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November 2008 Beermann, Swerdlove firm formed a half-century ago Fifty years ago, Miles N. Beermann and Nathan B. Swerdlove graduated from the DePaul University College of Law and traveled to Springfield for admission to the Illinois bar on May 22, 1958. Returning to Chicago, they set about forming a full-service law firm that began developing clientele out of an office in a family sewing machine shop in the Bucktown neighborhood. They also joined the Illinois State Bar Association, which will honor them on Wednesday, Dec. 10, as Senior Counsellors. Now a mid-size firm, the Beermann Swerdlove team celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sept. 18 with a reception and entertainment at the Chicago Cultural Center. Through the years, growing clientele have sought the firm’s expertise in family law, business counseling, commercial litigation and appeals, employment law, estate planning, real estate and personal injury. A few have been celebrities, such as basketball legend Michael Jordan, baseball star Frank Thomas, comedian Bill Murray and rapper R Kelly. Beermann Swerdlove takes pride in its reputation for supporting the emergence of women in legal careers and actively promoting the balance of work and life. The addition of five new partners and two associates during the past year has created almost equal representation of the genders in its Chicago and Highland Park offices. Miles Beermann has devoted much of his career to participation in bar association leadership, and he has been honored for that. In 2002, he received the Samuel S. Berger Award for professional contributions as a member of the Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. A Fellow of the Academy, he served on the chapter board for seven years. Beermann is a past president of the Appellate Lawyers Association, former secretary and treasurer of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and chair of the Chicago Bar Association Matrimonial Law and Civil Practice Committees. He has taught divorce law and litigation skills at DePaul since 1993, and has lectured extensively on the practice for many legal organizations. Nathan Swerdlove, who is now of counsel to the firm, also has shared his expertise during many continuing legal education programs. A member of the CBA Matrimonial Law Committee since 1970, he is a Cook County arbitrator. Other partners in the firm are currently active in the ISBA. Michael C. Craven is a member of the Family Law Section Council, and Katarinna McBride is newsletter editor for the Trust and Estates Section Council. Deane B. Brown serves on the Committee on Professional Conduct and the Committee on Supreme Court Rules. |
