Crain's Chicago Businsess by crainschicago

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS • SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 13

Meet the Rising Stars in Law: These 74 attorneys are making an impact in all corners of their profession, including corporate finance, intellectual property, litigation, health care, bankruptcy and real estate. All have been partners at their firms for five years or less. They have guided clients through the uncertainty of the pandemic, from interpreting the CARES Act to interpreting local health care orders and recommendations. Yet they’ve traveled different journeys. Some began in private practice right out of law school, while others have experience as prosecutors or reg-

ulators. Still others started out as teachers and performers. These rising stars are active in their firms’ governance. Many are involved in efforts to expand diversity and inclusion and are adding more women and people of color to their teams. They mentor younger lawyers. And they tackle pro bono projects, from defending wrongly accused prisoners to helping immigrants gain asylum. They’re certain to make even more of a mark in the years to come. By Judith Crown and Lisa Bertagnoli

GETTY IMAGES

METHODOLOGY: The rising stars featured did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials submitted. This list is not comprehensive. It includes attorneys for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after an editorial review. These honorees have been partners for five years or less and have demonstrated an impact at their firm and in the community. Letters of recommendation were required.

JONATHAN AMARILIO

ELIZABETH BABBITT

MICHAEL BABBITT

LAURA BACON

NICOLE BERG

Partner Taft Stettinius & Hollister

Partner Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Partner Nixon Peabody

Partner Keller Lenkner

Appellate lawyer Jonathan Amarilio has two cases pending before the Illinois Supreme Court. One challenges the constitutionality of an Illinois statute immunizing ride-share companies from liability when their drivers sexually assault their passengers. The second concerns employers’ ability to protect sexual harassment victims from retaliatory lawsuits by workplace harassers. Amarilio is host of the Chicago Bar Association podcast @theBar and is a contributor to the Illinois Appellate Lawyer Association’s blog, the Brief. Amarilio was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the court’s Committee on Character & Fitness, which governs admission of attorneys to the Illinois bar. He is slated to be president of the Appellate Lawyers Association for 2022-23. He is on the board of Lawyers Lend-a-Hand to Youth, which provides tutoring to students from diverse backgrounds.

Litigation attorney Elizabeth Babbitt advises businesses on employment discrimination, employee whistleblowing, unfair business practices, trade secrets and other issues. She recently successfully reversed an $8.1 million jury verdict on a negligent misrepresentation claim in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She is one of the lead attorneys representing the city of Chicago in the litigation, negotiation and ongoing implementation of the Chicago Police Department consent decree and has expertise regarding police practices, use of force, crisis intervention and police reform measures. “She is a passionate advocate and a tough adversary,” says Kim Walberg, co-chair of the Taft Chicago Litigation Group. Babbitt was selected to serve on Taft’s executive committee. She also participates on the firm’s Associate Advancement & Recruitment Committee and leads the Chicago office’s women’s affinity group.

Michael Babbitt joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher last year and has helped expand the new Chicago office to more than 40 attorneys. Babbitt focuses on patent litigation, Patent Trial & Appeal Board proceedings and technology disputes. He uses his background in electrical and computer engineering to advise clients in technical industries. Babbitt serves as pro bono coordinator for the Chicago office and led the firm’s efforts this year teaming with a prisoners rights organization for a client unjustly accused of murdering his father. Babbitt previously was a partner at Jenner & Block, where he handled scores of federal litigations and more than 40 PTAB proceedings for petitioners and patent owners (about a quarter being patent owners). He recently became a trustee of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

In the past year, litigation lawyer Laura Bacon was a key player in an international arbitration involving trade secrets. The case culminated in a hearing this summer in which she served as second chair. The Nixon Peabody litigation team achieved a directed verdict for their client. Earlier this year, Bacon spearheaded a pro bono collaboration with a Chicago legal service in an effort to expunge cannabis convictions, which involved fundraising and coordinating attorney training. She’s a member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women Committee. In 2018, she co-chaired a conference that brought together more than 80 Chicago-area female attorneys. Bacon joined Nixon Peabody through the firm’s 2015 merger with Ungaretti & Harris and was named partner last year.

At Keller Lenkner, Nicole Berg specializes in national product-liability matters and holds court-appointed leadership positions in two large litigations. She was appointed to a subcommittee in the case where military-issued 3M earplugs are alleged to have caused hearing damage to service members and veterans. It’s considered the largest multidistrict litigation on record. And she was appointed to the plaintiffs’ executive committee in a case alleging a defective Paragard contraceptive device. Over the past two years, Berg helped build the firm’s product-liability group to a team of more than two dozen attorneys, paralegals and case managers. She also helped build and mentor an attorney team made up almost entirely of women. Berg co-founded A Better Tomorrow Education Fund, a nonprofit that provides scholarships to Chicago students for higher education.

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 13

9/3/21 2:17 PM

14 September 6, 2021 • CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

ALEXA BERLIN

JUSTIN BERNBROCK

AMIT BINDRA

CAROLYN BLESSING

STEVEN BLOCK

Partner Latham & Watkins

Partner Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton

Partner The Prinz Law Firm

Partner Locke Lord

Partner Thompson Hine

At the Prinz Law Firm, Amit Bindra manages litigation and specializes in injunction hearings, restrictive covenants, trade secret disputes and other issues. Bindra is largely responsible for drafting a key amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act, improving employee mobility and barring noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements below a certain compensation. He worked on this legislation in a pro bono capacity for the past two years on behalf of the Illinois chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, where he serves on the board and is the organization’s communications co-chair. Bindra also teaches a legal writing course as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. At Prinz, he oversees the litigation department and mentors associate attorneys in legal writing, oral advocacy and litigation strategy.

At Locke Lord, Carolyn Blessing represents pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in intellectual property litigation. She’s had significant roles in two fully virtual federal trials in the past year. Over the past 18 months, Blessing has spoken at virtual programs focused on adapting to the pandemic, emphasizing the need for professional development. As law school hiring partner in Chicago, she has mentored students through the challenges of beginning a career in unprecedented times. Blessing helped establish a partnership between the Chicago office and the Diversity Attorney Pipeline Program, a nonprofit addressing the scarcity of women of color in the legal profession. This year, the Chicago office hired a summer intern through the program. Blessing is past president of the Chicago chapter of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law.

Former federal prosecutor Steven Block focuses on cases involving public corruption, securities violations, trade secrets and other white-collar matters. He also serves as a vice chair of the firm’s national litigation department. This year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker appointed Block to the Illinois Torture Inquiry & Relief Commission, which investigates claims of confessions to determine whether sufficient evidence of torture exists to merit judicial review. As a federal prosecutor, Block was the lead on the government’s case against former

A partner in Latham & Watkins’ capital markets, public company and corporate governance practices, Alexa Berlin was part of the team that represented Airbnb in its $3.4 billion initial public offering, the largest U.S. IPO of 2020. Berlin also represented the underwriters in connection with Beyond Meat’s 2019 IPO and its $1 billion convertible senior notes offering this year. “Alexa provided smart and steady counsel to our public company clients facing unprecedented business challenges brought on by the pandemic,” says Latham Managing Partner Cathy A. Birkeland. As part of Latham’s pro bono work in civil rights, Berlin staffed a national voter hotline during the 2020 presidential election. She serves on a multioffice initiative designed to help women inside and outside the firm expand their professional networks and develop business opportunities.

The economic calamity of the pandemic placed new demands on Justin Bernbrock’s bankruptcy and restructuring practice. Bernbrock recently was lead counsel for Portland, Ore., radio broadcaster Alpha Media in its recently completed restructuring. He represented an investor group in connection with its acquisition of Seattle kitchenware products company Sur La Table, which had earlier filed for bankruptcy protection. And he is lead counsel to the liquidating trustee for the Neiman Marcus Liquidating Trust, responsible for the administration of unsecured claims in the bankruptcy case. Bernbrock joined Sheppard Mullin last year from Kirkland & Ellis, where he was a restructuring partner. Before becoming a lawyer, he served for nearly 10 years in the U.S. Navy. He recently served as co-chair of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s annual gala.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, which involved a scheme to cover up past misdeeds through illicit financial transactions. Block served as deputy chief in the U.S. attorney’s office and chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. He joined Thompson Hine as a partner in 2018.

TIMOTHY CASTELLI

KRISTINA K. CERCONE

GENEVIEVE CHARLTON

LOUIS CHIAPPETTA

ROB CHIDESTER

M&A and private-equity partner Ropes & Gray

Partner Jones Day

Partner Barnes & Thornburg

Partner Mayer Brown

Partner Gould & Ratner

At Ropes & Gray, Timothy Castelli represents companies, private-equity firms and family offices in buyouts, M&A and other investments. Castelli recently represented McNally Capital in the sale of ITS Logistics, GHO Capital in its acquisition of Velocity Clinical Research, and Vistria Group and Excellere Partners in their investment in SCA Pharmaceuticals. The pandemic required Castelli to shift from the excitement of dealmaking to the more subtle demands of working with clients to safeguard their investments. “Tim combines an exhaustive knowledge of the law with a nimble and creative

Litigator Kristina K. “Kristi” Cercone focuses on the defense of product liability and mass tort cases and assists clients in protecting trade secrets and IP rights. She represents clients before the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. Cercone also represents several universities and an athletic conference in the NCAA Student-Athlete Concussion Injury Litigation, a federal multidistrict litigation consolidating more than 500 class actions brought on behalf of former football student-athletes alleging that universities, athletic conferences and the NCAA failed to warn them about the adverse effects of concussive hits. Cercone is a member of the Chicago office’s pro bono committee and has taken on the role of assignment coordinator for associates in the Chicago litigation practice. She serves as chair of the Grant Park Music Festival’s Associates Council.

Intellectual property attorney Genevieve Charlton focuses on trademark, copyright and advertising law. Clients include a top sunglass brand, a toy manufacturer and a private-equity firm, for which she manages a portfolio of more than 1,000 marks. Charlton and her team won a trademark infringement bench trial just six months after having her first child. She and her team defended the decision before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and won on all appealed issues, reversing a jury trial decision in a false-advertising case. Charlton joined Barnes & Thornburg in 2016 as an associate and was named partner this year. This year, she is co-leading the summer associates program. Charlton also founded a summer writing club for summer associates and law clerks.

At Mayer Brown, Louis Chiappetta is a restructuring partner specializing in troubled company mergers and acquisitions and restructurings. Recent cases include a $1.1 billion out-of-court debt restructuring of Foster Farms, a $300 million out-of-court restructuring and sale of School Specialty, and full recovery of $70 million in distressed financing for Libremax. His pro bono work includes advocating for veterans’ and first responders’ rights, asylum seekers’ and immigrants’ rights, and aiding children of undocumented people. Before joining Mayer Brown in 2019, Chiappetta was an associate at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. Earlier, he spent 10 years as a high school math teacher and volunteered as a wrestling coach, at Glenbard North in Carol Stream. He’s recruited attorneys from diverse backgrounds to join Mayer Brown’s restructuring team.

As a partner in Gould & Ratner’s corporate practice, Rob Chidester handles capital raises, securities issuances and mergers and acquisitions. Chidester’s workload increased by more than 20 percent during the pandemic, with a robust deal flow in fintech and clean tech. Before and since his promotion to partner in December, Chidester led the development and launch of specialty teams in cryptocurrency and clean tech/ ESG. He represented family offices, funds and other investors in cryptocurrency investments up to $100 million. Earlier in his career, Chidester served as a financial and policy analyst

approach to problem solving that resonates with clients,” says private-equity partner Neill P. Jakobe. Castelli serves on the firm’s associate development committee, providing mentorship to junior associates, and also participates in the diversity mentorship program.

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 14

with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Laboratory System, where he evaluated energy technology research and energy infrastructure projects in China and Northeast Asia. He’s been a consultant to the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.

9/3/21 2:17 PM

LEVENFELD PEARLSTEIN

RISING STARS At Levenfeld Pearlstein, our ambition to be innovative, in both style and strategy, brings people together, united in purpose, so they can do exceptional things. Meet Our Crain’s Chicago Business’ Notable Rising Stars:

CHRISTINA CARRIERE LUTZ

JASON ROMICK

CARRIE HARRINGTON

Litigation

Corporate

Trusts & Estates

Commercial Litigation General Litigation

Mergers & Acquisitions Strategic Transactions

Protect & Transfer Assets Estate & Tax Planning

celutz@lplegal.com 312.476.7512

jromick@lplegal.com 312.476.7579

charrington@lplegal.com 312.476.7553

2 N. LaSalle St. Suite 1300 Chicago, Illinois 60602 LPlegal.com

tab doc.indd 1

21cb0370.pdf

RunDate 9/6/21

FULL PAGE

Color: 4/C

8/30/21 3:14 PM

16 SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 • CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

ERIC CHOI

DAVID R. CLARK

KEVIN COFFEY

BRYCE COOPER

MICHAEL DEBRE

Partner Neal Gerber Eisenberg

Partner Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom

Shareholder Polsinelli

Partner Winston & Strawn

Principal Chuhak & Tecson

Li K

As a member of Polsinelli’s health care litigation and government investigations practices, Kevin Coffey counsels clients on regulatory compliance and navigates investigations by government agencies. He’s represented large health care providers in investigations and litigation, including in the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of New York, Texas, Georgia and Florida. “As the federal government continues its hyper-vigilance in identifying COVID-related fraud in health care, Kevin’s ability to help hospital system leaders to identify and stop fraud before it starts has never been more crucial,” says Polsinelli Chicago office Managing Partner Mary Clare Bonaccorsi. Coffey joined Polsinelli as an associate in 2014 and became a shareholder last year. He supports nonprofits including Legal Aid Chicago and Avenues to Independence, an independent living facility for the developmentally disabled.

At Winston & Strawn, Bryce Cooper specializes in mass tort, product liability and pharmaceutical patent litigation. He represented Monsanto in Roundup product liability cases, including the first to go to trial, reducing a punitive-damages award by $211 million. He defended Abbott Laboratories in an action alleging design defect and negligence claims. And he defended Boeing in pending cases concerning alleged toxic air exposure. As the first openly LGBTQ partner in Winston’s Chicago office, Cooper leads recruiting for LGBTQ attorneys and helps lead Winston’s firmwide LGBTQ affinity group. He is leading, in partnership with Lambda Legal, one of three lawsuits challenging the Department of Defense’s policies excluding service members living with HIV. Cooper serves on the board of the nonprofit Legal Council for Health Justice.

Michael Debre represents financial institutions in loan enforcement, insolvency, fraud, breach of contract and mortgage foreclosures. He recently was appointed special assistant attorney general to represent the Illinois state treasurer in various matters. In his practice, Debre secured a victory for a lender on a non-dischargeability claim in a bankruptcy case. He also obtained a $1.7 million judgment for a lender on an assigned promissory note. Debre joined Chuhak & Tecson’s banking practice in 2015 as an associate and was elevated to principal last year. Prior to his legal career, Debre was a senior vice president at New City Bank, an experience that gave him an understanding of the issues faced by lenders. He’s an instructor for the Moot Court Club at Marist High School, his alma mater.

L D b an

Trial lawyer Eric Choi has broad experience in commercial disputes. In his pro bono work, Choi and fellow Neal Gerber Eisenberg attorneys coordinated with Northwestern Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions to secure a notguilty verdict and exonerate Kerry Masterson, a woman who had been wrongfully convicted of murder and had served eight years in prison. In a civil rights case, Choi and fellow attorneys collectively devoted more than 865 hours to prepare their client for trial against a Chicago police officer for unlawful search and arrest. Choi is a member of the

firm’s diversity & inclusion and hiring committees. He serves on the executive board of the Korean American Bar Association of Chicago.

Corporate partner David R. Clark focuses on M&A, corporate governance and securities matters. Clark played a leading role in representing CME Group in its multijurisdiction transaction with IHS Markit, involving the combination of the parties’ post-trade services into a new joint venture. He advised Flagstar Bancorp in its $2.6 billion merger with New York Community Bancorp and Homewerks Worldwide on its growth investment from H.I.G. Capital. In addition to his corporate practice, Clark has represented pro bono clients in immigration matters, including asylum cases and petitions under the DREAM Act. Recently, he advised the nonprofit Greater Englewood Community Development Corp. community on onboarding new directors and providing board training. Clark joined Skadden as a summer associate in 2009 and was promoted to partner last year.

ROPES & GRAY congratulates Timothy Castelli and Timothy Farrell, and all the “Notable Rising Stars in Law.” Based in our 100-lawyer Chicago office, Timothy Castelli is a leading private equity and M&A dealmaker who advises global investors in complex transactions. Timothy Farrell is among the nation’s top commercial and securities litigators.

ropesgray.com 21_1264_AD_Crain's Rising Stars_0824_v3.indd 1

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 16

Timothy Castelli

Timothy Farrell

Private Capital Transactions

Litigation & Enforcement

8/24/21 10:43 AM

9/3/21 2:17 PM

ti an p an an an C to w to

af it jo in in sc A

nt mak

o al r.

nt e

ol,

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS • September 6, 2021 17

CHARLES DEVORE

ADAM DIEDERICH

TIMOTHY FARRELL

EMILY FITZGERALD

MICHAEL FRISCH

Litigation partner Katten Muchin Rosenman

Partner Schiff Hardin

Partner Ropes & Gray

Partner Swanson Martin & Bell

Litigation partner Charles DeVore represents clients in business disputes, class actions and white-collar and government investigations. Last year, DeVore led a team of Katten attorneys in Chicago and Los Angeles who worked with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Illinois Prison Project to pursue the early release of elderly and medically vulnerable federal and state inmates who were at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and didn’t pose a risk to their communities. He also worked with a team of Katten attorneys to support a nonprofit by securing a refund from a hotel after the nonprofit canceled its annual conference. DeVore joined Katten as an associate in 2013 and became a partner in 2019. Earlier, he was a high school teacher with Teach For America.

As a partner in Schiff Hardin’s litigation and dispute resolution practice group, Adam Diederich focuses on resolving disputes among owners of privately held businesses. Last year, Diederich recommended a strategy shift in a client’s longstanding case to invalidate a restrictive noncompete covenant. Diederich argued an entirely different motion, earning the client his freedom without a trial. Diederich serves as co-counsel with the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, representing students and their families in lawsuits against school districts that failed to protect those students from being racially harassed by their peers. He joined the organization’s board this year. Diederich joined Schiff Hardin as an associate in 2012 and was named a partner in 2018. Before law school, he taught fourth grade in Baltimore through Teach For America.

Litigator Timothy Farrell represents companies, private-equity sponsors and nonprofits. He’s representing Duff & Phelps in Sears Holdings’ post-bankruptcy adversary proceeding brought by unsecured creditors. And he won relief for juveniles subjected to unconstitutional mechanical restraints and solitary confinement at Iowa Boys State Training School. Farrell was among a core group of Ropes & Gray partners who gained expertise in the litigation and regulatory risks around the CARES Act passed in the wake of the pandemic and advised clients on issues around

At Swanson Martin & Bell, Emily Fitzgerald handles commercial litigation and business disputes, financial fraud, product liability, consumer protection class actions, intellectual property, employment and other matters. In the past 18 months, Fitzgerald successfully argued before the 7th Circuit in a maritime matter while five months pregnant with her second son. The court issued an opinion in her client’s favor days after the argument. As co-chair of the Advancement of Women in Law committee, Fitzgerald is focused on implementing a program in which female attorneys mentor those below and receive mentorship from those above them. She also serves on the recruiting and community service committees. Fitzgerald is president of the American Cancer Society Associate Board of Ambassadors, a charitable board that raises $500,000 in revenue annually.

Partner, head of government litigation and investigations Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres

PPP loan funding. This summer, Farrell started a program for students from underserved communities to expose them to the legal profession. Farrell is a classically trained singer and before law school had a performing career.

Michael Frisch joined Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres as a partner this year, building the firm’s government investigations and litigation practice from the ground up. He helps clients, particularly in financial services, navigate regulatory matters and enforcement actions and is active in the growing cryptocurrency market. Previously, he was a senior adviser and legal counsel for the city of Chicago and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Frisch helped lead the city’s response to the pandemic, negotiating contracts for the McCormick Place field hospital and drafting COVID-19 rules and orders. Earlier, he was senior trial attorney at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where he led one of the commission’s first enforcement actions against a cryptocurrency platform. He is a member of the Global Digital Asset & Cryptocurrency Association, which is establishing regulatory guidelines.

Congratulations to Jonathan Amarilio, Elizabeth Babbitt, and Daniel Saeedi on their recognition as Notable Rising Stars in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Jonathan B. Amarilio Partner

Elizabeth E. Babbitt Partner

Daniel R. Saeedi Partner Taftlaw.com

3 AM

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 17

9/3/21 2:17 PM

18 SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 • CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

JULIE GARDNER Principal Chuhak & Tecson

At Chuhak & Tecson, Julie Gardner handles estates and estate planning, probate and trust administration, and guardianship. She was appointed guardian ad litem and court-appointed counsel for the Cook County Circuit Court’s Probate Division. Gardner has managed cases involving abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of the elderly or disabled, such as disinheriting individuals who abused, neglected or exploited people before they died. Gardner joined Chuhak & Tecson as an associate in 2017, and she was elevated to principal in only three years. She’s a rising leader in the firm’s Women Helping Women program and serves as a Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law delegate. Through her membership with Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Gardner has provided pro bono legal services on guardianship matters.

PAULINA GARGACHMIEL Principal Chuhak & Tecson

Paulina Garga-Chmiel represents lenders in foreclosure litigation, bankruptcy matters, breach of contract disputes and SBA loan workouts, as well as creditors’ rights litigation and workouts. During the pandemic, Garga-Chmiel pivoted and invested in business and professional development efforts such as drafting the consumer law and regulations compliance handbook for the firm’s banking practice. She joined Chuhak & Tecson as an associate five years ago and was elevated to principal this year. Garga-Chmiel serves on the associate and law clerk committee and is the main delegate for the Coalition of Women’s Initiative in Law. A native of Poland, she provides pro bono legal assistance to underserved members of Chicago’s Polish community.

TIFFANY GEHRKE

GREGORY GISTENSON

KELLY GRECO

Partner Marshall Gerstein & Borun

Partner Barnes & Thornburg

Shareholder Polsinelli

Pa St

Intellectual property attorney Tiffany Gehrke in the past 18 months has cleared client trademarks for branding launches and prepared clients for acquisitions or divestitures of their IP assets. She’s resolved trademark opposition proceedings, settled trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement cases and handled trade dress infringement matters. Gehrke is president-elect of the IP Law Association of Chicago, considered the first IP law association in the U.S. She provides pro bono legal services to incarcerated and indigent individuals and nonprofits, as well as to individuals who have had their constitutional rights violated. Gehrke also serves as a partner sponsor for firm associates who provide pro bono services. She’s been active in firm initiatives on diversity and workplace balance. Earlier in her career, she was a software engineer.

As vice chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s construction practice, Gregory Gistenson advises on delay-and-disruption disputes, bond claims and mechanic’s lien disputes. In the past 18 months, he earned the lead role on a team of five attorneys from three states defending an industrial client from more than 30 mechanic’s lien and related claims on a single project. During the pandemic, Gistenson advised clients on how to continue construction of critical infrastructure projects and address delays, disruptions and safety protocols. In pro bono work, Gistenson assists single mothers with limited means in disputes over unjust enforcement actions by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. Gistenson was part of a team that spearheaded a successful class-action lawsuit over the improper indication of child abuse and neglect.

Real estate attorney Kelly Greco led clients through the pandemic and provided solutions for their pressing business problems. She represented a developer of high-end student housing, helping it to finance and operate projects nationwide. Greco also represented a national real estate investor in the $470 million acquisition of a multifamily portfolio. One of Greco’s most active clients is a national retail development company that has pounced on the opportunity to develop sites with national retail tenants such as Starbucks and Chipotle. Greco joined Polsinelli in 2017 from Fox Rothschild. She mentors associates in the real estate group and is a participant in Polsinelli’s Women’s Empowerment Group. Outside the firm, Greco is chair of the sponsorship committee for CREW Chicago, which works to advance women in commercial real estate.

P in ex ye

Congratulations to Thompson Hine partners Steven A. Block and Simone A. Randolph for being named 2021 Notable Rising Stars in Law.

Thompson Hine LLP, a full-service business law firm with approximately 400 lawyers in 8 offices, is committed to innovation. Its nationally recognized SmartPaTHTM approach to service delivery is a smarter way to work – predictable, efficient and aligned with client goals. Learn more at ThompsonHine.com/SmartPaTH.

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 18

9/3/21 2:17 PM

In as th w 67 In re Fa th re

m St d fi th H fi

e a

l s

p. r

ks -

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS • September 6, 2021 19

MARK R. GREER

CARRIE HARRINGTON

GEORGE HOUHANISIN

JONATHAN HUGHLEY

HILARY JAFFE

Partner Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young

Partner, leader of trusts and estates practice group Levenfeld Pearlstein

Partner McDermott Will & Emery

Partner Marshall Gerstein & Borun

Partner Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen

Corporate finance specialist George Houhanisin guided clients through the uncertainties and market shifts of the pandemic. Recently he’s worked with Lorient Capital, a health care-focused private-equity firm, and became the company’s go-to lawyer for financing deals. He also represented ABC Supply in a $400 million bond offering and Cresco in a $200 million credit agreement. Other private-equity clients include H.I.G. Capital, Martis Capital, Omers, Gemspring Capital and CenterGate Capital. Houhanisin has been on the firm’s pro bono committee since he was a first-year lawyer and has taken on projects from Lawyers for the Creative Arts and the Law Project in Chicago. He devotes hours to mentoring younger lawyers: This summer he is conducting weekly one-hour chats with junior and summer associates and paralegals.

Intellectual property attorney Jonathan Hughley works with inventors, startups and multinationals on patent protection strategies. He prepares and prosecutes domestic and foreign utility and design applications and prepares patentability and infringement opinions involving mechanical, electromechanical and software technologies. Last year, Hughley was selected as a Pathway to Partnership Fellow by the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. He presents to undergraduate students on patent law through the committee’s LegalTrek program. Hughley serves on Marshall Gerstein’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and is involved in recruiting and evaluating candidates. Hughley does pro bono work for Inclusion in the Legal Profession, Wills for Heroes Foundation and Cabrini Green Legal Aid. Earlier in his career, Hughley held engineering and legal positions at International Truck & Engine and Caterpillar.

Hilary Jaffe specializes in affordable housing and represents investors in building and rehabilitating units across the country using federal and state low-income housing tax credits. In her three years at Applegate, Jaffe has directly helped to build and rehabilitate more than 5,000 units of affordable housing for individuals and families across the country. She became partner last year and in July was elected to the firm’s six-member management committee. Jaffe has more than 13 years of leadership with the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing & Community Development Law. As a member of the governing committee, she chairs a program that brings industry practitioners to law schools to talk about opportunities in the field. She is also an active member of the forum’s Outreach & Diversity Committee.

Partner Mark R. Greer specializes in investment management and exchange-traded funds. Late last year, Greer worked on the launch of Invesco’s first suite of active nontransparent exchange-traded funds in the U.S. Greer has represented Invesco funds for a decade. In 2018 he and colleagues assisted with the acquisition of the Guggenheim ETF business, which involved reorganizing 67 Guggenheim ETFs onto Invesco’s platform. This year, he represented the funds of the State Farm Associates’ Fund Trust and their independent trustees in a reorganization into new products subadvised by Northern Trust Investments. Greer is a member of Stradley Ronon’s hiring and diversity committees. Outside the firm, he serves on the board of the nonprofit Legal Council for Health Justice and its audit and finance committee.

Carrie Harrington was named lead of the trusts and estates practice group at the start of the year. In recent months, Harrington created successful tax treatment of a potential multimillion-dollar SPAC, prepared trust structures for clients’ gift tax and asset protection planning, and guided grieving spouses and children through the estate and trust administration process. A champion for women at the firm and in law, her practice group in the past nine months hired five employees, all of whom are women and two of whom are women of color.

Last year, Harrington launched the firm’s Wills for Teachers pro bono program, which provides free estate planning for teachers who must return to the classroom during the pandemic. She represents an immigrant seeking asylum in the U.S.

Julie Gardner

We salute all of the 2021 Notable Rising Stars in Law honorees and are especially proud of our recognized attorneys.

“My wide-ranging experience, interest, and knowledge of trusts and estates enable me to methodically advise clients on the key issues that arise with administration, litigation and planning.”

Mike, Julie and Paulina, you make an impact and a difference in the lives and businesses of our clients. By actively serving on committees, promoting diversity and inclusion, leading by example with your community service, and mentoring our associates, you are proven leaders — and we feel privileged that you have chosen to practice with us.

Mike Debre

“In the demanding business of banking with its highly regulated environment, providing my clients with sound strategies to avoid unwelcomed surprises is what I do best.”

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 19

Paulina Garga-Chmiel

“By staying up to date with all of the rapidly changing legislation impacting the banking sector, I am able to both continually protect my clients’ interests and gain their trust.”

9/3/21 2:17 PM

20 September 6, 2021 • CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

EMILY JOHNSON

KATHERINE JOHNSON

SARAH F. KING

Member, national health care practice group McDonald Hopkins

Partner Steptoe & Johnson

Partner Clifford Law Offices

Katherine “Kate” Johnson is a patent litigator who handles complex litigation across a variety of technical fields, including pharmaceutical matters, website development, automotive parts, medical devices, chemical processes and nutritional compositions. A registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, she’s represented numerous clients in federal district courts; USPTO proceedings, including inter partes reviews; appeals before the Federal Circuit; and International Trade Commission investigations. She was elected partner at the beginning of 2021, and she mentors fulltime and summer associates across the Chicago office. She is a board member and programming co-chair for the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law in Chicago and volunteers for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, representing families in adoption matters on a regular basis.

Sarah F. King focuses on medical malpractice on behalf of plaintiffs, especially complex cases involving brain-damaged babies. She was sworn in as financial secretary of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois as well as the secretary of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. She’s an editor of the ITLA Trial Notebook and co-founded the ITLA Women’s Caucus to lobby for legislation that ensures justice for injured women and children in Illinois. In 2020, King founded the WBAI Policy & Procedure Committee. She is a past president of Women Everywhere: Partners in Service Project, a collaborative effort coordinating volunteer activities to provide college scholarships to eligible high school girls. She also was elected to the Illinois State Bar Association’s Assembly, where she served two terms on the policymaking body.

Health care attorney Emily Johnson provides regulatory and compliance assistance, including HIPAA policies and procedures to prevent breaches and responding to breaches and possible government investigations. During the pandemic, Johnson’s expertise in compliance and cybersecurity made her a go-to adviser for clients forced to adapt as their practices went remote. Johnson was in high demand as a panelist at industry events where she shared her expertise on the CARES Act and the buying and selling of distressed health care companies. Before joining McDonald Hopkins in 2015, Johnson was a health care attorney and senior consultant at a national legal-based health care management consulting firm. At McDonald Hopkins, Johnson also serves as chair of the firm’s wellness committee and is a member of the Women’s Council and Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

KATHERINE KIRKPATRICK Partner King & Spalding

Katherine Kirkpatrick is a partner in King & Spalding’s special matters and government investigations practice. She is considered a thought leader on anti-money laundering, cryptocurrency, blockchain-related compliance and cross-border investigations. She has worked with clients in multiple jurisdictions across Europe, Africa and Asia. She cochairs K&S’s Financial Services Industry Group, chairs its Chicago Women’s Alliance Group and is on its firmwide hiring committee. Kirkpatrick does pro bono work for the Illinois Torture Inquiry & Relief Commission, a state agency formed by the General Assembly to investigate claims of torture. She’s an elected member of the board of directors of the Notre Dame Law Association and is active with Her Justice, a New York-based pro bono legal services organization that serves low-income women in family law and immigration matters.

ASHLEE KNUCKEY

Partner Locke Lord

Pa K

Ashlee Knuckey is a member of Locke Lord’s board of directors and maintains a cross-functional practice handling litigation and regulatory matters, primarily in the health care, insurance and food industries. She was the lead counsel for the team representing WellCare in its $17.3 billion merger with Centene and a key contributor to the team that served as national insurance regulatory counsel to CVS Health in its acquisition of Aetna. Knuckey is chair of the Food, Beverage & Cosmetics Industry Group and a member of both the Attorney Development and Practice Development/ Marketing committees. She is a member of the Executives’ Club of Chicago and the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives. She was a long-standing member of the Women’s Auxiliary Board for the Ronald McDonald House.

Ja vi co ti

BARACK FERRAZZANO CONGRATULATES OUR PARTNERS RECOGNIZED AMONG THE 2021 CRAIN’S NOTABLE RISING STARS IN LAW

WE APPLAUD ALLISON POWERS & JACK SNYDER FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP, MENTORSHIP, AND COMMITMENT TO OUR FIRM AND THE LEGAL COMMUNITY Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP | T. 312.984.3100 | bfkn.com

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 20

9/3/21 2:17 PM

si o m h ju cl w jo P to si M h w ea fo M in al D

f s n-

re he

o f

nf nt

a b f

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS • September 6, 2021 21

JADE LAMBERT

MARCIE LAPE

BRIENNE LETOURNEAU

ELI LITOFF

YVETTE LOIZON

Partner King & Spalding

Partner Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom

Partner Willkie Farr & Gallagher

Partner Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila

Partner Clifford Law Offices

Brienne Letourneau represents businesses, institutions and individuals in complex litigation in a variety of substantive areas, including fiduciary litigation, asset management disputes, ERISA litigation, director and officer liability, consumer class actions, contract disputes and business torts. She has developed a practice focus on benefits-related class actions involving asset management and fiduciary liability, a rapidly growing field. Letourneau is a leader of the firm’s Chicago Parents Group and member of its Women’s Professional Development Committee. She also co-chaired the firm’s inaugural summer program in Chicago, guiding thirteen summer associates along with numerous associates that she formally mentors. She also does pro bono work supporting the National Women’s Law Center and Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund. Prior to joining Willkie in 2020, Letourneau was a partner at Jenner & Block.

Eli Litoff’s practice includes both civil—class actions and complex commercial litigation—and criminal cases, where he represents individuals and companies in government investigations and the prosecution of white-collar crime. He co-chairs RSHC’s associate mentoring program while also maintaining an extensive pro bono practice. He helped secure the release of two clients, each of whom spent more than two decades wrongfully incarcerated, and obtained a certificate of innocence for exoneree Eddie Bolden, who served 22 years for a crime he did not commit. Bolden is now an employee of RSHC. A founding member of the ACLU of Illinois’ Next Generation Society board, Litoff “truly personifies the ideals of the legal profession by fighting for ‘justice for all,’ ” says Patricia Brown Holmes, RSHC’s managing partner.

Yvette Loizon brings a litigation background to Clifford Law Offices after serving in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office for 12 years. Today, her responsibilities include researching points of law that arise in the firm’s practice regarding substantive and procedural strategy. At Cook County, she managed cases ranging from investigation to litigation, including the first terrorism trial ever brought in state court. She was a lead attorney in the first RICO prosecution in an Illinois state trial court and was cross-designated as a special U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, tasked with handling complex violent crime prosecutions. Prior to that she served as chief legal counsel for the Illinois State Police, where she oversaw its legal department and provided guidance on legal and legislative issues affecting law enforcement.

Jade Lambert represents individuals and corporations facing complex government investigations and enforcement actions, including those relating to workplace violence and workplace sexual misconduct. Recently, she represented a public university in the internal investigation of alleged sexual and other misconduct by professor, a health care provider in a grand jury investigation and a gaming client in a regulatory matter with Illinois Gaming. Prior to joining K&S, she practiced at Perkins Coie, was chief of staff to the Illinois Reform Commission and clerked for Judge Joel M. Flaum in the 7th Circuit. She has done extensive pro bono work on criminal records relief, earning gubernatorial pardons for eight clients. She formed the Momence Anti-Racist Coalition in her hometown, where she also recently chaired a Unity Day Event.

Marcie Lape represents corporate and individual clients in commercial litigation and arbitration, including securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, and disputes relating to mergers and acquisitions and contracts. She co-led the representation of Fifth Third Bancorp in securing the dismissal of a putative securities class action filed in Chicago federal court. Promoted to partner in April 2020, Lape previously served as a law clerk to Judge Susan Black on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. She co-chaired Skadden’s Chicago Bar Foundation campaign in 2021, which raises money to support legal aid organizations. She also serves on Skadden’s Appointments Committee, which selects partners to join Skadden’s Policy Committee, the firm’s governing body. She currently serves on the National Women’s Law Center’s Leadership Advisory Committee.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HONOREES And all of Crain’s Chicago 2021 Notable Rising Stars in Law

ROBERT CHIDESTER

Vanessa Tiradentes

Partner, Corporate Practice

Partner, Litigation Practice

Complex World. Practical Solutions.®

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 21

www.gouldratner.com

Member of LawExchange International

9/3/21 2:17 PM

22 September 6, 2021 • CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

DAVID LUGER Partner Katten Muchin Rosenman

As a partner in Katten’s financial markets litigation and enforcement practice, David Luger defends clients before numerous regulatory bodies, including the SEC, CFTC and FINRA in federal and state courts. He also represents clients in arbitration before FINRA and the National Futures Association. He has represented prisoners at FCI Oakdale in Louisiana, one of the federal prisons most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. His pro bono work includes advocacy for two clients seeking post-conviction relief from significant sentences, including one client asserting innocence. Upon being awarded the Katten Pro Bono Service Award in 2020, Luger directed his $1,000 honorarium to the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, a nonprofit legal services organization that represents detained immigrant children in the U.S.

CHRISTINA CARRIERE LUTZ

ERIN MCADAMS FRANZBLAU

Partner Levenfeld Pearlstein

Partner Freeborn & Peters

Litigation partner Christina Carriere Lutz is chair of Levenfeld Pearlstein’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force and has been instrumental in championing the firm’s diversity initiatives. She spearheaded the drafting, editing and adoption of a firmwide DEI operating plan and facilitated a partnership with the Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program to place women of color in summer associate roles and improve the pipeline from law school to associate to partner. “This plan is already having a far-reaching impact

Erin McAdams Franzblau litigates employment matters and advises employers on nearly every subspecialty of employment law, including M&A transactions. Her diverse practice ranges from litigating class actions for Fortune 100 companies and advising startups to representing executives in severance negotiations. Her recent cases include a summary judgment for an automotive employer in two matters alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Family & Medical Leave Act. She also served as lead employment lawyer in various multimillion-dollar M&A transactions in the medical testing, automotive logistics and insurance industries. She is co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Leadership Council, a board member of the Federal Bar Association’s Chicago chapter, chair of the Younger Lawyer’s Division and co-chair of the Programming Committee.

on recruitment and retention, with a majority of our new hires in 2020 and 2021 identifying as women or diverse attorneys or professionals,” says Chairman and Managing Partner Robert A. Romanoff. Prior to her legal career, Lutz worked in television, including a stint as assistant to comedian George Carlin.

SETH MEYER

BOB MORGAN

ELIN PARK

Partner Keller Lenkner

Partner Benesch

Partner Jenner & Block

Seth Meyer’s practice focuses on antitrust, class-action, appellate and bankruptcy matters. He has represented the state of Arizona and 18 municipalities in litigation related to the opioid crisis and is coordinating 41 class actions throughout the country against opioid defendants on behalf of insurance ratepayers. He is also part of the litigation team representing numerous states in antitrust litigation against Google for monopolizing products and services used by advertisers and publishers in online-display advertising. Before joining Keller Lenkner, Meyer was an attorney at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago and Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C. He is an adjunct professor at the Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences Center for Legal Studies and volunteers with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Jewish United Fund.

Bob Morgan is a health care regulatory and policy attorney with extensive experience in the cannabis industry, being one of the primary architects of the state’s medical cannabis program. As a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, he passed legislation to reduce health insurance costs, ensure telehealth is permanently available in Illinois and strengthen protections for behavioral health patients. In July, he was appointed vice chair of the Cannabis Law & Policy General Committee of the American Bar Association for the 2021-22 bar year, where he will participate in CLE programs, publish articles and help plan activities that enhance professional development, ethics and diversity. Morgan is a longtime member of the Anti-Defamation League Midwest Regional Board and a board member of Equip for Equality.

Elin Park has extensive experience in complex commercial, consumer and class-action litigation. She represents financial institutions in a range of cases, including those involving asset-backed securities, asset management, bankruptcy and insurance-coverage disputes. She also handles government investigations for a variety of industries. Recently, she’s been part of a team representing Fair Fight Action in a federal lawsuit against Georgia’s secretary of state and Board of Elections. She was recognized for her successful representations of pro bono clients with awards from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Chicago chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the 7th Circuit Bar Association. She is president of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago and vice president of the Korean American Bar Association of Chicago.

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 22

DEI funding is ‘no longer smaller than the coffee budget’ Christina Carriere Lutz began her career in entertainment, including a stint as an assistant to legendary comedian George Carlin. Working in programming and trying to figure out licensing agreements, she figured that law school would enhance her career. When she got there, however, she was drawn to litigation and changed course. As an attorney at Levenfeld Pearlstein, Lutz has advocated for diversity and inclusion, chairing the firm’s DEI task force and working to improve the recruiting of lawyers from diverse backgrounds, as well as their retention and advancement to partner. CRAIN’S: You’ve been practicing since 2008—what did diversity look like then? LUTZ: I began my career during a period when law firms put recruiting and retention of diverse attorneys on hold to contend with the recession. Only 2% of attorneys in law firms around that time were women of color, according to the National Association for Law Placement. And today? Unfortunately, the numbers haven’t moved much since then, and the disparities are particularly stark at the more senior levels in law firms. In 2020, only 2.1% of partners were Black, with less than 1% of partners being Black women, and only about 10% of partners are people of color. The numbers are not much better for openly LGBTQ+ partners or differently abled partners. Back in 2008, I was lucky enough to join a firm with an unusually diverse class of associates, and in my litigation group, approximately a third of the associates were women of color. I relied on their insight and companionship, and I value those relationships to this day. What has improved? The biggest improvement is recognition. We no longer need to make the business case for

diversity. People understand that if you want your law firm to be sustainable in the long term, you need to ensure that it looks like the world we live in. People are willing to invest their resources as a result. Budgets for DEI initiatives are no longer smaller than the coffee budget. People recognize now the power of inertia and that it takes an investment to move the needle. What are the biggest obstacles to overcome? Law firms often operate in siloed fashion, and people gravitate towards working with people who remind them of themselves. That extends to opportunities to work on interesting deals or cases, with important clients, or to go on pitches, client lunches or networking opportunities. This ultimately can result in unequal experience levels when it comes time for promotion and poor retention of diverse attorneys who feel they are not having the same experience as other associates. How do you disrupt that cycle? Breaking out of this convention requires thinking mindfully about how you incorporate more junior attorneys into your daily practice and whether you are equitably extending opportunities for informal mentorship. What specifically did you do in entertainment, and what was it like to work for George Carlin? After working for George Carlin, I worked in television for several years, first as an assistant and then in programming. I have so many great memories of George; he was one of those unique souls who was even funnier in person than he was on stage, which is saying something! We shared a love of words (George was famous for his monologue about the seven words you can never say on television).

9/3/21 2:18 PM

Pa N

Ta o in li

te p Sh D te L co te E at

M sh ca C u an

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS • September 6, 2021 23

TANVI PATEL

ALLISON POWERS

JAMES C. PULLOS

SIMONE A. RANDOLPH

SARAH BETH RIZZO

Partner Neal Gerber Eisenberg

Partner Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg

Partner Clifford Law Offices

Partner Thompson Hine

James C. Pullos’ practice areas include personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights, medical malpractice, trucking matters, motor vehicle collisions and other claims. In recent months, he’s also worked on business interruption cases, helping business owners who paid insurance premiums for coverage for claims regarding the sudden financial business losses or closures suffered because of the pandemic, only to find their insurers denying them reimbursement. He has tried more than 50 cases to verdict and hundreds of bench trials and hearings in federal and state courts. He served 14 years in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, preparing numerous state and federal appellate briefs and presenting oral arguments before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Most notably, he represented police officers from the Cook County sheriff’s office in civil lawsuits in federal court.

Simone A. Randolph, a partner in Thompson Hine’s real estate practice, focuses on complex commercial real estate and finance transactions, with experience in syndicated, mezzanine and construction financing. She has represented lender clients, including many Chicago-based banks, in more than 1,000 middle-market financings throughout the country, closing more than $500 million in multifamily, industrial, retail, office and commercial asset transactions in just the last two years. She also advises Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in structur-

Partner Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom

Tanvi Patel handles all aspects of intellectual property law, including patent and trademark litigation, patent prosecution and client counseling related to noninfringement and patent enforcement. In addition to managing global patent portfolios, Patel frequently leads strategy in patent and trademark litigation. She is a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion committee and the Women’s Network Leadership Team, and she is co-chair of the Hiring Committee. Before joining Neal Gerber Eisenberg, Patel worked as an attorney at McAndrews Held &

Allison Powers defends employers against class and single-plaintiff claims of discrimination and harassment in lawsuits and in enforcement agency actions under federal and state laws. She joined Barack Ferrazzano’s business litigation and its luxury, fashion and retail practices in September 2020, charged with expanding the firm’s labor and employment law capabilities. She serves on the firm’s DEI and Business Development committees and on several special committees in her role as firm counsel. Powers’ pro bono practice includes representing

Malloy; prior to practicing law, she earned a degree in electrical engineering and worked at Caterpillar. She regularly volunteers with Equip for Equality and the Second Chances clinic.

immigrants seeking asylum and other relief under immigration laws, veterans seeking benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs and branches of the armed forces, and first-time homebuyers formerly housed in Chicago Housing Authority units.

ing joint venture agreements and works with women- and minority-owned businesses in successfully preparing and submitting certification applications.

Sarah Beth Rizzo represents clients in various tax-free and taxable acquisitions, dispositions, financings, spinoffs and restructurings. Among notable recent cases were a reverse spinoff of a $10.4 billion portfolio of apartment communities into AIR, an independent, publicly traded umbrella partnership real estate investment trust; the spinoff of certain telecommunications network assets into an independent, publicly traded REIT; and the tax-free spinoff of certain real estate assets into a separate, publicly traded REIT. Rizzo was named a partner of the firm this year, and she currently serves as a chair for the Chicago Summer Associate committee. She also is a board member and treasurer for One on One Chicago, which works to affirm the self-reliance of underserved individuals and families through meaningful work.

t s

Katten is proud to congratulate our partners

t r

Charles DeVore and David Luger on their recognition among the Crain’s Chicago Business 2021 Notable Rising Stars in Law.

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

katten.com

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 23

9/3/21 2:18 PM

24 September 6, 2021 • CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

JASON ROMICK

DANIEL SAEEDI

BRIAN SALVI

SARA SHANTI

MARK A. SILVERMAN

Partner Levenfeld Pearlstein

Partner Taft Stettinius & Hollister

Partner Salvi Schostok & Pritchard

Partner Benesch

Member Dykema Gossett

Jason Romick concentrates his practice on mergers, acquisitions and other strategic transactions, with a particular focus on the insurance brokerage industry. In addition, he has extensive experience representing middle-market asset managers, finance companies and institutional investors in structuring, negotiating and documenting opportunistic private-equity co-investments. After serving as a law clerk to federal Judge Milton Shadur and practicing as a corporate attorney at Sidley Austin and Levenfeld Pearlstein, Romick joined Hub

Daniel Saeedi handles issues relating to employment law, unfair competition and data privacy, representing clients in trade secrets and restrictive covenants disputes around the country. He also litigates complex class-action cases in the realm of computer fraud, privacy law and biometric face recognition technology. He is a certified information privacy professional, a designation that’s recognized around the world. He’s also the CLE instructor for the Illinois State Bar Association’s programming on restrictive covenants and trade secrets, and in the context of multidisciplinary skills such as drafting, consulting and litigation best practices. Saeedi is an active member of Taft’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and regularly provides implicit bias CLE training to hundreds of lawyers each year.

Brian Salvi represents victims of medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury and product liability. Among recent highlights, he won a $9 million jury verdict in November even though closing arguments suddenly switched to remote on the last day of trial due to a spike in COVID numbers. He and his team had to quickly pivot to ensure they still presented a compelling argument via Zoom. He is a Chicago advisory board member of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, an organization committed to finding a cure for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Salvi also supports Horizons for Youth, Chicago’s only organization that provides need-based scholarships, comprehensive support programs and educational resources to students of all academic ability levels.

A member of the Benesch Healthcare+ practice group, Sara Shanti represents health care providers and technology companies in matters related to data privacy and security, health care regulatory compliance and mergers and acquisitions. She provides counsel on digital health innovations including artificial intelligence, breaches and data controls, mobile applications and telemedicine. She co-founded her firm’s COVID-19 response team and advised providers on multiple emergency use authorization submissions as they treated patients throughout the pandemic. Her work helped many patients continue to see their doctors via telemedicine. Shanti also helped her clients navigate data security incidents and manage audits and regulatory inquiries from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General and state agencies. She serves as an active court-appointed guardian ad litem for minor children in Cook County.

Mark A. Silverman is a co-leader of the firm’s national commercial mortgage-backed securities special servicer group, leader of the firm’s nationwide Technology Advisory Committee, and a member of the firm’s financial industry group. He has represented several of the nation’s largest CMBS special servicers in contested foreclosure litigation, guarantor litigation and bankruptcy matters involving assets located in Illinois and around the country. His commercial foreclosure and workout experience spans many sectors. including hotel, retail and assets like airports and taxi medallions. Silverman routinely handles post-judgment collections and fraudulent transfers. Prior to joining Dykema, he was a judicial extern with U.S. District Judge Arlander Keys. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association’s DE&I committee.

Pa co Ba N

International, ultimately serving as vice president, chief M&A counsel and deputy general counsel. He rejoined Levenfeld Pearlstein as a partner in 2020 and co-leads the expansion of the firm’s insurance brokerage M&A specialty practice.

CHAMPIONS.

Tanvi Patel and Eric Choi exemplify Neal Gerber Eisenberg’s commitment to our clients, colleagues, and the communities we serve. Their dedication to service and inclusivity and their exemplary legal skills are true hallmarks of future leaders in the Chicago legal community.

LEADERS.

Congratulations to Tanvi and Eric on this well-deserved recognition as two of Crain’s 2021 Notable Rising Stars in Law.

ADVISORS.

www.nge.com

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 24

9/3/21 2:18 PM

A ti

u m a th cl m la go W is

p lo w th d an u th

i ly

He d

CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS • September 6, 2021 25

JACK SNYDER

JONATHAN SOLOMON

ERIC SWIBEL

Partner and assistant general counsel Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg

Partner Latham & Watkins

A partner in Latham’s M&A and private-equity practices, Jonathan Solomon advises private-equity funds, family offices and their portfolio companies, and public and private companies on complex domestic and cross-border transactions. He also chairs the Chicago Corporate Department and is vice chair of the firm’s retail and consumer products industry group. Solomon recently has been advising semiconductor company AMD in its $35 billion acquisition of Xilinx, and he regularly represents various Pritzker family business interests. He also represented Madison Dearborn Partners in its investment into Evo Payment Solutions. Solomon began his legal career as an associate at Cravath Swaine & Moore in New York. He supports Lurie Children’s Hospital and PAWS and is a member of Chabad Lincoln Park.

Eric Swibel represents global clients in litigation in federal and state courts, government investigations, internal investigations and arbitrations. As co-chair of the Chicago office’s 60-member Litigation & Trial Department, he successfully led a team representing Camping World Holdings and several of the company’s officers and directors in three securities class actions and four derivative suits (still pending) in five federal and state courts. He also tried no fewer than five JAMS commercial arbitrations during the pandemic. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins as an associate in 2009, Swibel clerked for U.S. District Judge William O’Kelley in Georgia. He’s a member of the Host Committee for the Honeycomb Project, a Chicago organization for family volunteering.

As a partner in the firm’s litigation and motor vehicle practices, Jack Snyder is a first-chair trial lawyer who also advises clients on regulatory compliance, commercial contracts and product distribution strategies in multiple industries. He was a key member of the team that secured dismissal of all claims against a firm client in a multibillion-dollar nationwide lawsuit arising out of the Chicago Tribune’s leveraged buyout. When COVID-related business issues emerged in early 2020, he

pivoted to the ensuing landlord-tenant disputes. Snyder was also a leading member of the team that built the firm’s database of COVID-related analysis and public orders for use as a resource throughout the pandemic.

w LAWYERS BY THE NUMBERS U.S. ESTIMATES FOR LAWYERS, MAY 2020

658,120

$71.59

lawyers

Mean hourly wage

$148,910 Mean annual wage

METRO AREAS WITH THE MOST LAWYERS, MAY 2020 Metro area

Number of lawyers Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage

New York

81,650

$86.62

$180,160

Washington, D.C.

43,990

$89.46

$186,070

Los Angeles

38,390

$86.64

$180,220

Chicago

27,320

$76.45

$159,010

Philadelphia

18,880

$73.14

$152,130

NUMBER OF LAWYERS IN ILLINOIS 70,000

62,720: A 4.4% increase from 2011

60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0

‘11

‘12

‘13

‘14

‘15

‘16

‘17

‘18

‘19

‘20

‘21

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Bar Association

Stradley Ronon proudly congratulates our own Mark R. Greer on being named a 2021 Notable Rising Star in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business

Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon attorneys have helped asset management companies and funds, private and public companies — from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations — achieve their goals by providing pragmatic, value-driven legal counsel. With seven offices and more than 200 attorneys, our responsive team seamlessly addresses the full spectrum of our clients’ needs, ranging from sophisticated corporate transactions to complex commercial litigation. www.stradley.com | Philadelphia | Chicago | Washington | New York

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 25

9/3/21 2:18 PM

26 September 6, 2021 • CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS

VANESSA TIRADENTES

JOANNA TRAVALINI

NILOFER UMAR

ANDREW VOUZIERS

Partner Gould & Ratner

Partner Winston & Strawn

Partner Sidley Austin

Admitted to practice in four states, Vanessa Tiradentes represents businesses and individuals in all phases of commercial litigation in federal and state courts. This experience includes handling allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, business divorces, contract disputes and indemnification claims. She also assists clients with construction matters, including contractor disputes, breach of warranty claims and insurance coverage issues. Tiradentes was appointed chair of the Judges Initiative Committee of the ABA Business Law Section in September 2020. She’s also served as editor for the

Joanna Travalini’s litigation practice is concentrated on regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, securities matters, corporate internal investigations and complex commercial disputes. She draws from her licensure as a certified public accountant and experience in public accounting in representing clients. Shortly after the pandemic hit, the focus of her practice shifted to government-facing matters before the Justice Department and Securities & Exchange Commission. Travalini is chair of Winston’s Summer Program and a member of the firm’s Hiring & Recruitment Committee, and she runs its on-campus recruiting program at Northwestern University. She works with the National Immigrant Justice Center; she’s also involved with immigration cases, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals matters and U-Visa applications. She is a member of the ABA’s Professional Liability Litigation Committee, where she prepares roundtables and publishes materials.

Nilofer Umar leads Sidley teams representing corporations, directors and officers in securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, M&A litigation and special committee investigations. In the past 18 months she’s defended some of the country’s biggest corporations, including NiSource, Brunswick and Walgreens and directors of Allstate and Coty. She is active within Sidley’s Chicago litigation group in promoting associate development and holds positions on the firm’s Diversity and Summer Associate committees as well as the Harvard Law recruiting team. Umar is on the leadership committee and is the programming co-chair for the 2021 annual meeting of the National Association of Women Lawyers. She has served on the board of CARPLS, Cook County’s largest provider of free legal services since 2019; she’s also on the board of Kohl Children’s Museum.

Andrew Vouziers represents investment banks, direct lenders, sponsors, commercial banks and borrowers in the structuring and negotiation of complex financial transactions. He is a primary Sidley relationship partner for lending work for JPMorgan and MUFG Bank, and his work includes cross-border deals in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia. He also structures and negotiates debt facilities with environmental, social and governance incentives for companies across all industries, including green and sustainability-linked loans. At Sidley, he is on the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and spearheaded the firm’s Hispanic Heritage Roundtable. Vouziers co-chairs the Financial Services Forum of the Executives’ Club of Chicago, and he recently joined the Campaign Cabinet of the United Way of Metro Chicago. He is on the board of the Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund of Illinois.

ABA Business Law Section’s “The Business Courts Benchbook: Procedures and Best Practices in Business and Commercial Cases,” published in 2019. Most recently, she became co-president of Harvard University’s Latino Alumni Alliance. She’s also been deputy general counsel and an affiliate representative of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

BRIAN O’CONNOR WATSON Partner Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila

Brian O’Connor Watson represents clients in litigation and trial across the nation. Over the past 12 months, he has resolved nearly 100 cases successfully for clients, while also managing ongoing litigation for clients nationally, including multiple mass and proposed class actions for environmental contamination. He also serves on the recruiting and associate development committee at the firm, mentoring dozens of associates formally as well as through the Illinois Supreme Court’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program. Before joining RSHC, he was assistant special prosecutor with Special Prosecutor Patricia Brown Holmes in connection with the killing of Laquan McDonald. Watson serves the community through Habitat for Humanity, the All Stars Project Development School for Youth, Just the Beginning, Legal Prep Charter Academy and My Block, My Hood, My City.

ADAM WEXNER

JAYA WHITE

TINA WILLS

MICHAEL R. WILSON

JEFFREY ZANCHELLI

Partner Kirkland & Ellis

Partner, health law practice group Quarles & Brady

Partner Freeborn & Peters

Partner Locke Lord

Partner DLA Piper

Adam Wexner’s practice focuses on advising private-equity funds and their portfolio companies on complex business transactions. He has structured, negotiated and closed M&A transactions ranging from less than $100 million to more than $3 billion. Among highlights of the past 18 months, he served as lead counsel for Pritzker Private Capital in its recapitalization of ProAmpac and in its acquisition of Energy Distribution Partners; for Aterian Investment Partners-backed Bright International in its acquisition of Bocchi Laboratories; and for Warburg Pincus in its $150 million financing of Aura. Wexner began his career as an associate at Latham & Watkins before joining Kirkland in 2015. He was promoted to Kirkland’s share partnership this year. He’s a founding member of the Impact Council at A Better Chicago, a venture-philanthropy fund.

Jaya White is the Chicago office chair of the firm’s health law practice group and co-chair of the long-term care team. She advises health care clients on regulatory compliance and transactional issues, with a focus on senior housing providers such as skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. White is a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and was selected by the firm as a fellow in 2017. She has published articles and presented on growing regulatory issues affecting LTC providers, including the use of cameras and social media in LTC, closing facilities and cannabis use in LTC. White serves in a pro bono capacity on a technology committee for nonprofit Thresholds, which provides services to individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Tina Wills oversees all aspects of complex commercial matters, from day-to-day management of associates and staff to drafting major briefs, developing case analysis and communicating strategy with clients. In recent months she has defeated several critical motions on behalf of her clients, including motions for a preliminary injunction, dispositive motions including motions to dismiss and to determine arbitrability of claims. She also prevailed at trial in an action to reform contract terms, successfully barring most of the defendant’s affirmative defense before trial and using the defendant’s own expert in her client’s case-in-chief at trial. She is on Freeborn’s Women’s Leadership Council as a member of its pro bono and mentorship committees. She is actively involved with the National Immigrant Justice Center, successfully advocating through trial for two detained clients seeking asylum.

Michael R. Wilson focuses his corporate transactional practice in four primary areas: M&A, debt finance, venture capital and fund formation. He advises private-equity funds, startup companies and banks. He’s also developed a “niche offering,” advising small business investment companies through transactions. Significant recent deals include representing Vix, an ad-supported streaming service, in its acquisition by Univision; Chicago Pacific Founders in its $30 million Series A investment in Tredence; XSell Technologies in taking an equity investment from Sageview Capital; and GainSystems in a minority growth investment from Francisco Partners. He also led Locke Lord’s Paycheck Protection Program team, providing advice to hundreds of clients amid COVID-19. Wilson is a member of the Executives’ Club of Chicago, serving as a mentor for “early risers” in the club’s EC Associates Program.

Jeffrey “Jeff” Zanchelli represents real estate fund sponsors and other real estate owners and operators in a variety of corporate transactions, including the formation and structuring of real estate private-equity funds, management entities and joint ventures. He represents both non-U.S. clients on inbound real estate investments throughout the United States as well as U.S.-based clients focused on real estate investment opportunities in Canada, Europe and the U.K. Significant recent deals include serving as counsel to real estate private-equity company Harrison Street in its $720 million sale of three Cambridge, Mass.-based life sciences properties to Healthpeak Properties. Zanchelli and his family support the Michael J. Fox Foundation, dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease. He has also worked on the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ Law Project.

P013-P026_CCB_20210906.indd 26

9/3/21 2:18 PM