Chicago – Recognizing a dramatic shift in the practice of law, and the increasing use of professional neutrals to facilitate settlement negotiations, 20 attorneys at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP have received and completed intensive training in mediation from the faculty of Pepperdine University School of Law's top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. These attorneys form the firm's newly created Mediation practice group
In the past, settlement efforts in the litigation arena have been limited to voluntary or mandatory settlement conferences with sitting or retired judges in which the focus is almost exclusively on the judge’s case evaluation. As increasing numbers of courts, including courts in Cook and DuPage counties, are requiring parties to mediate in order to accommodate an overburdened legal system, there is a growing demand for professionals who, in addition to being able to evaluate a case, can also facilitate negotiations between adversarial parties to reach innovative solutions.
The Mediation practice group members at Hinshaw have been trained to identify and work with different negotiation styles, and facilitate problem-solving regardless of whether the case involves contractual, tort, personal injury, employment, partnership or securities issues, to name a few. The know how to handle issues specific to the adversarial setting, including managing attorney advocates, the parameters of confidentiality and concerns about discovery. Additionally, the group has an established, and proven, procedure to effectively and efficiently handle the mediation process, from the mediation agreement stage to the final closure of the matter.
The Mediation practice group includes the following attorneys:
Dan L. Boho, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Boho has a national trial practice with verdicts in Illinois, California, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and appearances as pro hac vice counsel in 18 states. He handles high profile and media-intensive matters and concentrates his practice in the trial of commercial disputes as well as building management, construction, products liability and catastrophic injury cases. For 16 years he has served as National Litigation Counsel for a Fortune 500, United States-based international service company; as primary state counsel for one of the largest transportation companies in the United States; and has represented clients from Japan, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Italy. Mr. Boho is a Fellow of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. He has successfully argued matters before the Illinois Appellate Court. Mr. Boho has also worked to increase alternate dispute resolution efforts within the court system and has spoken nationally on this topic. Inside Litigation magazine states that Mr. Boho's alternative dispute resolution practice has "a significant impact in litigation practice in the United States." Crain's Chicago Business, in its November 15, 2004, edition, featured Mr. Boho as one of six lawyers honored as Chicago's best lawyers in, "Chicago's Best, on the record." Mr. Boho serves as the chairman of the commercial litigation section of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel. He has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Commercial Litigation, and Personal Injury Defense Law: General and Products Liability. In addition, Mr. Boho holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. In 2005 Mr. Boho was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Business Litigation, by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. He earned his J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago in 1977.
Clare Connor Ranalli, Partner, Chicago - Ms. Ranalli concentrates her legal practice on corporate health care and employment issues. She represents hospitals and physicians regarding a broad range of regulatory issues before the Illinois Departments of Public Health, Public Aid, Professional Regulation, and the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. Ms. Ranalli also focuses on corporate risk management issues, including confidentiality of patient records, hospital compliance, medical staff disputes, medical staff by-laws, and general corporate health care, including corporate organization, mergers and acquisitions, tax, real estate and finance. She provides employment representation for all types of employers in employment litigation and with regard to employment contracting, policies, handbooks and general employment law issues. Ms. Ranalli is a registered lobbyist in the State of Illinois. She holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. Her professional affiliations include the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys and American Health Lawyers Association. Ms. Ranalli earned her J.D., with honors, from DePaul University College of Law in 1986.
David R. Creagh, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Creagh practices primarily in the area of tort litigation, involving extensive experience with product liability, toxic tort, construction, premises liability, automobile and general liability litigation. He has been lead counsel in cases involving catastrophic injuries, including toxic tort litigation, indoor air quality, sick building syndrome and multiple chemical exposure; and multi-district litigation, including representation of a product manufacturer in the fen/phen litigation. He has tried more than 20 cases to verdict in state and federal courts. Mr. Creagh's clients range from small, privately held entities to Fortune 500 companies, several of which he represents on a regional or national basis. While maintaining a strong presence and reputation within the Chicago legal community, Mr. Creagh's practice has expanded, at the request of his clients, throughout Illinois and numerous other states, including pro hac vice representation in the states of New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Louisiana, Washington, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Dakota, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Mr. Creagh was a long-standing member of the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association and currently works with mock trial teams from several different law schools. He has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Toxic Torts Defense Law, Class Action/Mass Tort Defense Law, and Personal Injury Defense Law: Products Liability, and General. In addition, Mr. Creagh holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. Mr. Creagh earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1985.
Thomas F. Ging, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Ging has more than 30 years experience in counseling and commercial litigation. His experience spans a broad range of matters from antitrust, banking, contract and copyright law to construction law, corporate health care and unfair trade practices. Mr. Ging's clients include automobile manufacturers, banks, hospitals and health care organizations, insurance companies, law firms, specialty manufacturers and transportation companies. Based on the breadth of his practice areas and experience, Mr. Ging specializes in assisting both individuals and corporate representatives in developing creative solutions for troubled situations. Mr. Ging served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps from 1966 to 1970 before entering private practice. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the American Bar Association, including its Sections on Health Care, Intellectual Property and Litigation. Mr. Ging has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the category of Commercial Litigation. In addition, he holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. In 2005 Mr. Ging was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Business Litigation, by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University School of Law in 1966 and LL.M. from George Washington University School of Law in 1970.
Edward R. Gower, Partner, Springfield - Mr. Gower concentrates his practice in the areas of construction and business litigation; employment litigation; governmental affairs; and transportation, trade association and administrative law. Mr. Gower has represented business clients in disputes concerning the design and performance of manufacturing and other capital equipment; contract litigation; construction and transportation related litigation; rehabilitation and insolvency proceedings; reinsurance and insurance coverage disputes; employment litigation; and product liability and personal injury claims. He has also successfully represented clients in a broad variety of state and federal administrative agency proceedings. Reflecting more than a decade as Chief Counsel for the Illinois Department of Transportation, Mr. Gower has extensive experience with highway design and construction litigation; environmental litigation; constitutional challenges; employment and civil rights litigation; and personal injury and property damage litigation. He also advises business clients on all aspects of state and municipal governance and services. Prior to his time with Department of Transportation, Mr. Gower spent 11 years in a Chicago commercial litigation practice. He also served as Special Counsel to the Illinois House Minority Leader in 1986-87. Mr. Gower is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Sangamon County Bar Association. He has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law. Mr. Gower earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1980.
Thomas M. Hamilton Jr., Partner, Chicago - Mr. Hamilton has insurance expertise that is accompanied by 35 years of practice in the Chancery Courts of Illinois. This declaratory judgment experience is utilized in all phases of his insurance coverage practice, including resolution of commercial and professional liability claims, excess of limits liability issues, responding to claim management errors and expertise in excess-primary relationships. Mr. Hamilton’s extensive experience includes trial and appellate court representation of insurers in the interpretation and declaration of numerous insurance contract issues, including: physician and lawyer claims-made and errors and omissions coverages; CGL coverages and additional insured endorsements; policyholder class actions arising from premium charges and claim practices; resolution of insurer response to defense tenders; insurer exposure in excess of policyholder limits; loss allocation and proration between insurers; excess-primary insurer relationships; and arbitration and mediation of construction defect and coverage controversies. Mr. Hamilton has served on the faculty of the Insurance School of Chicago, and currently serves on the Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. He has also served as chair of the Casualty Insurance Section of the International Association of Defense Counsel and as Director of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel. Mr. Hamilton has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the category of Insurance/Insurance Coverage/Reinsurance Law. In addition, Mr. Hamilton holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. In 2005 he was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Insurance Coverage, by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. Mr. Hamilton earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1969.
Michael J. Leech, Partner, Chicago - Michael Leech is a trial lawyer and mediator, and nationally recognized authority on employment law. He is a Fellow in the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers and co-author of legal textbooks, including the BNA publication "Employment Termination: Rights and Remedies" (1985, 2d ed., 1992). Over the last 25 years, Mr. Leech has tried to jury verdict cases arising under the full range of employment laws, including both federal and state discrimination laws as well as actions under state contract and tort law. Mr. Leech has an active practice as a mediator of employment and other commercial disputes. He brings his depth of legal experience in litigation to the process of helping parties in a dispute to see one another’s perspectives and achieve a reasonable settlement, where possible. This occurs in about 80 percent of cases. He also acts as counsel for clients in mediation and arbitration. Mr. Leech has defended suits by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asserting a pattern and practice of discrimination. He has defended other civil rights and commercial class action litigation. Mr. Leech has also handled business litigation including actions for breach of contract, director and officer liability claims, securities law actions, partnership and shareholder litigation, attorneys' professional liability defense, defamation and real estate/construction disputes. He is a founding member of the ABA Labor Section’s Committee on Employee Rights and Responsibilities and of the National Employment Lawyers Association. He has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the category of Employment Law: Management. In 2005 Mr. Leech was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of ADR Arbitrator/Mediator by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. In addition, he holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. Mr. Leech is the original editor of, and remains the chapter author on “Partnership and Minority Shareholders” for the IICLE's Handbook on Employment Termination (1988, Supp. 1990, 1992; 2d ed., 1994, Supp. 1988; 3d ed. 2002). He contributed the chapter on “National Origin Discrimination” to Lindermann & Grossman, Employment Discrimination Law (BNA, 3d ed., 1996), and also contributed to Lindermann, Sexual Harassment in Employment Law (BNA, 1994). Mr. Leech speaks frequently at employment law seminars conducted by the American Bar Association, the American Law Institute, the Practising Law Institute, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and Loyola University of Chicago. He earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School in 1976.
David H. Levitt, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Levitt is an experienced trial lawyer who focuses his practice in a number of distinct areas, including intellectual property, insurance, products liability and trucking. Mr. Levitt’s intellectual property practice has included litigation and licensing issues in the areas of trademark, copyright, patent and computer law. His insurance coverage work has been diverse, spanning the range from “simple” personal lines coverage disputes to complex coverage litigation involving environmental and bankrupt health care providers. Mr. Levitt also has extensive experience in indemnity and duty to defend issues arising out of additional insured situations. Because he began his practice in the insurance coverage area, expanding it very early to the defense of claims, he has a unique appreciation of the risk-shifting issues facing insurers and self-insureds. Mr. Levitt’s product liability experience includes both chemical and machine-related claims, both in the industrial and consumer contexts. His cases have evolved around such diverse products as tractor-trailers, qualities of glass as used in high-rise buildings and pressure vessels, benzene, asbestos, gas valves, punch presses, welding equipment, grinding equipment, construction equipment, furnace design, heat-treating processes, food processing equipment, cancer drugs and floor joists. He has tried and otherwise resolved cases involving fires allegedly caused by defective neon signs, carbon black, vaporizers, ceiling panels, gas valves and gas ranges, among others. Additionally, Mr. Levitt represents trucking companies in serious cases involving a number of jurisdictions. He is a founding member of the Trucking Industry Defense Association. Mr. Levitt is a member of the board of directors of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, and a past editor-in-chief of The IDC Quarterly, as well as a frequent contributor. He is also a member of the American Bar Association sections on Litigation and Tort & Insurance Practice, including their intellectual property, product liability and insurance coverage committees, and a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Mr. Levitt has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Insurance/Insurance Coverage/Reinsurance Law, and Personal Injury Defense Law: Products Liability. In addition, he holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. Mr. Levitt earned his J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago Law School in 1979.
Alan R. Lipton, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Lipton is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried more than 100 jury trials to verdict both as a former district attorney and as a civil litigator. He has a multi-state, broad-spectrum litigation practice, which includes civil rights defense, complex litigation, commercial litigation, intellectual property, tort litigation, property damage and personal injury litigation, professional liability, and insurance coverage matters. He represents accountants, attorneys, banks, credit unions, chemical distributors, environmental remediation companies, insurers, paramedics, pharmaceutical companies, trucking companies and other commercial entities in matters as varied as hazardous waste litigation and toxic tort matters, patents, trademark and trade secret litigation, personal injury cases, professional malpractice matters, construction litigation, fire cases, employment discrimination and civil rights litigation. As part of his practice, Mr. Lipton has created a rapid-response team of expert consultants for the prompt evaluation of property damage and contamination disasters on short notice. Mr. Lipton is a member of The Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, The Defense Research Institute and the American Bar Association. He is also a member of the California Bar Association and the Indiana Bar Association. Mr. Lipton has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Toxic Tort Defense Law, Commercial Litigation, and Personal Injury Defense Law: General, Products Liability and Professional Malpractice. He earned his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in 1980.
Thomas P. McGarry, Partner, Chicago - Mr. McGarry is an experienced trial and appellate lawyer who for the past 20 years has focused almost exclusively on representing lawyers and lawyers’ professional liability insurers. He has represented and counseled hundreds of lawyers and law firms in actions for civil liability, in professional ethics and responsibility, and in risk management. He has also counseled professional liability carriers on lawyers’ malpractice insurance coverage and has acted as national claims counsel overseeing defense activities nationwide. As lead trial counsel and as appellate counsel, he has formulated and argued creative interpretations of the law governing lawyers, which have resulted in legal precedent limiting the scope of a lawyer’s civil liability. Many of these cases have been of national importance. Mr. McGarry is a drafter of the Illinois attorney malpractice statute of limitations. He is an associate member of the ABA Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability and an active sponsor of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society. Mr. McGarry has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the category of Professional Malpractice. In 2005 he was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Business Litigation by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. In addition, he holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. Mr. McGarry is General Editor of the treatise, Illinois Attorney Legal Liability, published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) in 2002, and is co-author of two of the book's chapters. He is co-editor of the book, Attorney Disciplinary Proceedings: Illinois Practice and Procedure, Law Bulletin Publishing Co., 2002. Mr. McGarry also wrote a chapter on attorney communications published in the Defense Counsel Practice Management Manual of the International Association of Defense Counsel, as well as a chapter on limited liability entities in the 2002 edition of Legal Malpractice: The Law Office Guide to Purchasing Legal Malpractice Insurance, published by West Group. He has written dozens of published articles, and is a co-author of the Ethics column published monthly in Chicago Lawyer magazine. Mr. McGarry earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1980.
Yvonne C. Ocrant, Partner, Chicago - Ms. Ocrant practices in the areas of employment law, commercial litigation and equine law. She routinely represents employers under the full range of employment laws, including both federal and state discrimination laws on issues of race, national origin, sex, sexual harassment and religion. She also handles actions under state contract and tort law, including retaliatory discharge, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with contract, fraud, and invasion of privacy. Ms. Ocrant handles cases and provides counseling in matters involving ADA, ADEA, employee breach of fiduciary duty/confidentiality agreements, Equal Pay Act, FMLA, defamation, Illinois Human Rights Act, and Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. She handles unemployment cases before the Illinois Department of Employment Security and state court, and provides counseling on numerous unemployment matters. Ms. Ocrant also litigates disputes over title insurance. Her equine law experience includes handling litigation involving the Equine Activity Liability Act and various other state and federal laws. She is currently legal counsel for Kickapoo Farms, a professional mare breeding facility, and Cowboy Dreams of Illinois, a non-profit therapeutic riding program for children with special needs. On behalf of these clients, she drafts equine purchase agreements, sale contracts and activity releases, as well as reviews existing and proposed insurance policies. Ms. Ocrant is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. She is the author of "A Constitutional Challenge to Encryption Export Regulations: Software is Speechless," 48 DePaul Law Review 503 (1998). She is also the author of "HEADS UP!," a monthly column on various equine law related issues published in Scribe, a monthly magazine sponsored by the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association. Mr. Ocrant earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1999.
Steven M. Puiszis, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Puiszis is a well-known and highly experienced trial attorney whose wide-ranging litigation and trial practice includes more than 40 civil and criminal jury trials taken to verdict. Mr. Puiszis has handled a variety of claims in state and federal court on behalf of various units of state and local government. In one municipal matter, Zimmerman v. Village of Skokie, the Illinois Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the use of the common law’s "public duty" doctrine to override statutory immunities available under the Illinois Tort Immunity Act, a decision that substantially broadened the scope of protection available to local public entities and their employees under the Act. Another matter he handled before the Illinois Supreme Court, Arteman vs. Clinton Community Unit School District, clarified the interplay of immunities between the Illinois School Code and the Tort Immunity Act, and substantially broadened the scope of protection available to school districts in Illinois. Mr. Puiszis has also successfully handled numerous professional liability claims on behalf of architects, engineers, attorneys, accountants and various health care providers, including matters involving sophisticated accounting and tax issues. He defended what is believed to be the first legal malpractice case against a public defender taken to verdict in Illinois. He has also successfully handled various types of product liability claims. Mr. Puiszis began his legal career in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where he served in the Special Prosecution and General Criminal Divisions. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel. He is a member of the Society of Trial Lawyers, the Trial Lawyers Club of Chicago and the Defense Research Institute. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the ABA's Governmental Liability Committee in its Tort and Insurance Practice Section. In 2005 Mr. Puiszis was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Civil Rights by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. In addition, he holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. He has also been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of governmental law, municipal law, lobbying & administrative law, and personal injury defense law. Mr. Puiszis is the author of Illinois Municipal Tort Liability, 2d Ed., published by Lexis Publishing (formerly Mathew Bender), and strictly devoted to liability issues facing units of government and public officials in state and federal court. Mr. Puiszis earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1979.
J. William Roberts, Partner, Chicago and Springfield - Mr. Roberts is the Managing Partner of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. He maintains an active legal practice in the firm's Chicago and Springfield offices, concentrated in complex civil and criminal litigation, government relations and employment law. He is chair of the firm's national Business Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Roberts’ career has been dedicated to public service through several prominent positions in various levels of government. He served as Chief Legal Counsel to Illinois Governor Jim Edgar from 1995 to 1997. As the primary legal adviser for the governor, he managed a large portfolio of litigation, and acted as liaison with the general counsel of executive branch departments, boards and commissions. He also had responsibility for numerous Illinois regulatory agencies, including the Illinois Gaming Board, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Departments of Public Health and Professional Regulation. Mr. Roberts served as United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois from 1986 to 1993. During that time, he was director of the Banca Nazionale del lavoro (BNL) Task Force, a complex inter-agency investigation of criminal conduct related to $5.5 billion in loans made by the Atlanta branch of an Italian bank to Iraq before the 1991 Persian Gulf War. In 1992 Mr. Roberts also served as Chairman of the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys and as a Senior Advisor to the Attorney General in Washington D.C. Prior to becoming United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, he was State’s Attorney of Sangamon County. Mr. Roberts served for six years on the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association and as Chairman of the Criminal Justice Section Council of the Illinois Bar Association. He served as President of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Association and was a member of the Board of Directors of the National District Attorneys Association. He also held the position of President of the Sangamon County Bar Association. Mr. Roberts has served as Chairman of the Task Force on Professional Practice in the Illinois Justice Systems. He is past Chancellor and a Founding Regent of the Illinois Academy of Lawyers. In addition, he is past President of the Lincoln Douglas Inn of Court. Mr. Roberts has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law, Criminal Defense Law: White Collar and Commercial Litigation. In addition, he holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. In 2005, Mr. Roberts was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Criminal Defense: White Collar by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. He earned his J.D. from Washington University School of Law in 1967.
Daniel K. Ryan, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Ryan has a diverse commercial litigation practice. His technical background includes a unique combination of capabilities in class action lawsuits, health care litigation, ERISA litigation, employment discrimination, corporate dissolutions and consumer fraud claims. Mr. Ryan’s business litigation practice is regionally focused, with his cases venued throughout Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Missouri. In addition to various arbitration forums, he has represented his clients before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Eighth Circuits, the Illinois and Indiana Appellate Courts, the United States District Courts in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Florida, the EEOC, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Mr. Ryan also possesses a substantial capability in the area of “special remedies.” He has obtained injunctive relief in business disputes involving hospitals, health care plans, limited liability companies and corporate dissolutions. Mr. Ryan concentrates a significant amount of his practice in the areas of fidelity and surety matters, along with directors and officers liability. Mr. Ryan represents a wide variety of clients, including major, nationally known hospitals, physician groups, automobile and truck manufacturers, large financial institutions and credit unions, real estate developers and prominent insurance companies. Mr. Ryan has tried numerous cases to verdict in various states and venues. He is an active participant in the Employee Benefits and Fidelity & Surety committees of the American Bar Association, and is a member of the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Ryan has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Class Action & Mass Tort Defense Law, and Personal Injury Defense Law: General. He earned his J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1984.
Charles R. Schmadeke, Partner, Springfield - Mr. Schmadeke represents business and governmental clients in litigation including cases involving employment issues, civil rights defense, regulatory matters, and contract and tort claims. With more than 25 years of litigation and administrative law experience, he has handled professional licensing matters, claims of unfair competition, infringement of intellectual property rights, deceptive business practices, employment discrimination, and cases involving the Uniform Commercial Code and student discipline issues. Mr. Schmadeke has represented and counseled governmental clients on a wide variety of matters, including governance, organization and fiscal issues, civil rights, regulation enforcement, and employment. In addition, on behalf of management, Mr. Schmadeke has negotiated collective bargaining agreements. Mr. Schmadeke has served in senior positions in Illinois state government. He was the General Counsel to the Illinois State Comptroller, where he advised the Comptroller on constitutional and statutory matters and fiscal affairs, and also conducted cases before the civil service board and handled litigation with cemeteries, funeral homes, and other entities regulated by the Comptroller. Mr. Schmadeke also worked 11 years for the Illinois Attorney General as Chief of the General Law Bureau, which represents all state agencies, state officers and state employees in federal and state litigation. Mr. Schmadeke has been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Civil Rights, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law; Civil Rights/Constitutional Law; and Employment Law: Management. In addition, he has been rated by Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. In 2005, Mr. Schmadeke was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Administrative Law, by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Sangamon County Bar Association and the Bar Association of the Central and Southern Federal Districts of Illinois. Mr. Schmadeke has authored and edited works on administrative law for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and he has recently written a chapter on administrative investigations for the administrative law handbook published by the Illinois State Bar Association. He earned his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in 1977.
Kevin R. Sido, Partner, Chicago - Mr. Sido has practiced for more than 30 years as a litigator and as transactional counsel for design/construction professionals, condominium directors and officers, real estate professionals, lawyers and school officials. His practice has also included insurance coverage analysis and policy drafting as well as broad aspects of a civil trial practice, including products liability litigation. Mr. Sido has been an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, and he serves on the Panel of Construction Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association. He holds affiliate memberships with the American Institute of Architects-Illinois Council, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois. He has been a member of the Illinois Association of Condominium, Townhouse & Homeowners Association. Additional professional memberships include the American Bar Association (including its Forum on the Construction Industry), the Illinois State Bar Association, as well as the Appellate Lawyers Association, the Society of Trial Lawyers, the International Association of Defense Trial Counsel and the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Sido has been selected by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Construction Law and ADR Law: Commercial Real Estate, Environmental & Construction. In 2005, he was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Business Litigation by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. In addition, he holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. Mr. Sido regularly writes for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, including authorship of chapters with revisions and supplements on pleading, contribution and indemnity, and condominium litigation. He has been a lecturer and participant in professional meetings under the auspices of the American Institute of Architects, National Society of Professional Engineers and American Consulting Engineers Council, as well as the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Mr. Sido earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois School of Law in 1975.
L. Lee Smith, Partner, Peoria - Mr. Smith focuses his practice in the area of federal litigation. In addition to his white-collar criminal defense practice, he has represented businesses and individuals against claims of employment discrimination and in complex commercial litigation, including ERISA litigation. Mr. Smith is the partner-in-charge of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP's Peoria office. He served from 1980 to 1990 with the office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. He was Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District from 1980 to 1987. In 1987, he became Supervising Assistant U.S. Attorney, Peoria and Rock Island Divisions. Among his special assignments during this period, Mr. Smith served as an instructor in the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., from 1985 to1990. He also was coordinator of the Financial Institution Regulatory and Enforcement Group (an interagency, banking crimes task force) for the Central District of Illinois from 1988 to 1990; and an evaluator for the U.S. Department of Justice's Evaluation and Review Program for United States Attorneys’ Offices from 1988 to 1990. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s office, Mr. Smith served a two-year judicial clerkship with Chief Justice Joseph H. Goldenhersh, Illinois Supreme Court, Belleville, Illinois. He also was an instructor at The University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign. Mr. Smith was a charter member of the American Inns of Court, A. Lincoln Chapter, Peoria, Illinois. He was a Master of the Bench for seven years, and is currently an Emeritus Member. Mr. Smith holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability. He has also been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the area of Criminal Defense Law: White Collar. In 2005 Mr. Smith was named as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Criminal Defense: White Collar, by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1978.
Rick Supple, Partner, New York - Mr. Supple is an experienced trial lawyer who concentrates his practice on the representation of lawyers and law firms in disciplinary, malpractice and other professional ethics-related litigations, including appeals. Mr. Supple is also experienced in representing companies in significant class action litigation, mass tort cases, intellectual property matters and other commercial disputes. He has defended clients in white collar criminal matters, including federal bank fraud and money laundering matters. From 1989 to 1994, Mr. Supple served as a Public Defender with the Legal Aid Society, where he handled a variety of state criminal law matters for indigent defendants. Following that experience, and prior to entering private practice, he worked for five years as a Senior Staff Attorney and then Principal Trial Attorney for the Departmental Disciplinary Committee of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department. In this position, he investigated and prosecuted complex disciplinary matters, including approximately 20 reported cases involving formal hearings. Mr. Supple is an adjunct professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York Professional Responsibility Committee and a past member of the Professional Discipline Committee. He is a frequent lecturer, and has taught or been a panelist at dozens of CLE programs at bar associations throughout the New York Area. In addition, as a faculty member of the Practising Law Institute since 1999, he has chaired numerous CLE programs on professional ethics issues. Mr. Supple earned his J.D. from University of Wisconsin Law School in 1989.
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with more than 475 lawyers in 25 offices coast-to-coast. The firm offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in commercial and defense litigation, corporate, environmental, employment, health care and construction law, as well as the representation of professionals in their liability matters. Hinshaw provides services to a range of clients in financial services, construction, health care, not-for-profit, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail transportation and other industries. 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.