Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy

SEC v. EquityBuild, Inc.

Federal 7th Circuit Court
SEC v. EquityBuild, Inc.
Civil Court
Real Estate Fraud
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 24-2254
Decision Date: 
December 4, 2025
Federal District: 
N.D. Ill., Eastern Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Judge: 
KOLAR

The Seventh Circuit considered an appeal relating to the district court’s distribution of proceeds from the sale of two properties in the aftermath of a real estate Ponzi scheme. Two groups of victims claimed priority to the proceeds. The district court awarded priority to individual investors and limited recovery of an investment partnership to its contributed principal. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, explaining that the district court did not err in determining that the investment partnership was on inquiry notice of the individual investors’ preexisting interests in the properties. (BRENNAN and MALDONADO, concurring)

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Course

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the ISBA Labor and Employment Section


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: November 18, 2022
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­November 19, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


This course satisfies the state-mandated training requirement!
Improve the culture of your office and satisfy your annually mandated sexual harassment prevention training requirement by attending this program. Consistent with the requirements established in Section 2-109(B) of the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act (Public Act 101-0220) this program will help you gain an understanding of what sexual harassment is, what remedies are available to victims of sexual harassment, and what responsibilities employers have in the prevention, investigation, and provision of corrective measures to address sexual harassment in the workplace. Topics include: reporting allegations; conditions of employment; settlement or termination agreements; and more. This program is open to both Illinois lawyers and their staff members.

Program Virtual Moderator:
Laura E. Schrick, Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd., Belleville

Program Speakers:
Michael R. Lied, Attorney at Law, Dunlap
Thalia Pacheco, Fish Potter Bolaños, P.C., Chicago

Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students - Free

LIVE WEB - The New Illinois Receivership Act

January 28, 2026
Presented by the ISBA Construction Law Section
Co-presented by the ISBA Real Estate Law Section and ISBA Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy Section


Live Webcast
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
10:55 – 12:05 a.m.

1.0 hour MCLE credit

On August 1, 2025, Governor Pritzker signed the new Illinois Receivership Act into law, which will become effective January 1, 2026. The new law clarifies and expands when and how receivers can be appointed, while also giving them the tools they need to manage commercial assets, including commercial real estate, personal property, and businesses. Join us for an in-depth discussion on what has changed, how to advise your clients moving forward, and how this law may impact your construction law clients.

Program Coordinators:
Adam B. Whiteman, Whiteman Law, Lake Forest
Samuel H. Levine, Downey & Lenkov, LLC, Chicago

Program Moderator:
Samuel H. Levine, Downey & Lenkov, LLC, Chicago

Program Chat Moderator:
Adam B. Whiteman, Whiteman Law, Lake Forest


10:55 – 11:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

11:00 – 11:35 a.m. A Primer on the New Illinois Receivership Act
The new Illinois Receivership Act codifies outdated statutes and case law into a comprehensive statutory framework with the goal of maximizing value of the receivership estate. Don’t miss this introductory look at the new Act, which is designed to bring clarity, flexibility, and predictability to receiverships involving commercial assets, including real property, personal property, and business.
Allen J. Guon, Cozen O’Connor, Chicago

11:35 – 11:50 a.m. The Illinois Receivership Act’s Impact on Construction Law
Gain a better understanding of how your construction law clients may be impacted by the new Illinois Receivership Act, including the perfection and enforcement of mechanics liens and surety bond claims.
Paul Peterson, Attorney at Law, Mount Prospect

11:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Q&A



For best practices, before attending the program using ISBA's Zoom platform, please visit our Technical Support page.

Program Information

  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member - $35
      • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
    • Non-Member - $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Student Members - Free
    • Special pricing is available for Legal Service Attorneys.
  • If you cannot attend the live web event, a full refund is available, if you cancel your registration up to the start of the live web event on the program page in your “My CLE Account”. 
  • Please Note: MCLE credit is available to registrants only on the day of this live event – and you must attend the entire program to earn MCLE credit. All registrants will receive access to a recording of the event a few days after the program, but credit is NOT available for the recording.

SMS Financial CH, LLC v. Feurer

SMS Financial CH, LLC v. Feurer
Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Wage Deduction Statute
Citation
Case Number: 
2025 IL App (1st) 250033
Decision Date: 
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
2d Div./Cook Co.
Holding: 
Appeal dismissed in part, affirmed in part.
Justice: 
D.B. WALKER

Plaintiff filed a petition seeking an order directing the citation respondent to turn over assets that had been transferred to it. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff and denied a cross-motion filed by the citation respondent. On appeal, the citation respondent argued that the trial court incorrectly applied provisions of the Wage Deduction Statute and Code of Civil Procedure. The appellate court dismissed the citation respondent’s appeal from the trial court’s denial of its motion for summary judgment for want of jurisdiction and affirmed the trial court order granting plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment by finding that wages deposited in a debtor’s account are not statutorily exempt under the statute. (VAN TINE and ELLIS, concurring)

8 Movie-Lawyers Who Would Be Disciplined in Real Life

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Master Series presented by the Illinois State Bar Association


1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­November 6, 2026 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Movies often depict lawyers behaving badly, acting unprofessionally, or blatantly violating rules of professional conduct – all for the sake of entertainment. But in real life, attorneys need to avoid these gaffes at all costs, learn from their mistake when they do occur, and understand the consequences that may arise in the aftermath. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Stuart Teicher as he examines both the obvious and subtle ethics violations being committed by lawyers in the movies and on television. Topics include:
  • Ex parte conversations with a judge (Rule 3.5);
  • How fictional lawyers are constantly disrupting a tribunal (Rule 3.4(d)); and
  • Your responsibility to report a colleague’s misconduct (Rule 8.3 (a)).

About the Speaker:
Stuart I. Teicher , Esq. is a professional legal educator who focuses on ethics law and writing instruction. A practicing lawyer for 30 years, Stuart’s career is now dedicated to helping fellow lawyers survive the practice of law and thrive in the profession. He teaches seminars, provides in-house training to law firms and legal departments, provides CLE instruction at law firm client events, and also gives keynote speeches at conventions and association meetings. Stuart helps lawyers get better at what they do (and enjoy the process) through his entertaining and educational CLE “performances.” He speaks, teaches, and writes. His most recent book is titled, How to Stop Hating the Law: A Path to Hope for Miserable Lawyers. Mr. Teicher is a Supreme Court appointee to the New Jersey District Ethics Committee where he investigates and prosecutes grievances filed against attorneys. He is an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown Law where he teaches Professional Responsibility, and served for 15 years as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University in New Brunswick where he taught undergraduate writing courses. He also taught both Professional Responsibility and Legal Writing at St. John’s University School of Law in New York City.


Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

LIVE - Artificial Intelligence and the Ethical Lawyer

December 12, 2025
Advanced registration is now closed for this program. Walk-in registrations will be accepted, space permitting.
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Judges Association, and
ISBA’s Steering Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Practice of Law
Co-presented by the ISBA Corporate Law Departments

Friday, December 12, 2025
JW Marriott, 151 W Adams St, Chicago
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
(during the ISBA/IJA Midyear Meeting)

1.50 hours MCLE credit, including 1.50* hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment credit


Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the ARDC’s recently released
“Illinois Attorney’s Guide to Implementing AI.”

Get the information you need regarding the ethical use of artificial intelligence with this informative panel presentation. Attorneys with basic to intermediate practice experience who attend this seminar will better understand:
  • What artificial intelligence really means and the differences between “old” AI and today’s LLM/Generative AI (GenAI).
  • How the ARDC’s new guidance will help you to maintain compliance with ethical standards, including:
    • The ethics of (not) using AI and billing by the hour (Illinois Rule 1.5, Comment 9);
    • Preventing the unauthorized practice of law committed by relying upon GenAI answers; and
    • Other competency obligations, including duty to supervise, avoiding bias, candor to courts, and advertising implications.
  • How to use, store, and protect client data within a GenAI/LLM system (and how to judge a system is sufficiently secure/appropriate for lawyers) to comply with Rule 1.6.
An in-house attorney also provides client viewpoints such as securing data when using a GenAI system and whether you should adjust your billable rates to reflect the use of GenAI.

Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Margo Lynn Hablutzel, Gainwell Technologies LLC

Program Speakers:
Neil Ballentine, Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago
Aaron Brooks, Brooks Law and Consulting, LLC, Chicago
Mathew Kerbis, Subscription Attorney LLC, Deerfield
Sari W. Montgomery, Robinson, Stewart, Montgomery & Doppke LLC, Chicago


*Professional Responsibility MCLE credit subject to approval

Program Information

  • Fees:
  • Please Note: MCLE credit is available to registrants only on the day of this live event – and you must attend the entire program to earn MCLE credit. All registrants will receive access to a recording of the event a few days after the program, but credit is NOT available for the recording.
  • From time to time at ISBA CLE events, the ISBA, it’s vendor partners, or others may take photographs or video of participants, attendees, and guests for use in their marketing or promotional materials or news publications. By registering for this event, you are consenting to the use of your, and your guests’, photograph, video-recorded likeness, and name without compensation. Any photographs or video taken will be the sole property of the ISBA or entity taking the photograph.

Protect Your Profits: Build a Tariff Roadmap

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by ISBA’s International & Immigration Law Section
Co-presented by the ISBA Food Law Section, ISBA Federal Civil Practice Section, ISBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, and ISBA Diversity Leadership Council


1.0 hour MCLE credit


Original Program Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­October 21, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


Higher input costs and slowing demand have many concerned about the economic impact of tariffs. Added volatility over actual tariff rates make it difficult to strategize … but what’s your next best move? Turns out there’s a lot that can be done right now that doesn’t involve pondering price increases. Join us for a step-by-step look at how to quickly assess your tariff exposure, the over 20 techniques that can help you tackle it, and the roadmap of actionable steps you can take to protect your business in three distinct areas:
  • Low Hanging Fruit. Learn why being familiar with your expenses is so important to the financial health of your business and how to confirm that you aren’t paying a nickel more than you have to (regardless of tariff rates) by: scrubbing invoices for accuracy, reviewing taxes for additional deductions, understanding and utilizing accounting treatments, and cash flow/currency considerations.
  • Reduce Exposure / Current Footprint. Learn to identify short term investments for margin preservation, while understanding the importance of capacity-driven pricing, cash flow analysis, cross-border warehousing, and tariff engineering. Additional topics include inventory techniques to use to your advantage, free/foreign trade zones, and how to build a model with dynamic inputs and dynamic pricing outputs.
  • Reduce Exposure / Reimagined Footprint. Shift from defense to offense while taking control of your economic destiny by better understanding the value of long-term profitability and how to create a board-level long-term strategic plan.

Program Coordinator/Chat Moderator:
Angela Peters, Buffalo Grove Law Offices, Arlington Heights

Program Speakers:
Matthew A. Bock, Bock Trade Law, Massachusetts
Jennifer Clement, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, Wisconsin



Program Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $35 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

NextGen Symposium 2025: Illinois' New Bar Exam Focuses on Getting Students "Practice Ready"

ISBA Members: Use your 15 hours of Free CLE credits to order this program –
just use the green button next to the “Add to Cart” button below!
Presented by the Illinois State Bar Association
Co-sponsored by the Illinois Bar Foundation


6.25 hours MCLE credit, including 6.25 hours approved Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit


Original Program Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025 – Friday, September 12, 2025
Accreditation Expiration Date: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­October 30, 2027 (You must certify completion and save your certificate before this date to get MCLE credit)


 Why is Illinois joining 42 other jurisdictions that have chosen to implement NextGen for their bar exam? What effect will this implementation have on the practice of law in this state? How are these changes likely to impact both law school study and the legal community as a whole? Get the answers to these questions and more with these two half-day seminars that explore the various ways Illinois law schools are preparing their students to practice law in the real world. Topics include:
  • An overview of the NextGen Bar Exam;
  • How law school leadership can help students succeed after law school;
  • The historical efforts of the Illinois State Bar Association in helping prepare law students to practice law;
  • Understanding what the NextGen Bar Exam means for the future of legal education and the practice of law; and
  • A look at the new topics on the NextGen Bar Exam.


Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Ted A. Donner , Donner & Company Law Offices, LLC, Glen Ellyn

Overview: Illinois Adopts the NextGen Bar Exam*
Moderator: Prof. Wendy H. Vaughn, Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb
Prof. Jon J. Lee , Distinguished Scholar in Residence, National Conference of Bar Examiners, Wisconsin
Susannah Pollvogt , Principal Consultant for Curriculum, Law School Admission Council, Pennsylvania
Suzanne J. Schmitz , President, Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar, Carbondale

Law School Leadership: What Do Students Need from Their Law Schools and Bar Associations?*
Moderator: Jason R. Blumenthal, Donahue & Rose, P.C., Rosemont
Moderator: Joseph A. Souligne, Webber & Thies, P.C., Urbana

Roundtable Discussion: What the NextGen Bar Exam Means for the Future of Legal Education*
Moderator: Daniel R. Thies , Webber & Thies, P.C., Urbana
Prof. Marsha Griggs , St. Louis University School of Law, Missouri
Megan Kreminski , Director of Academic Success, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Chicago
Susannah Pollvogt , Principal Consultant for Curriculum, Law School Admission Council, Pennsylvania
Prof. Kate Waldinger, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago

Next Gen’s Emphasis on Foundational Lawyering Skills*
Moderator: H. Case Ellis, Resolute Systems, Chicago
Michael Bergmann , Executive Director, Public Interest Law Initiative, Chicago
Melissa A. Smart , Director of Education, Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, Chicago



Pricing Information

  • Please Note: You must attend the entire program in order to earn MCLE credit for this seminar.
  • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member Price of $150 is displayed below when you login and program is eligible for Free CLE member benefit.
    • Non-Member Price $310
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Students – Free

LIVE WEB - Getting the Most Out of Mediation

December 18, 2025
Presented by the ISBA Tort Law Section
Co-presented by the ISBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section

Live Webcast
Thursday, December 18, 2025
11:00 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

1.0 hour MCLE credit, including 1.0* hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit in the following category: Professionalism, Civility, Legal Ethics, or Sexual Harassment Prevention credit

Although mediation offers the path of least resistance to resolving differences between parties, it still requires thorough preparation from both you and your client. Don’t miss this in-depth look at how to help your client get the most out of mediation, including what to expect at the meeting, the best practices for preparing for the mediation (from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives), how to prepare a concise and compelling mediation package, and how to handle yourself throughout the mediation process.

Program Coordinator/Moderator:
Judith Conway, Cooney & Conway, Chicago

Program Chat Moderator:
Josh Rohrscheib, Onward Injury Law, Bloomington

Program Speakers:
Michael R. Hartigan, Hartigan & O’Connor, LLC, Chicago
Hon. Clare McWilliams (ret.), Resolute Systems, Chicago
Jeffrey A. Schulkin, Ankin Law, LLC, Chicago


For best practices, before attending the program using ISBA's Zoom platform, please visit our Technical Support page.

Program Information

  • Fees:
    • ISBA Member - $35
      • ISBA sponsoring section members get a $10 registration discount (which is automatically calculated in your cart when you log in to register).
    • Non-Member - $70
    • New Attorney Member (within the first five years of practice) - $25
    • Law Student Members - Free
    • Special pricing is available for Legal Service Attorneys.
  • If you cannot attend the live web event, a full refund is available, if you cancel your registration up to the start of the live web event on the program page in your “My CLE Account”. 
  • Please Note: MCLE credit is available to registrants only on the day of this live event – and you must attend the entire program to earn MCLE credit. All registrants will receive access to a recording of the event a few days after the program, but credit is NOT available for the recording.