Ashkum Business Lawyers

Mary Ludwig received her J.D. and M.B.A., along with a Certificate in Food and Agricultural Law from Drake University in 2005. Prior to that she received a Bachelors of Science in Agriculture Economics from the University of Illinois. Mary concentrates her practice in agricultural law, estate planning, real estate transactions and probate. Her agricultural law experience includes organization and representation of production agricultural farm operations, agricultural cooperatives, grain elevators, agricultural input suppliers, ethanol and bio-diesel plants, and specialty farm product companies, wind tower and cell tower leases and easements, pipeline, gas, public utility and fiber optic easements,...

Mark Varboncouer is the founder of Varboncouer Law. Mr. Varboncouer is an experienced trial attorney who previously spent 10-plus years with Kirkland & Ellis LLP (“one of the nation's largest and most prestigious law firms”/ “known for its world-class litigation practice”/ “one of the ‘Fearsome Foursome’ — the four firms most likely to strike fear in opposing counsel”); and 4-plus years with another highly-prestigious 1,000-plus attorney law firm, McGuireWoods LLP, where he litigated a variety of issues: contracts, non-competes, tortious interference, unfair competition, fraud, licenses and complex intellectual property issues (e.g., patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, false advertising etc.)....

I am Thomas Eric Ost. As a former Assistant Public Defender in DuPage County, I handled hundreds of criminal, mental health, and juvenile cases. Those cases ranged from DUIs, Domestic Batteries, and Retail Thefts to Aggravated Batteries and Murder. The police and the prosecutors seem to do their best to dehumanize defendants to everyone including to the defendants themselves. Yet in 23 years of practice, I’ve learned that most people with legal problems are not bad people. They are people who are caught up in a problem a lot bigger than they...

Attorney Kelly Karczmar graduated from the University of Chicago with honors in 1994. She graduated from the John Marshall Law School in 2005, where she served in the Fair Housing Legal Clinic. Ms. Karczmar served for six years as a Human Resources Director in a Fortune 100 company. She was responsible for union negotiations, employee relations and legal compliance. Ms. Karczmar is an attorney admitted to practice in the state bar of Illinois, as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She has practiced law since 2005. She is a member of...

Trisha focuses her private practice on individual and small business transactional and compliance matters. She handles all areas of real estate law, estate planning and probate matters, and business transactions and compliance. She believes in actively listening and communicating with her clients in order to help them accomplish their goals. Before starting her own practice, Trisha worked in both a large law firm and as general counsel for a small business. While working for one of the largest labor and employment law firms in the country, Trisha gained experience counseling employers on benefit law compliance and transactions....

Kreisman Law Offices is a Chicago-based personal injury firm that successfully uses a client-based approach to seek justice for victims nationwide. Robert Kreisman is an AV-rated attorney, the highest rating by Martindale-Hubbel with over 45 years of experience litigating a variety of catastrophic injury cases, including those involving medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and abuse, car and truck accidents, wrongful death, products liability, and commercial litigation. He works with some of the leading experts in the nation and employs the newest technology to seek the most favorable results possible for his clients. Most cases are taken on a contingency fee...

Robert A. Shipley is the founding partner of Shipley Law Group, Ltd. For decades he has maintained long-standing client relationships while engaged in an active litigation and trial practice, along with general business counseling.

Mr. Shipley focuses his practice in civil litigation involving complex commercial, construction, construction defect, insurance, professional liability and tort litigation and general business counseling, as well as Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. An experienced trial attorney, he has in excess of 100 cases to verdict and has successfully argued cases in the Illinois Appellate Court.

Mr. Shipley has been awarded the AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating™...

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Our firm's sole focus is patents. When you specialize you serve your customers the best. Trusted nationwide by scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, investors, and more!

It is a common misconception that inventors and business people have, that as soon as an invention is granted a Patent from the USPTO, that interested tech companies will come knocking at the door looking to license your invention or buy the technology.

Or, that magically there will be a massive...

I am an attorney who is passionate about my profession and clients. I believe in providing top-notch, innovative, cutting-edge strategies and advice. My clients feel as if they are my only client. I will treat your case as if I was in your shoes. I understand your situations, problems, and dilemmas and formulate a plan of action to resolve the issues at hand. Washington Law Offices P.C. is located in Chicago and Elgin, Illinois. We provide a variety of legal services including Real Estate Law, Business Law, Contract Law, Employment Law, Foreclosure Defense, Bankruptcy and Landlord Tenant...

Adam Gana serves as the managing partner of the law firm of Gana Weinstein LLP. His practice focuses on all aspects of securities arbitration. Mr. Gana's experience includes securities arbitration and litigation in various dispute resolution forums including JAMS, NFA and FINRA and litigation in both State and Federal Courts. As lead counsel, Mr. Gana has tried more than forty cases to verdict before the state and federal trial and appellate courts, AAA, and has settled hundreds more cases through mediation and direct negotiation.

Mr. Gana was named in the New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars® for eight straight years (an...

Andrew B. Gordon is the founder and managing attorney of Gordon Law Group, an aggressive tax & business law firm in Chicago. Andrew works diligently to ensure the people he helps get the best possible results. And he fights relentlessly for clients’ best interest, saving them thousands of dollars all while providing them with peace of mind.

Not only is he a practicing attorney who graduated from Chicago Kent College of Law, but he is also a Certified Public Accountant with a BA and Master’s Degree from the University of Illinois.

During Law School, Andrew volunteered at the school’s Low Income Taxpayer...

Mazyar M. Hedayat is the principal of M. Hedayat & Associates, PC, a law firm that has represented Clients for nearly 25 years in the areas of business law and litigation, bankruptcy law and litigation, real property transactions and litigation, construction law and mechanics liens, corporate law, and more. After attending the University of Chicago and University of Michigan, Mr. Hedayat received his MBA from the U.M. Ross School of Business, and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Mr. Hedayat is a title insurance agent and operated a full-service title company for 6 years....

Robert Motta II is the Managing Partner at Motta & Motta LLC. He concentrates his law practice in criminal defense, DUI, divorce & family law. Robert was named 2014 Top 100 National Trial Lawyer and is known in the legal community for his unparalleled pre-trial and trial strategies.

Geo has handled numerous complex business disputes utilizing technology to assist his clients in handling litigation in an economical and efficient manner. Geo's litigation team has extensive experience in state and federal courts, and places the interests of their clients above all other interests.
Geo has been recognized by other attorneys as one of the best trial lawyers in Illinois:
- rated as an Illinois Super Lawyer for his work in business litigation for the past 15 years;
- recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Illinois;
- rated as one of the...

Services We Provide Include: • Probate & Estate Planning: Estate Administration, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills; • Business Formation & Transactional Matters: Creation of Business Entities (i.e. LLC, Corp., Partnerships) & Other Business Agreements including Mergers & Acquisitions; • Income Tax Returns: Planning & Preparation (Individuals, Partnerships, Corp., Trusts, Gift & Estate Tax, Tax-Exempt Org., Payroll & Others); and • Audits & Appeals: Representation in Problematic Tax & Regulatory Matters.

Attorney Carbide provides remote counsel services for startups in need of corporate documents, corporate governance, licensing, and BSA/AML compliance. As a new company, obtaining the correct license quickly and creating accurate contracts and compensation structures will set your company on the path for success, while creating the proper dynamics to motivate your team. Since every company will require a different approach, Attorney Carbide devotes ample time with executives and upper management to understand all relevant risks and concerns to provide a tailor made solution to maximize profits and mitigate risk. Attorney Carbide often represents cryptocurrency and financial technology...

Philip M. Fornaro is the managing attorney at Fornaro Law. Adopting a “never give up” attitude, Philip has become known for his ability to succeed where others fail for the last 20 years. His decision to diversify his practice in 2004 has resulted in the creation of a full service law firm which provides quality representation in a variety of legal areas. Philip follows the rule that positive energy will yield positive results. This energy is the driving force behind the success of Fornaro Law. He has become adept at creating a network and team between clients,...

Cari is a licensed attorney in the States of New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Connecticut while being licensed in the District of Columbia. Cari is a general practitioner with concentrations in food/agriculture law, family/matrimonial law, civil litigation, estate planning and mediation. Rincker Law, PLLC has offices in New York City and Champaign, Illinois. Cari is a member of the Association for the Bar in the City of New York's Matrimonial Law Committee. Before starting Rincker Law, PLLC, Cari was an associate at Budd-Falen Law Offices, LLC in Cheyenne, Wyoming where her broad practice...

I have been practicing law for over 35 years. I graduated 3rd in my class from law school, so I had the opportunity to work at one of Chicago's largest law firms on Michigan Avenue, Ross & Hardies, right out of law school. At that time my experience was mostly in the area of personal injury law having clerked during law school for one of the nations top personal injury lawyers, Leonard M. Ring & Associates. In April of 1991 I started my own firm that has continued to prosper under the philosophy of providing, "Quality,...

I enjoy working on a variety of legal matters for our firm.

Some of the more regular tasks include representation of clients in an array of tax disputes before the IRS and the Illinois Department of Revenue. These cases often work there way through the administrative level, up through appeals, and often to the United States Tax Court. My clients have scored significant victories in Audit Defense, Offer in Compromise and Innocent Spouse cases.

I am also experienced in drafting employment contracts such as employment and separation and termination agreements as well as restrictive covenants.

I represent buyers and sellers in residential real...

Over 30 years ago, Bill Wilson began his legal career along side his dad, James T. Wilson and practiced with him until his passing in 2008. Bill carries on the legacy of compassionate, expert legal counsel concentrating in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Business Succession, Medicaid Planning and Estate Planning for Families that have Children with Disabilities.

Bill feels a “profound obligation to provide counsel that ensures the safety of the hard earned assets of families.”

He extends that obligation outside of his practice too. Currently, he serves as President of Aging Care Connections Board, a not-for-profit agency in La...

Prior to graduating from law school, Mr. Kottaras received valuable training as an intern for two civil court Judges. After law school, Mr. Kottaras began working with a local law firm, where he honed his litigation skills representing real estate developers and personal injury clients.

In 1993, Mr. Kottaras opened a Law Office in the Chicago-Loop, and has been in continuous operation ever since. During this time, he became general counsel for a local real estate developer and owner of several Chicago-Loop commercial buildings, where he practiced real estate leasing, litigation and transactional law. After the developer retired,...

Licensed to practice since 2008, Thomas Howard has represented numerous financial institutions in litigation to enforce their security interests. Over the past decade, he has assisted community banks in complex commercial workouts involving some of the most sophisticated financial products in the banking industry. He has also litigated in contested contract cases on various legal theories. Since 2015, he has been named both a Rising Star from Super Lawyers and an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers. He also extensively represents secured creditors in various avenues of commercial loan enforcement through all aspects of litigation, from commercial workouts through...

Lisa Bragança protects individuals and businesses from being bilked by Wall Street and bullied by regulators. She knows how to get important information to securities regulators early, before they have reached a decision on whether to charge and what to charge. Lisa served as a Branch Chief in the Division of Enforcement of the Chicago Office of the Securities & Exchange Commission, where she handled investigations of accounting fraud, Ponzi schemes, insider trading, churning, and unsuitability. While at the SEC, Lisa collaborated with the federal criminal prosecutors in securities fraud investigations at major corporations. Since leaving the SEC, Lisa has...

I am a unique Illinois lawyer who represents individuals, consumers and small business owners. I have two office locations to better serve you--one in downtown Chicago and one just outside Peoria. If you have been seriously injured, physically or monetarily I am here to help you. I handle sexual harassment cases as well as personal injury cases, including wrongful death cases, throughout the state of Illinois. I can help you through the complex legal system. My priority is client satisfaction. Unlike most attorneys I am available seven days a week and can work around your schedule.

I am...

Aaron Rifkind is an Illinois and Wisconsin licensed attorney, as well as admitted to the Trial Bar for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He focuses his practice to primarily breach of contract matters related to business, construction, and partnership disputes.

Expert Advocacy in Employment Law: Attorney Cynthia Pietrucha ========================================================== I champion the rights of employees and guide employers through the legal intricacies of the workplace. With a decade of dedicated legal service, I am a seasoned employment attorney with expertise in drafting and negotiating separation agreements, litigating medical leave and ADA employment cases, and negotiating remote work terms, even prior to COVID-19! **Your Advocate for Fair Severance and Medical Leave Rights** Navigating the end of an employment relationship or grappling with medical leave can be daunting. As an expert in separation negotiations, I ensure that my clients—whether employees or employers—receive the most favorable terms...

Under Contract? Need a Lawyer? We excel in assisting clients buy and sell all types of real estate,including, but not limited to single family homes, condos, co-ops and multi family apartment buildings, in Chicago and the surrounding metro area (suburbs). We identify and quantify potential issues, evaluate risk and provide prompt guidance so that our clients can make educated and concrete decisions as they navigate the process of buying or selling real estate.

REAL Law Group, P.C. is a boutique law firm established in 2015 with the idea that effective representation requires both a professional commitment and personal approach that...

Adam E. Urbanczyk has represented tech startups, online merchants, film producers, software companies, national shipping lines, marketing firms, landlords, IT distributors, and consultants in defense, and pursuit, of intellectual property and commercial disputes. Adam has produced favorable outcomes for plaintiffs and has obtained dismissals and removals based on artful pleading, lack of standing, and preemption in state and federal courts in Illinois. Adam has helped recover millions of dollars for online resellers and merchants.

Denice A. Gierach is a business and estate planning lawyer with more than 30 years of experience representing business owners in the formation, franchising, and dissolution of businesses; contract negotiation and reviews; business litigation; partnership disputes, succession planning; commercial real estate; and aiding individuals in matters of advanced estate planning, and charitable giving. She also leads her firm’s YourOGC program providing Outsourced General Counsel services to small and medium size businesses to assist them in preventing legal issues, providing proper planning for reaching goals, and insight into issues preventing them from further success. As a Certified Public Accountant with a master's degree...

Charles is a shareholder at The Law Office of Lofgren & Wentworth, P.C. in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he practices business, property, and appellate litigation. After graduating from the SJ Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, he clerked for Chief Justice John Broderick of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. He was then a litigation associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago before opening his own practice. He recently joined Richard Lofgren to form The Law Office of Lofgren & Wentworth, P.C., The Entrepreneur's Legal Resource. Charles' experience as an officer and director of multiple closely-held companies...

An outstanding trial attorney, Shawn Collins is at his best in a courtroom. Shawn has extensive experience handling “high stakes” litigation in environmental contamination, toxic tort, personal injury, and commercial cases. Most recently, Shawn served as co-counsel in a case resulting in a $363 million jury verdict for a woman who contracted breast cancer after decades of exposure to ethylene oxide. He has also been instrumental in acquiring clean water and contamination-free homes for thousands of families. Shawn has recovered millions for clients, including: $34.5 million for a neighborhood contaminated with toxic vapors; $8.5 million for the family of a...

Erin is a healthcare attorney and Firmwide Managing Partner of Jackson LLP, a client-centered law firm that offers healthcare providers a comprehensive, full-service solution. Erin focuses on practice start-up and compliance and also spearheads the firm’s healthcare consulting services. In addition, Erin serves as the President of the nonprofit organization Inspire Santé. Because of her healthcare knowledge and patient experience, Erin is a sought-after speaker. She is passionate about creating positive change in healthcare and teaching individuals how to advocate for their needs within the medical system.

Erin was raised in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where she graduated from...

I have been practicing law since 1995. I established my own firm in 2008 to better address the unique needs of the individuals and businesses I represent. I have considerable experience in the area of real estate law including the following:

Construction and mechanics lien litigation as well as drafting
mechanics liens and bond claims;

Representation of buyers and sellers of residential real estate,
working closely with my clients' and their brokers and lenders...