National Law Firm Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Appoints 15 Attorneys to the Partnership
CHICAGO ― The national law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is proud to announce the election of the following attorneys to the partnership:
Anthony E. Antognoli (Chicago) counsels large and midsized businesses in employee benefits, ERISA, executive compensation, federal taxation and general corporate matters. He also represents clients in controversies before the Internal Revenue Service and in litigation in federal tax and district courts. Mr. Antognoli is an adjunct faculty member in the Taxation LL.M. program of Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He writes and speaks frequently on diverse issues concerning employee benefits. Notably, he is a co-author of “Employee Benefit Plan Issues in Employment Terminations,” chapter seven of the 2008 Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education publication, The Employment Termination Practice Handbook.
Wendy Wen Yun Chang (Los Angeles) focuses her practice in complex litigation with an emphasis in representing corporate and governmental entities in high-exposure cases. She handles business disputes, employment litigation, malicious prosecution and tort defense, among other issues. Ms. Chang also represents lawyers and law firms in complex disputes, as well as insurance carriers in coverage and bad faith matters. Active professionally, she serves as co-chair of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Judiciary Committee and is a past-President of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association. In 2007, she was appointed by the California State Bar as an alternate to the 2008 Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. Ms. Chang is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
Neil A. Covone (Ft. Lauderdale) is a member of Hinshaw’s Products Liability Practice Group. He defends international corporations and U.S. product manufacturers in tort litigation, including cases involving wrongful death, personal injury and products liability. Mr. Covone has significant experience representing pharmacies and child restraint manufacturers. He has also handled mass tort litigation management, including the defense of automobile manufacturers in product liability cases and the defense of major airlines in commercial air disasters and airport claims. Mr. Covone holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Matindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability. Active professionally, he is a member of The Florida Bar and Defense Research Institute. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Covone was a member of the United States World Cup Soccer Team and represented the U.S. in competitions around the world.
Patrick P. Devine (Schererville) focuses his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, professional liability defense and insurance defense. His commercial litigation practice focuses on surety and fidelity law, and his professional liability practice has centered on the defense of physician and attorney malpractice claims. Mr. Devine’s insurance defense experience includes defending cases arising out of construction issues, fire losses, premises accidents, transportation subjects and other serious accidents. He has assisted insurers such as Acuity Insurance, CNA, Cuna Mutual Insurance Company, First Group, Hanover Insurance, MedPro, ProAssurance, Washington International Insurance Company. Mr. Devine has also represented the State of Indiana, Indiana University and Valparaiso University.
Robert J. Finley (Chicago) focuses his practice in workers' compensation defense, as well as automobile and general liability, professional liability and premises liability litigation. He represents clients in jury trials, arbitration hearings and workers’ compensation appellate procedures. Mr. Finley typically handles cases involving catastrophic, employment-based and/or personal injuries; property damage; and consumer, fraud-based and tort actions against real estate professionals. In 2008, Illinois Super Lawyers magazine named Mr. Finley a "Rising Star" in the legal profession. Mr. Finley is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and serves on its Judicial Evaluation Committee.
Corinne C. Heggie (Chicago) concentrates her practice in municipal and civil rights defense. She has represented local units of government and state and local officials in litigation involving Section 1983 claims as well as state law tort claims. Ms. Heggie has also litigated consumer class action cases involving claims brought under various state and federal laws, including the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Her clients have included debt collection agencies, debt buyers and lawyers.
Colleen A. Hoey (Miami) focuses her practice on insurance coverage, including providing coverage opinions and litigating coverage and bad faith disputes. She also handles class action defense related to insurance and consumer issues, professional liability defense and other commercial litigation disputes. Ms. Hoey often lectures on topics related to her practice, most recently speaking before the Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Bar Associations on insurance coverage issues and trends for lawyers. She is licensed to practice law in the states of Florida and Minnesota and before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ms. Hoey is a member of the Dade County Bar Association and The Florida Bar.
Chad A. Jennings (Belleville) maintains a broad defense litigation practice. He currently focuses in the areas of municipal law, medical malpractice, personal injury, workers’ compensation defense, toxic tort and general liability litigation. Mr. Jennings represents a wide variety of clients in all aspects of litigation, including government entities; hospitals and doctors in actions based on medical negligence; employers in workers’ compensation defense matters; and, corporations in general liability, premises liability, and property damage. Active professionally, he is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association and the St. Clair County Bar Association.
Douglas A. Johns (Minneapolis) represents insurance companies primarily in commercial insurance coverage matters, providing coverage opinions as well as litigating coverage disputes. He has represented clients in multimillion-dollar coverage cases involving professional liability, construction defect, environmental, directors and officers, and legal malpractice issues. His clients include Fireman's Fund Insurance Companies and St. Paul Travelers. Active professionally, Mr. Johns is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, American Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association and the Washington State Bar Association. In 2007, he was recognized by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine as a "Rising Star.”
Matthew F. Logan (Rockford) represents businesses in commercial litigation involving contracts, real estate, employment matters and corporate governance. He also has a significant commercial transactions practice, advising clients regarding corporate reorganization, mergers, acquisitions, real estate matters, and financing as it pertains to real estate transactions. Mr. Logan authored the article, “Illinois Guaranty Law – How It Affects Your Clients,” in the Illinois edition of Broker News, and has been a presenter for the American Business Institute on the topic of real estate transactions.
Ambrose V. McCall (Peoria) defends clients against claims of professional liability, employment discrimination, and civil rights violations. He also provides representation in commercial litigation and real estate litigation matters. Mr. McCall’s clients include insurers, professionals and business entities throughout Illinois. Mr. McCall frequently lectures and authors articles on such diverse topics as employment law, attorney malpractice and ethics, commercial litigation issues and claims against public entities. Since 2006, he has authored a column titled “Illinois Business Law,” which has appeared in various editions of B2B Illinois. Mr. McCall has been rated by Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability.
Kourtney A. Mulcahy (Chicago) focuses her transactional and litigation practice in the area of intellectual property. She handles matters involving trademark and copyright law, unfair competition, trade secrets, right of publicity, and Internet-related issues. Ms. Mulcahy regularly assists with searching and clearance of trademarks; filing trademark intent to use and use-based applications; filing renewals; and negotiating and filing assignments with the Patent and Trademark Office. She also helps clients with Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy proceedings, consent agreements, opposition proceedings, cancellation proceedings and responses to Office Actions from the Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, Ms. Mulcahy negotiates and drafts diverse license agreements related to trademark, copyright, and right of publicity issues, as well as production and distribution rights of products and royalty provisions.
Lisa R. Munch (Rockford) represents major health care organizations and health care professionals in professional liability defense and other litigation, in mediation, and in transactional matters. She is a trained arbitrator and participates in Winnebago County’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program. Ms. Munch's presentations include Advanced Directives and Medical Records Law for healthcare providers. She is currently Chair of the Board of the local domestic violence shelter, PHASE/WAVE. Before earning her law degree in 1999 from Northern Illinois University College of Law, Ms. Munch served in the United States Army, where she was a Military Police Officer and Investigator. While serving, Ms. Munch earned the Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the Military Police Commandant’s Award for Outstanding Performance.
Todd P. Stelter (Chicago) represents defendants in consumer law, legal malpractice and commercial litigation matters. He has extensive experience representing attorneys in professional liability, malpractice and defense matters. Mr. Stelter also frequently defends individual and class action claims against businesses, corporate entities, lenders, creditors, debt assignees and collection agencies alleging violations of federal and state consumer protection statutes, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Home Ownership Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), Illinois Interest Act, Illinois Collection Agency Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. In addition, Mr. Stelter has substantial experience representing clients in a broad range of complex business, commercial and tort litigation matters.
Paul R. Wallace (Miami) has an extensive background in government and public service that has involved real estate, government regulation and insurance law matters. He is co-chair of Hinshaw’s national First Party Property Insurance subgroup, and in South Florida provides first-party representation to Citizens Property Insurance Corp./Florida Windstorm Pool, the state’s insurer of last resort for coastal properties. He has also assisted clients in the sale, purchase and financing of retail, industrial and hotel/tourism facilities, and in the development of multifamily and other residential projects. In addition, Mr. Wallace assists foreign nationals who are investors in U.S. properties and represents title insurance companies in claims litigation. Mr. Wallace has held senior executive and legal positions with the federal and Florida state governments as well as with independent regulatory agencies. Posts he has held include: Assistant Secretary of Commerce, acting as deputy to then Secretary of Commerce, and later Governor, Jeb Bush; General Counsel for Florida’s Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Division of Economic Development and Motion Picture Bureau; senior attorney in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; Counsel and Chief Legal Officer to the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission; and national trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division. Mr. Wallace currently serves as Governor Charlie Crist’s appointee on the South Florida Regional Planning Council, the primary planning and land use agency for Southeast Florida.
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with 475 lawyers in 25 offices. The firm offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in litigation, corporate and business law, environmental, labor and employment law, professional liability defense, and wealth preservation and taxation matters. The firm provides services to a range of for-profit and not-for-profit clients in industries that include construction, financial services, health care, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation. Firm clients also include government agencies, municipalities and schools.
Hinshaw was founded in 1934. The firm is headquartered in Chicago, and maintains offices in 12 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.