Mr. Licata received his B.S., summa cum laude, from MacMurray College and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Medicaid Eligibility: Pre-Planning to Crisis

Presented by the ISBA Elder Law Section

1.0 hour MCLE credit

Original Program Date: April 11, 2023
Accreditation Expiration Date: May 11, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the basic rules of eligibility for Medicaid Long Term Care, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Elder law attorneys, health care council, trusts and estates lawyers, and disability law practitioners with basic practice experience who attend this online program will better understand:
  • How to plan for Medicaid;
  • The basic eligibility rules of Medicaid Long Term Care;
  • Medicaid pre-planning and Medicaid crisis planning;
  • How to recognize when pre-planning may be an option for your client; and
  • What can be done when a long term care “crisis” arises and there is no plan in place.

Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Dolores A. Wigman, Prairie State Legal Services, Inc., Woodstock

Program Speaker:
Gina J. Salamone, Huck Bouma P.C. Wheaton



Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $30 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • Non-Member Price $50
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students - Free

Matter Management Software: Why Outlook Isn't Good Enough

ISBA’s Practice Toolbox Series
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association


1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, or Legal Ethics credit


Original Program Date: April 11, 2023
Accreditation Expiration Date: May 15, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)
Often referred to as the Swiss Army knife of legal software, matter management software can organize your practice, increase your revenue, and share information with many of your existing programs. This webinar discusses the leading practice management programs and how these programs manage your firm’s critical functions.


Program Speaker:
Jeffrey Schoenberger, Affinity Consulting Group
About the Speaker: Jeff’s unique role at Affinity involves managing our Practice Management Advisory program. Prior to joining the Affinity family, Jeff practiced law with Legal Aid in Cincinnati, Ohio. He learned about Affinity and consulting as a career path through some of partners Paul Unger’s and Barron Henley’s CLE courses. Jeff’s describes his superpower as his ability to “get the podcast done.” His favorite part of his job is discovering new tech and techniques to help attorneys.

Pricing Information
  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $30 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students - Free
 

Business Divorce, Part 2 - A National Perspective

Presented by the ISBA


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: November 9, 2022
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 3, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Business divorce can be as complicated, costly and dramatic as traditional divorce. When owners of a closely-held company decide they cannot or will not work together anymore, there are several alternatives for achieving the separation – a division of assets among the owners, a buyout of one owner or several owners by a third party or by the company itself, or a complete or partial sale of the company. But these and other transactional forms come with risk – the risk that dividing the assets of an operating business will cause substantial destruction of value to the company or that strife will take its toll on operations and employees. This program will provide you with a practical guide to the alternatives for achieving a business divorce, planning the process, containing the risk and preserving value.


Day 2:

  • Compensation and retirement plan-based techniques for accomplishing a business divorce
  • Special issues when a business divorce involves a distressed business
  • Role of confidentiality, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements as part of the divorce
  • Important intellectual property issues, including customer lists, goodwill and trade secrets
  • Preservation of valuable tax attributes


Speakers:

Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years' experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions. He is a leader of his firm's private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section. He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York. Mr. Ciatto earned his B.A., cum laude, at Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters. He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions. He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses. Mr. Lencz earned his B.S. from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

Business Divorce, Part 1 - A National Perspective

Presented by the ISBA


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: November 8, 2022
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­May 3, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Business divorce can be as complicated, costly and dramatic as traditional divorce. When owners of a closely-held company decide they cannot or will not work together anymore, there are several alternatives for achieving the separation – a division of assets among the owners, a buyout of one owner or several owners by a third party or by the company itself, or a complete or partial sale of the company. But these and other transactional forms come with risk – the risk that dividing the assets of an operating business will cause substantial destruction of value to the company or that strife will take its toll on operations and employees. This program will provide you with a practical guide to the alternatives for achieving a business divorce, planning the process, containing the risk and preserving value.

Day 1:
  • Overview of techniques to accomplish a divorce – buy-sell arrangements, redemptions, compensation, employment separation and retirement plan techniques
  • Special considerations when the divorce involves LLCs, S Corps or partnerships
  • Valuation methods and disputes in a business divorce
  • Techniques for financing a buyout as part of a business divorce
  • Minimizing adverse tax consequences in a business divorce
 

Speakers:

Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years' experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions. He is a leader of his firm's private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section. He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York. Mr. Ciatto earned his B.A., cum laude, at Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters. He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions. He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses. Mr. Lencz earned his B.S. from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.

Construction Contracts: Drafting Issues, Spotting Red Flags and Allocating Risk, Part 2 - A National Perspective

Presented by the ISBA


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: October 26, 2022
Accreditation Expiration Date: May 3, 2025 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Construction contracts are among the most difficult agreements to draft or review and negotiate. At every stage, building is fraught with substantial risk – timely regulatory approvals, cost containment and price certainty, financing contingencies, building deadlines, and a host of other risks. If these risks materialize, as is common, the bargained for exchange among the parties and their expectations are radically unsettled. Construction contracts are a careful allocation of risks, a compromise between flexibility and price/cost certainty, and establish procedures for resolving disputes short of costly litigation. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting the most important provisions of construction contracts.

Day 2:
  • Insurance and indemnification provisions of construction contracts
  • Role of subcontractors and mechanics and materialmen liens
  • Anticipating disputes between property owners and builders, and building in cost-effective dispute resolution
  • Role and limitations of different type of damages


Speaker:

John Miller is the principal of John R. Miller, PLLC in the Charlotte, North Carolina and was for 39 years a partner with Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. His practice encompasses corporate and securities law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, and construction law. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America" and for inclusion in Business North Carolina Magazine's "Legal Elite" as one of the top business lawyers in North Carolina. He received his A.B. from Duke University and his J.D., with distinction, from Duke University School of Law.