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  • December 11, 2015 | People
    Judge Allan Masters Joins Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving

    The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, the leading national family law firm based in Chicago, has named former domestic relations Judge Allan W. Masters as their newest attorney. Judge Masters was appointed as a Circuit Court Judge of Cook County by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2001. He left the bench in 2014. Masters oversaw domestic relations cases ranging from child support to orders of protection.

    “I am excited having Allan Masters on my team,” said dads’ rights attorney Jeffery M. Leving. “He will continue doing great work in family court matters as well as providing valuable insight to clients. Many more children’s lives will be saved.”

    After law school Judge Masters was hired by the FBI to be a Special Agent. He then joined the Cook County State’s Attorney Office in Chicago. Later he founded and managed his highly regarded law firm, where he practiced family law and criminal defense before being appointed as a judge.

    Masters graduated from Loyola University where he received a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois and California. Masters is also a member of the Illinois Judges Association.

  • December 10, 2015 | People
    Schiller Ducanto & Fleck names Gregory C. Maksimuk newest partner

    The law firm of Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLP is proud to announce the promotion of Gregory C. Maksimuk to partner. Having joined the firm in 2011, Maksimuk has devoted his entire professional career to helping clients involved in complex divorces move their cases efficiently toward resolution. He concentrates on complicated, high-net-worth financial matters for C-suite executives, business owners, and their spouses.

    “Schiller DuCanto & Fleck has an established reputation as the leader in family law,” said Maksimuk. “I am truly honored and grateful to be named partner at a firm with so many highly skilled and competent attorneys.”

    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 that practice family law and focus to achieve the best possible results for affluent clients. Its mission to ensure quality, knowledge and experience to clients is evident through numerous award recognitions, including being named as one of the best law firms by U.S. News & World Report from 2011-2015. Schiller is also recognized as having outstanding lawyers according to peer-rating based publications such as Best Lawyers in America and Law Dragon Top 500.

  • December 10, 2015 | ISBA News | Events
    Joint Midyear Meeting set to kickoff

    The Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association are pleased to invite you to celebrate the profession and consider issues of mutual interest to the bench and bar during our annual Midyear Meeting. 

    December 10-12, 2015

    The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
    301 East North Water Street, Chicago, Illinois

    This year's highlights include:

  • December 10, 2015 | People
    Hon. Jean Prendergast Rooney 1970-2015

    Even though her leukemia returned after she endured a stem cell transplant, Judge Jean Prendergast Rooney didn’t let that prevent her from hosting Thanksgiving.

    She ordered a catered Thanksgiving meal — making sure it was gluten-free for celiac-sensitive relatives — and arranged a sit-down dinner for 10 in her room at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

    Two weeks later, the respected jurist died at 45, leaving three children behind.

    Jean Prendergast Rooney, an appellate law expert and judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, died Tuesday at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

    She was the first woman from her law class to become a member of the judiciary, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, her former classmate at Loyola University School of Law.

    “And this is an impressive feat,” Madigan noted at Mrs. Rooney’s swearing-in, “in part because Jean was the youngest member of our law school class ­going through Loyola’s elite six-year­ accelerated program. So Jean finished college and started law school while the rest of her peers were struggling through what was hopefully their senior year.”

  • December 8, 2015 | People
    Segal McCambridge Welcomes Elangie Lozada to its Chicago Office

    Segal McCambridge Singer and Mahoney, Ltd. is pleased to welcome Elangie Lozada as an associate in its Chicago office.

    Elangie Lozada is an associate attorney concentrating her work on the defense of toxic tort claims. Ms. Lozada has experience in all stages of litigation. Prior to joining Segal McCambridge as an associate, Ms. Lozada worked for the firm through the Student Associate Program.

    Ms. Lozada earned her J.D. at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she was an active member of the Moot Court Honor Society and Trial Advocacy teams. While in law school, Ms. Lozada worked as a law clerk at other Chicago law firms gaining experience in both civil and criminal law at both the state and federal level. She also gained legal experience working as an intern for the Honorable Raul Vega of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago. She is fluent in both Spanish and Italian and has acted as a translator in her legal work.

  • December 8, 2015 | People
    Nayani Elected Treasurer of Indian-American Bar Association of Chicago

    ​Arsalan A. Nayani, a Chicago-based associate in the Government Practice Group of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, was elected treasurer of the Indian-American Bar Association of Chicago (IABA). The IABA was established in 2000 to promote professional development of the South Asian legal community in the Chicago area.

    Mr. Nayani's one-year term begins on January 1, 2016. He first became involved with the IABA in 2014.

    Mr. Nayani earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law (2015) and received a B.S. in economics from Auburn University (2010), graduating magna cum laude.

  • December 7, 2015 | People
    Ferdinand P. Serpe Jr. 1955-2015

    Ferdinand P. Serpe, Jr., 60, passed away on December 5. Devoted husband of Roseanne (nee Falzone) Sorrentino Serpe; Beloved son of Elizabeth "Betty" and the late Ferdinand Serpe, Sr.; Loving brother of Elizabeth Serpe; Dear godfather and friend to many.

    Fred was the principal of Law Offices of Ferdinand P. Serpe and Associates, former executive director of Illinois Trucking Association, past president of the West Suburban Bar Association, was active in the Justinian Society of Lawyers and was president emeritus of the Italian American Political Coalition.

  • December 3, 2015 | Events
    Public Interst Law Initiative to Acknowledge Outstanding Public Interest & Pro Bono Contributions

    On Wednesday, December 9th, the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) will host its Annual Awards Luncheon, an event that celebrates the very best aspects of the legal profession: the generosity, expertise and commitment of lawyers, law students, legal professionals, law firms and corporations dedicating themselves to serving low-income clients in need.


    This year, PILI is proud to honor the following four award recipients:

    • Distinguished Public Service Award: Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman
    • Distinguished PILI Fellow Alumni Award: Jordan Heinz, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
    • Distinguished PILI Intern Alumni Award: Cynthia Cornelius, Cabrini Green Legal Aid
    • Pro Bono Initiative Award: United Airlines

    PILI’s Annual Awards Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 East Monroe Street, in Chicago. Sponsored by over 50 law firms, corporations, foundations and law schools, this event will be attended by nearly 500 members of the Illinois legal community, including firm and corporate attorneys, members of the judiciary and government sector, law school deans, professors and students, and staff members from PILI’s many partner legal service organizations across the state. To see a list of event sponsors, please visit our website at www.pili.org/annual-awards-luncheon.

  • November 24, 2015 | People
    Barnes & Thornburg announces new attorneys and partner

    Barnes & Thornburg LLP has hired new attorneys and announced new partners in the Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Indianapolis and Los Angeles offices. The new partner and attorneys in Chicago are:

    Eli Korer is an associate in the firm’s Corporate Department. Korer represents public and private companies in various corporate matters, including corporate formations, corporate governance and compliance, financing, commercial transactions, securities, mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, and commercial real estate transactions.

  • November 23, 2015 | People
    Hodge Dwyer & Driver merges with HeplerBroom

    Illinois and Missouri litigation firm, HeplerBroom, will be joined by the Springfield-based environmental attorneys of Hodge Dwyer & Driver on January 1, 2016, as the firm expands its Springfield office. Together with its 120 attorneys situated in key jurisdictions, HeplerBroom can now add environmental legal representation to the broad services currently provided to a wide variety of clients across many industries in the Midwest.

    “We grow in response to client demands for more diverse services. We’ve worked well with the firm in the past. Hodge Dwyer & Driver’s environmental regulatory and litigation skills are a natural fit as we diversify our offerings,” said Larry Hepler of HeplerBroom. “The firm brings extensive regulatory talent to bear for our clients who have operations in Illinois and Missouri or companies who are considering expanding into these states.”

    Businesses are faced with the challenge of complying with extensive and complicated national, state and local environmental regulations. With the addition of Hodge Dwyer & Driver, HeplerBroom can now be in close touch with regulators in Springfield and Chicago. If disputes in any part of Illinois cannot be resolved at the agency level and litigation results, Hodge Dwyer & Driver now finds increased depth with the entire HeplerBroom litigation team.