Gary M. Ropski has been elected president of Brinks, Hofer, Gilson & Lione, a Chicago-based intellectual property firm with three other U.S. offices.

Paul H. Stepan has joined the Chicago office of McGuireWoods as a partner in the Corporate Services Department. He also is a partner in a venture fund for the chemical manufacturing and hospitality industries.

Michael H. Lieber has joined the firm as a partner in the Commercial Litigation Department. He was a partner in Sachnoff & Weaver.

Bruce Thiemann has joined Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White & Frederick, Peoria, as a partner. Fadi Rustom, Thomas Broderick and Roni VanAusdall are new associates at the firm.

ISBA member Michael P. Downey is a new partner in Fox Galvin, St. Louis. A former federal appeals court clerk, he represents businesses in commercial, environmental, employment and class action litigation.

Valerie J. Peiler, an arbitrator with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission for 15 years, has joined Brady, Connolly & Masuda, Chicago, as a partner in the appellate section of workers' comp matters.

Vesna Loncar has joined Amari & Locallo, Chicago and Bloomingdale, as an associate in real estate tax assessment practice for commercial, industrial and multi-property owners.

Erik L. Kantz is a new partner in the Business Practice Group at Arnstein & Lehr, Chicago. His name was misspelled in an announcement in the March issue.

The law firm of Bartell & Barickman has been established at 1401 S. State St., Champaign 61802, telephone (217) 352-7951. Name partners Jason S. Bartell, formerly of Dodd & Bartell, and Jason A. Barickman concentrate in business and corporate matters, real estate and estate planning.

Louis S. Cohen has been named managing partner of the Chicago office of DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, where he is chair of the Real Estate Department. He succeeds Alan J. Ginsburg, who continues to practice in franchise, corporate, mergers and acquisitions.

Three associates have been added at Freeborn & Peters, Chicago. They are Joseph B. DiRago and Daniel S. Dooley in the Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Creditors' Rights Group, and Melissa L. Braswell in the Business Law Services Group.

Kelli L. Gidcumb has opened the Gidcumb Law Office at 1100 S. Fifth St., Springfield 62703, telephone (217) 522-3344. The practice focuses on labor and employment law, discrimination and mediation services.

Robert N. Faulkner, a graduate of The John Marshall Law School, has joined the St. Louis firm of Helfrey, Simon & Jones as an associate in the Corporate Practice Group.

April A. Greer is a new senior associate in the Business Practice Group of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard, which has offices in Belleville, Carbondale and St. Louis.

Jennifer Dillon Kotz has become a partner in Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck, Chicago. New associates at the firm are Mary A. Zambreno, Joshua M. Jackson, Patrick T. Ryan and Erika N. Walsh.

Michael F. Tomasek has joined Ungaretti & Harris, Chicago, as a partner in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. He was at Schiff Hardin.

Audrey H. Rubin has been appointed chief operating officer of Wildman, Har-rold, Allen & Dixon, Chicago. Previously COO of Butler, Rubin, Saltarelli & Boyd, she also has been an officer of Apollo Travel Services and the Grant Thornton accounting firm.