Firm Life
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione Shareholder Janet A. Pioli, patent clearance, prosecution supervision and litigation, was named the 2012-2013 president of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago.
Chilton Yambert & Porter Partner Steven B. Novy, transportation, tort and insurance litigation, was named secretary/treasurer of the Transportation Lawyers Association.
Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy A. Brown received the "Outstanding Public Servant Award" from the Chicago Westside Branch of the NAACP for exemplifying the NAACP's mission through public service, entrepreneurship, humanitarian, legislative and other efforts.
Shareholders Mary Clare Bonaccorsi, health care, and Donald E. Figliulo, corporate and securities, recently moved to Polsinelli Shughart from Bryan Cave.
Freeborn & Peters Partner Edward J. Hannon, business, real estate and land use, was installed as the secretary of the Illinois CPA Society. Hannon will serve in the secretary role for 2012-2013.
Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale Senior Litigation Officer Russell K. Scott, personal injury, toxic tort and malpractice defense, was named the 2012 recipient of the American Inns of Court "Professionalism Award" for the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for his integrity and dedication to the profession.
Hinshaw & Culbertson Partner Joshua G. Vincent, litigation and appeals, received the 7th Circuit Bar Association's "Pro Bono and Public Service Award" for mentoring young lawyers and spearheading his firm's adoption of its first pro bono policy.
Holland & Knight Executive Partner Steven M. Elrod, land use, zoning and real estate, was re-elected chairman of the board of directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago. He was elected to a two-year term as chairman in 2010 and has served on the board for nearly 30 years.
Jenner & Block Partner Lawrence S. Schaner, complex commercial litigation and arbitration, received one of the Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center's "Midwest Light of Human Rights Awards" for his contribution to promoting human rights.
Jenner & Block Partner John B. Simon, litigation, received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from DePaul University College of Law. Simon, a graduate of the law school, received the degree for his leadership in the legal profession and community.
Jenner & Block retired Partner Joan M. Hall was recognized with the "Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award" from the American Bar Association for her role in paving the way for other female lawyers. Hall, commercial litigation, served as the first chairwoman of the firm's hiring and executive committees as well as the first female chairwoman of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the ABA's Section of Litigation.
K&L Gates Partner James M. Reiland, complex commercial litigation and arbitration, received the Chicago Legal Clinic's "James D. Jacobson Memorial Award" for his pro bono assistance on a matter referred by the clinic's parentage and child support pro se advice desk.
Loyola University Chicago School of Law professor Charles W. Murdock was appointed a member of the Illinois State Bar Association's Business and Securities Law Section Council.
Power Rogers & Smith Partner Larry R. Rogers Jr., wrongful death, personal injury and malpractice, was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the board of directors of the Lawyers Trust Fund.
The fund administers the Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts program and works with the court and bar groups to make grants to support legal aid.
Seyfarth Shaw received the Chicago Legal Clinic's "Charles J. O'Laughlin Memorial Award" for its exemplary record of pro bono representation.
Sidley Austin Partner David H. Hoffman, litigation and appeals, who previously served as the city of Chicago's inspector general, received a "Good Government Award" from Common Cause Illinois, a group that promotes open, ethical and accountable government.
The Southwest and the South Suburban bar associations presented the "Jurist of the Year Award" to Appellate Justice David P. Sterba.
SmithAmundsen Associate Colin P. Gainer, health care, was recognized as the "Rookie of the Year" by the Chicagoland Healthcare Risk Management Society for his contributions to the society's program committee.
Tabet DiVito & Rothstein Partner Karina Zabicki DeHayes, complex commercial litigation and appeals, was installed as the president of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois.
Quarles & Brady Partner Steven V. Hunter, commercial, banking and real estate litigation, was named "Young Lawyer of the Year" by the Illinois State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division for his contributions to advance the legal profession and service to the community. He also became one of 134 attorneys who completed the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program, which exposes high-potential attorneys to legal leaders and advances their relationship building skills.
University of Chicago Law School associate clinical law professor Alison M. Siegler received the "Award for Excellence in Public Interest Service" from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
Other attorneys who received the groups' "Awards for Excellence in Pro Bono Service," included Partner John I. Grossbart, Associate Paul E. Danielson, Associate Ramji B. Kaul and Partner Stephen D. Libowsky, all litigation, of SNR Denton; Partner Craig C. Martin, Partner David Jimenez-Ekman, Associate Joseph R. Dunn and Associate Kristin L. Rakowski, all litigation, of Jenner & Block; Associates Timothy K. Sendek, intellectual property litigation, and Michael B. Raines, litigation, of Dykema; Principal Steven P. Blonder, complex business litigation, of Much Shelist; Partner William Choslovsky, financial restructuring and bankruptcy, of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg; Partner Jeffrey G. Close, bankruptcy, restructuring and workouts, of Chapman and Cutler; Partner Richard F. O'Malley Jr., complex commercial litigation, of Sidley Austin; Attorney Cathleen M. Combs, class actions, of Edelman, Combs, Latturner & Goodwin; Associate Gilberto E. Espinoza, intellectual property, of Michael Best; Partner Matthew T. Heffner, complex business litigation, of Susman Heffner & Hurst; Counsel Peter R. Sonderby, complex commercial litigation, of Ulmer & Berne; Partner Blaine C. Kimrey, business litigation, of Lathrop & Gage; Principal Douglas M. Werman, labor and employment, of Werman Law Office; Supervisory Attorney Richard M. Wheelock of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago; Senior Counsel Terance A. Gonsalves of C areer Education Corp.; Assistant Attorney General Jennifer N. Purcell of the Illinois attorney general's office; and Assistant Regional Counsel Giel Stein of the Social Security Administration's office of general counsel.
> Courts
McHenry County Associate Judge Michael W. Feetterer was appointed a circuit judge. He fills the vacancy left by the retirement of Circuit Judge Joseph P. Condon until Dec. 1, 2014.
Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas J. Carroll was appointed a circuit judge at-large. He fills the vacancy left by the death of Cook County Circuit Judge Donna Phelps Felton until Dec. 1, 2014.
Donald M. Flack was selected as an associate judge in the 3rd Judicial Circuit. Flack was previously affiliated with Flack Law Office in Wood River and the Madison County state's attorney's office.
> Promotions
Cassiday Schade promoted Melissa A. Anderson, insurance coverage, commercial litigation and appellate; Ehren V. Bilshausen, construction litigation; Bradford A. Burton, environmental and toxic tort litigation; Brook M. Carey, commercial litigation; Jeffrey A. Hesser, negligence and medical malpractice defense; Jamie L. Hull, insurance coverage, commercial litigation and appellate; Paul T. Kleppetsch, construction, product-liability and transportation defense; Anthony J. Longo, medical, construction and product-liability; and Mark A. Sansone, medical, construction and product-liability, to partner.
DLA Piper promoted Gregory S. Grossman, corporate and securities; Carl H. Poedtke III, finance; and Kimberlie A. Pearlman, real estate, to partner.
Loeb & Loeb named Partner Douglas N. Masters, intellectual property litigation and sports law, as deputy chairman of the advanced media and technology department.
Mayer Brown elected Partner Paul W. Theiss, corporate and securities, as chairman of the firm.
Theiss, a member of the firm's management committee and a former co-leader of its global corporate and securities practice, succeeded Herbert W. Krueger.
Seyfarth Shaw appointed Partner William Price Schurgin, labor and employment, to chairman of the Chicago labor and employment department.
Skadden promoted Kevin T. Hardy, investment management, and Gretchen M. Wolf, litigation, to counsel.
> Moves
To Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa: Associates Danica L. Werhand, creditors' rights, from Klein, Daday, Aretos & O'Donoghue; and Tal Izraeli, commercial real estate, from Mayer Brown.
To Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd: Associate Sandra J. Durkin, complex commercial litigation, from Jenner & Block.
To Freeborn & Peters: Partner Katheleen A. Ehrhart, complex commercial, class action and employment litigation, from Kirkland & Ellis.
To IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law: Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Supervising Attorney and Interprofessional Projects Program Legal Adviser Heather F. Harper from the Center for Real Estate Law at The John Marshall Law School.
To Loyola University Chicago School of Law: International LL.M. Programs Executive Director Insa Blanke from an independent higher education consultancy.
To McDonald Hopkins: Associate Avani Lodhavia, intellectual property, from the legal department at Staples Inc.
To Miller Canfield: Associate Katelyn T. Quimby, commercial litigation, from Dewey & LeBoeuf.
To Polsinelli Shughart: Shareholders Mary Clare Bonaccorsi, health care, and Donald E. Figliulo, corporate and securities, from Bryan Cave.
To Ropes & Gray: Partner Matthew J. Richards, private equity, from Kirkland & Ellis.
To Schiff Hardin: Associates Michael W. Ott, bankruptcy, restructuring and creditors' rights, from Mayer Brown; and Michael T. Chin, management-side employment, from Morrison & Foerster in Los Angeles.
To SmithAmundsen: Partner William H. Weir, insurance, from private practice and Elgin Community College, where he served as a business law instructor.
To Stellato & Schwartz: Associate Aaron C. Giorgi, civil litigation defense, from Binder & Binder.
To Swanson, Martin & Bell: Associates Andrew J. Albright, commercial litigation, medical negligence and business disputes, from Eichhorn & Eichhorn; and Claire A. Floore, asbestos litigation, from Larsen Law Firm.
To Querrey & Harrow: Associate Joshua Barney, civil litigation, from Childress, Duffy.
To Quarles & Brady: Partners Lee P. Garner, commercial litigation, from Skadden; and Christine B. Fisher, commercial real estate, from SNR Denton; and Associate Alexis R. Backs, labor and employment, from Winston & Strawn.