In a continued effort to expand our legal network and better serve the ISBA, President Umberto S. Davi was sworn-in by Chief Justice Patience Drake Roggensack of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and admitted to the Wisconsin Bar on a Motion made by State Bar of Wisconsin President Ralph Cagle. The ceremony took place on Friday, August 28, 2015, in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is located in the Capitol Building, in Madison, Wisconsin. Pictured are (from left) Jan Davi, President Davi, Justice Roggensack, Wisconsin Bar Past President Michelle Behnke, President Cagle and Marie Sarantakis.
People
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September 2, 2015 |
People | ISBA News
2 comments (Most recent September 3, 2015)
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September 1, 2015 |
People
Donald Hoppe, age 67, a lifelong resident of the Wheaton/Glen Ellyn area, passed away at home with his family on Thursday, August 27, 2015. He was born on September 19, 1947.
Don grew up in Wheaton and graduated from Wheaton Central High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his J.D. from the University of Illinois. Don was a passionate medical malpractice defense attorney, working for firms in Chicago including Kirkland & Ellis, Peterson & Ross, and Johnson & Bell. In recent years he practiced with his wife, Karren.
Don was an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association, where he taught on trial practice and professional liability. He enjoyed sports and coached his children in both baseball and basketball. He loved rescuing animals, traveling, and rooting for the Chicago White Sox (and whoever played the Cubs). He was an active member of the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church.
Don is survived by his wife Karren; his daughter, Michelle; his sons, Steve and Bryan; his granddaughter, Brooklyn; and his two dogs, Lady and Fred.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Nelson and Alice Hoppe.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 3, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., in Wheaton, IL. A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 4, at 11 a.m. at the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church (now known as the Compass Church), 520 E. Roosevelt Rd., Wheaton, IL 60187.
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August 27, 2015 |
People
Spiros Law P.C. recently announced the addition of Kankakee County native and resident Andrew J. Purcell, who joins the firm as a senior associate after 16 years of practicing law in Chicago. Spiros Law has offices in Kankakee, Champaign and Danville and is focused on representing plaintiffs in matters involving personal injury, medical malpractice, auto/trucking accidents, nursing home negligence, products liability, premises liability, wrongful death and workers' compensation.
Purcell has defended personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits resulting from catastrophic occurrences including industrial accidents. During his career, Purcell has been involved in more than 30 bench and jury trials in both state and federal courts. He is licensed to practice law before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana and the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Between 2006 and 2014, Purcell was selected for Illinois Super Lawyers Magazine's rising stars list, which recognizes attorneys under the age of 40. Purcell is a member of the Kankakee County and Illinois State bar associations. Prior to joining Spiros Law, Purcell was a partner at a national law firm based in Chicago, where he handled a variety of complex litigation matters. He graduated from Bishop McNamara Catholic High School in Kankakee in 1992 and from Eastern Illinois University in '95 He earned his law degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
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August 27, 2015 |
People
Thomas Ronald “T. Ron” Jasinski-Herbert was born November 1, 1938 and passed away August 17, 2015
Beloved son of the late Leona "Lee" Jasinski Herbert and the late Thomas H. Herbert, cherished nephew and godson of Loretta Sobocinski (Lori Sobin) and nephew of Michael K. (the late Rosemary) Jasinski, devoted cousin of Karen Mackay, Jeanine (Richard) Galati, Patricia (Ken) Brendecke, the late Suzanne Luckew, and many others across the country. He also leaves behind a myriad of lifelong friends in Chicago and around the world.
T. Ron earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePaul University, and LLB and JD degrees also from DePaul University and remained an active alumnus.
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August 27, 2015 |
People
J. Thomas Mudd has joined HeplerBroom LLC in the Edwardsville office as an Associate Attorney. Mudd focuses his practice on complex litigation matters, including toxic torts and product liability.
Mudd earned his J.D. in 2012 from St. Louis University School of Law and graduated with his B.A. in 2008 from Rhodes College. Mudd is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Missouri Bar, and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri. -
August 18, 2015 |
People
Susan T. Bart, a Partner at Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago, served as Reporter for the Uniform Trust Decanting Act, which was recently approved by the Uniform Law Commission, a non-profit association that promotes uniformity of law among the states. Trust decanting is a nonjudicial method of modifying an irrevocable trust.
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August 17, 2015 |
People
Michigan’s largest law firm Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP has announced that Alex Plakas has joined the firm as a partner in the Private Equity Practice Group. Plakas, who joins from Kirkland & Ellis LLP, will be based in Honigman’s Chicago office, which was recently acquired as part of a strategic growth plan aimed at better serving clients and expanding the firm’s national reach. He is one of nine partners who have come on board at Honigman from Am Law 100 firms this year, and he will play an essential role in helping the firm to grow in the private equity space.
“Expanding our presence in Chicago by adding the finest legal talent is a top priority,” said David Foltyn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Honigman. “Alex’s stellar experience in middle-market private equity transactions strengthens a practice that has already gained national recognition, and is a sign of Honigman’s commitment to the strategic growth of the Chicago office.”
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August 16, 2015 |
People
Leslie Ann Koczur, 60, of Hinsdale passed away on August 11th.
She recently retired from her position as Director of Regulatory Projects at ComEd after a long career with the company. She worked with Illinois regulatory officials and legislators, and with municipal officials on numerous projects, including the modernization of the electric grid in Illinois to increase generation capacity, improve efficiency, and reduce electric outages. One of her notable projects was working on legislation that transformed the electric system in Illinois into one of the most successful competitive retail systems in the United States, saving consumers billions of dollars in electric rates.
Previously, she served as the Chief-of-Staff to the Illinois President of SBC Communications, the Manager of Federal Governmental Affairs for Nicor, and as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General.
Leslie had a passion for traveling and outdoor activities, but especially for spending time with her family and many friends.
Leslie received a Juris Doctor Degree from the John Marshall Law School in 1981, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from John Carroll University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1977.
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August 14, 2015 |
People
The American Association for Justice (AAJ) has appointed personal injury attorney, Antonio M. Romanucci, as Chair of the Police Misconduct Litigation group, effective July 12, 2015. Mr. Romanucci also serves as Chair-Elect of the Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group and was elected to a three year term as one of AAJ’s PAC Trustees this year. Founding partner and principal at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, Mr. Romanucci has been an active member of AAJ for nearly 20 and has served leadership positions since July 2007.
“I am honored to be given the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Police Misconduct Litigation group for AAJ, as well as serve other meaningful leadership roles for the organization,” said Mr. Romanucci. “The use of unlawful, excessive force by police officers currently taking place across our country is a rampant concern. I am looking forward to collaborating with other like-minded attorneys and individuals in my new role, to tackle this issue head-on.”
This past month in Montreal, Canada, at the AAJ annual conference, Mr. Romanucci spoke to the Police Misconduct Litigation Group and Civil Rights Section on the topic of "Overcoming Juror Bias in Police Misconduct Cases". His July 13th presentation focused on key issues involving implicit bias and methods to deselect jurors with bias in favor of police officers and trial strategies to contain jurors with bias who make it onto juries.
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August 13, 2015 |
People
Brett Keller Gorman, 48, of 1845 Jersey, Quincy, died Sunday afternoon, June 7, 2015.
Brett was born Nov. 30, 1966, in Urbana, the son of Dennis and Barbara Keller Gorman.
He graduated from Quincy High School in 1985 and the University of Illinois in 1989 with a bachelor of arts degree. He was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and the Acacia fraternity.
In 1992 he earned his juris doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar.
On Jan. 9, 1993, he married Deborah K. Grandcolas in Belleville, and she survives.
For 23 years, Brett practiced law in the area of civil litigation, first with Bullaro, Carton & Stone in Chicago and then, beginning in 1996, with the law firm of Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell LLP in Quincy, where he was a partner.
Brett's professional expertise and scholarly talent as a trial lawyer were recognized in 2013, 2014 and 2015 with the designation of "Super Lawyer" in Illinois in the area of business litigation. Brett served by appointment on the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee since 2008 and had been the committee's chair since 2013.