Chicago Area

The Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission honored Thomas P. Sullivan, a partner at the Chicago firm of Jenner & Block, as the 2013 recipient of the George N. Leighton Justice Award on Monday.

The award is given by the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission to honor Retired U.S. District Court Judge George N. Leighton. The award recognizes one who has given exceptional service to the legal community and exhibits the qualities that personified Judge Leighton's character, service and legal career.

"The George N. Leighton Justice Award is given to Thomas Sullivan in recognition of his distinguished service to the legal community in Illinois for more than 50 years," Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita B. Garman said. "We congratulate him on receiving this most deserving award."

Kelley Kronenberg, a national full-service law firm, announced the addition of Christina L. Talamonti to its Chicago law office.

Talamonti joins the firm as an attorney and focuses her practice on the defense of claims arising under the Longshore and Harbor Act and the Defense Base Act (DBA), as well as Employer Liability, General Maritime and General Insurance Defense matters. Most recently, Ms. Talamonti worked for a Chicago law firm handling Employment Law and Liability, General Premises Liability, Insurance Coverage Litigation, Toxic Tort Defense, and General Insurance Defense matters.

Ms. Talamonti received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and earned her juris doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in both Illinois and Indiana and is admitted to practice in the Northern District of Illinois, and the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.

Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund CEO Honored for Dedication to Legal Profession, Community and College

Peter Birnbaum, president and CEO of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc. (ATG®), has been designated one of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law’s 125 Alumni of Distinction for his outstanding professional and community service achievements.

“We are proud to honor Peter Birnbaum for his role in shaping the legal profession, giving back to his community and the law school, and helping to raise the profile of the College of Law on a global level,” said Harold J. Krent, Dean of Chicago-Kent College of Law, which celebrates 125 years of distinctive legal education this year. All Alumni of Distinction will be honored at a dinner on Thursday, Nov. 21 at The Renaissance Hotel, 1 West Wacker Dr., Chicago, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Birnbaum said, “I’m extremely humbled to be among this list of distinctive alumni, and to be honored in such a way by the IIT Kent-Chicago College of Law, which offered me an excellent education and numerous opportunities to grow as a person and a professional.”

A past president of the Alumni Board and current member of the Board of Overseers for the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Birnbaum received a Distinguished Service Award from the College in 2004. As a first-year student there in 1981, he began his career at ATG as a law clerk, and advanced to positions of staff attorney, and vice president and counsel, before being namedm president and CEO in 1991.

Paula H. Holderman (second from right), president of the Illinois State Bar Association, was one of four speakers at a November 7 Chicago Bar Association seminar at the CBA headquarters themed “Lessons in Leadership: A Conversation with Female Bar Presidents.” With Ms. Holderman in the photo are three former CBA presidents (seated, from left) Terri Mascherin, Aurora Abella-Austriaco and Appellate Court Justice Joy Cunningham. Standing are the event’s moderators Deidre Baumann and Michele Jochner. The panelists discussed their backgrounds, how they prepared for their leadership roles, advancement opportunities in the profession, the gender-equity pay issue, work-life balance and their personal definitions of success.