Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Announces Election of 11 New Partners

July 1, 2016

Belleville, Illinois; Chicago; Los Angeles; Phoenix; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Rockford, Illinois — Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is proud to announce the election of the following attorneys to partnership:

Based in Hinshaw's Chicago office, Albert C. Angelo focuses his practice primarily on tort defense litigation, including cases involving transportation, products liability, toxic tort, chemical exposure, fire litigation, construction defect and general liability matters. As a member of a large self-insured company's national defense team — focusing primarily on transportation/auto-collision claims — he provides pro hac vice representation throughout the United States. Mr. Angelo also is a key player in a major transportation company's national litigation program. Additionally, he handles transactions and litigation involving estate planning and asset protection matters. Mr. Angelo earned his J.D. (2009) and LL.M., with honors, in Taxation, from John Marshall Law School. He received his B.A. (2004) from DePaul University.

Based in Hinshaw's Rockford, Illinois office, Danielle M. Costello focuses her practice primarily on transactional health care, representing health care providers such as health systems, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and practitioners in their business and regulatory matters. She counsels clients on corporate regulatory compliance, fraud and abuse, and labor and employment matters. Ms. Costello also advises clients on: due diligence reviews; contract projects; and affiliations, mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Costello earned her J.D. (2009), with honors, from the University of Wisconsin Law School and her B.S. (2006) from Purdue University.

Based in Hinshaw's Chicago office, Anne C. Couyoumjian focuses her practice primarily on tort defense litigation, including cases involving products liability, toxic tort, chemical exposure, transportation, fire litigation, construction defect and general liability matters. She regularly handles arbitrations, mediations and litigation in both state and federal court. Ms. Couyoumjian has defended product liability matters for manufacturers of products ranging from exercise equipment to medical devices, representing small, privately held companies, as well as Fortune 500 corporations. Ms. Couyoumjian earned her J.D. (2007) from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her B.A. (2001), cum laude, from Denison University.

Based in Hinshaw's Los Angeles office, Ibi Davis-Ossuetta represents self-insured employers and insurance companies in workers’ compensation cases involving workplace injuries, California Labor Code Section 132a claims, and serious and willful claims. Among other clients, she has represented National Football League teams before the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board relating to claims brought by professional football players. Ms. Davis-Ossuetta's broad experience also includes transactional work involving franchise purchases and the entertainment industry, which includes deal memos and artist recording contracts. Outside of the firm, she is involved in various organizations and participates in community service, including youth leadership workshops for the Orange County Links, Incorporated to promote education and develop leadership skills. Ms. Davis-Ossuetta earned her J.D. (2001) from Western State University College of Law and her B.A. (1995) from Hampton University.

Based in Hinshaw's Chicago office, Adam S. Guetzow focuses his practice on serving clients in the commercial/residential services and health care services arenas. In his national commercial/residential services practice, Mr. Guetzow assists in defending products liability, premises liability and general liability cases. In the health care services area, he handles matters involving long-term care facilities, assisting his clients with both litigation and compliance issues. Outside of the firm, Mr. Guetzow is an active board member of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for which he serves as co-chair of the Associate Board. He also is an associate board member of CJE SeniorLife, a large social services agency. Mr. Guetzow earned his J.D. (2009) from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his B.A. (2006) from Indiana University at Bloomington.

Based in Hinshaw's Chicago office, Gretchen Harris Sperry focuses her practice on constitutional law, white collar criminal defense and internal investigations, and appellate law. Before joining Hinshaw, she was a judicial clerk to the Honorable Mary Jane Theis and the Honorable Maureen E. Connors in the Illinois Appellate Court. An active member of the legal community, Ms. Sperry was recently elected Treasurer of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association and has served in several leadership roles in the Women's Bar Association of Illinois. She has published numerous articles and treatise chapters on appellate law and practice and is a frequent presenter at seminars and CLE programs throughout the state. She also has served as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and The John Marshall Law School, teaching appellate advocacy. Ms. Sperry earned her J.D. (2005) from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her B.S. (1999) from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Based in Hinshaw's Fort Lauderdale office, Daniel A. Krawiec represents public and private companies in labor and employment matters, with particular emphasis in the area of employment litigation. He also handles: risk management and defense of claims against manufacturers, businesses and professionals in cases of products liability, general liability and commercial litigation matters; real property litigation; and asbestos defense litigation. Mr. Krawiec started with Hinshaw and returned after serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Jonathan Goodman, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Florida, from 2010 to 2012. He earned his J.D. (2008), magna cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law and his B.A. (2005) from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Based in Hinshaw's Belleville, Illinois office, Kyle Christopher Oehmke has a robust litigation practice with several trials and successful verdicts under his belt. He routinely defends physicians, hospitals and other medical providers in malpractice litigation, while also handling a variety of tort and commercial litigation matters throughout Illinois and Missouri. Before joining Hinshaw, Mr. Oehmke served as a law clerk to the Honorable J. Phil Gilbert, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois for two years. He earned his J.D. (2009), cum laude, from Southern Illinois University School of Law and his B.S. (2006), cum laude, from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Based in Hinshaw's Chicago office, Adam R. Vaught focuses his practice in the area of professional liability defense, with particular emphasis in the counseling and defense of attorneys and law firms in malpractice and disciplinary matters. He also serves as appellate counsel in numerous cases. Mr. Vaught was lead author of the American Bar Association’s amicus curiae brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar, 135 S. Ct. 1656 (2015). Before joining Hinshaw, he served as law clerk to Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas L. Kilbride and as Counselor to the Chief Justice during Justice Kilbride's term as Illinois' Chief Justice. He currently serves on the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association’s Board of Directors. Mr. Vaught earned his J.D. (2005), cum laude, from Northern Illinois University College of Law and his B.S. (2001) from Truman State University.

Based in Hinshaw's Chicago office, Brian R. Zeeck focuses his business litigation practice in the areas of commercial litigation, white collar crime matters, labor and employment claims, and real estate disputes. He represents corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, professionals, lenders, contractors and title insurers. Mr. Zeeck also litigates employment-related cases and complex real estate litigation in federal, state and bankruptcy courts. His white collar crime practice involves representation of individuals and corporations that are the subject of criminal investigations and criminal charges, including related or concurrent civil actions such as qui tam relator and False Claims Act litigation. Mr. Zeeck earned his J.D. (2009) from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his B.A. (2002), cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a U.S.-based law firm with offices nationwide. The firm's national reputation spans the insurance industry, the financial services sector, professional services, and other highly regulated industries. Hinshaw provides holistic legal solutions—from litigation and dispute resolution, and business advisory and transactional services, to regulatory compliance—for clients of all sizes. Visit www.hinshawlaw.com for more information and follow @Hinshaw on LinkedIn and X.