Washington Business Lawyers

Since joining the firm in 1970, Francis J. (Jerry) Jahn has been responsible for building and expanding the business practice of Meyer Capel. He served as President of the firm from January 1999 until December 2010. A 1967 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, Jerry was winner of the Frederick M. Green Moot Court Competition and the Horner Cup and Waterman Prize for Excellence in Moot Court Competition as a law student. He was also recipient of the Harno Scholarship. Jerry is a member of the Illinois State and Champaign County Bar Associations. He served on CCBA's board of...

Dallas was raised in Charleston, Illinois where he was close to his Alma Mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There he received his Bachelor of Science in Finance in 2007 and his Juris Doctor in 2011. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois in 2011. He was later admitted to the United States District Courts for both the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois. He formerly practiced as a public interest attorney in Rockford, Illinois, and as an insurance defense attorney in Joliet, Illinois. He now specializes in estate planning, trust and estate administration,...

David B. Sholem joined Meyer Capel in 1978 and was named as a shareholder of the firm in 1982. He graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Mr. Sholem attended the University of Illinois College of Law and Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1978. He was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 1978. Mr. Sholem’s professional affiliations include Champaign County (Illinois) Bar Association (former President), Illinois State Bar Association (Real Estate Section) and American Bar Association. David Sholem has represented a number of real estate developers and...

For most people, the purchase of a home is the largest single investment they will ever make, and naturally, they're nervous about it. They want someone trustworthy to lean on, someone knowledgeable to handle the paperwork, someone well-versed in legal matters to represent them at the closing. They want someone like Harold Adams. With his dual background in finance and law, Harold brings a unique combination of skills to the table. In addition to a solid foundation in residential and commercial real estate transactions, Harold is well-grounded in general business matters, including the foundation of new corporations and partnerships and the...

As a former senior tax consultant for a former Big Eight accounting firm, and as a business school graduate, Todd Black is uniquely qualified to advise clients on legal matters pertaining to estate planning and administration and corporate/business planning. A practicing attorney in Champaign-Urbana since 1987, Mr. Black joined Meyer Capel in 1993. Mr. Black received a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Illinois in 1983. He attended the University of Illinois on a full athletic scholarship and served as co-captain of the U of I's varsity tennis team. He was the recipient of numerous undergraduate honors, including...

EXPERIENCE Mr. Davis’ experience ranges from helping clients with all issues surrounding their start-up venture to assisting clients with the purchase or sale of multi-million dollar businesses. Mr. Davis concentrates his legal practice in the following areas: •representing corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships in connection with the legal matters these entities may face, including initial incorporation/organization, corporate governance issues, drafting and review of contracts and leases, licensing issues, securities issuances and debt financing transactions •representing clients with the sale or purchase of a business, including due diligence matters and the negotiation and documentation of the transaction •representing clients, both lenders and borrowers, in debt...

Colleen C. M. Ramais joins Meyer Capel’s litigation team as a full-time associate after serving a two-year judicial clerkship with the Honorable Justice Rita B. Garman of the Illinois Supreme Court. Colleen graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law with her juris doctorate in 2010. As a law student, she was named to the Dean's List for all six law school semesters and was awarded the Celia M. Howard Fellowship for graduate study from the Illinois Federation of Business and Professional Women. She is a ten-time recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for...

David R. Freriks, JD, MLIS

Mr. Freriks is a graduate of the University of Illinois and the Chicago-Kent School of Law. He was admitted to the Illinois and Federal Bars in 1980. During law school, he clerked for the late Honorable Brian B. Duff (1930-2016), United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

In addition to his law practice, he has held administrative and management positions with the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State; Baker & McKenzie, the largest law firm in the world; the Association of Legal Administrators; the Thomson Reuters...

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....

Large corporations and small companies alike need sound legal advice from attorneys who understand the demands and dynamics of the business environment. Clients of Meyer Capel will find these skills in Matt C. Deering. A native of Champaign-Urbana and a graduate of Champaign Central High School, Mr. Deering holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Kentucky and a juris doctorate from Ohio Northern University. He joined the firm in 1994 as a law clerk and became a full-time associate in 1996 and a shareholder on January 1, 2003. In addition to handling general corporate and business law concerns,...

Randy Green is a shareholder in Meyer Capel’s Business and Real Estate Practice Groups. His unique experience allows him to serve not only as legal counsel, but as a trusted business advisor to his clients. Experience Mr. Green has represented both public and private companies ranging from top U.S. financial institutions to single-member LLCs in a variety of transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, private equity investments, financing, entity formation, franchising, and leasing. He has also helped organizational and individual clients sell, purchase and lease various types of real estate across the U.S. Before he began his legal career, Mr....

Richard T. West has been practicing law for over forty-one years. He has been a shareholder of Meyer Capel for over half of his career, having practiced in other firms in the community prior to joining Meyer Capel in 1991 as a shareholder. Throughout much of his career, his focus has been in the areas of complex litigation involving, for example, intellectual property, construction, banking, products liability, contract disputes and corporate and fiduciary obligations, as well as business representation, construction law, and health care law. In recent years, he has begun to shift his focus from an active litigation practice...

Evan Coobs is a shareholder in Meyer Capel's business and transactional practice group. A practicing attorney since 1989, he has been with Meyer Capel since 1996, and a shareholder of the firm since 1998. He regularly works with other lawyers as cost-effective and trusted co-counsel and local counsel. Experience There is no substitute for experience. Mr. Coobs' experience ranges from assisting developers of affordable housing, to in-house work for a multinational manufacturing company, to helping start-up clients negotiate their first commercial lease, to parsing through the details of complex financing arrangements, including syndicated loan transactions. Mr. Coobs' practice is focused in the...

Forrest Heyman joined the firm as a summer associate in 2011 and became an associate attorney following his admission to the Illinois Bar in 2012. His areas of practice include business planning, corporate transactions, real estate, and estate planning and administration. Forrest is a locally-raised attorney with an international perspective. Hailing from Paxton, Illinois, Forrest attended Butler University from 2005 to 2008, where he earned a bachelor of science in economics, with honors. Following a semester in Hong Kong, Forrest was named Sigma Nu National Man of the Year and joined The Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington, where he...

SK Walker Law, LLC in Marion, IL, is a Marine Corps Combat Veteran owned law firm with SIU School of Law Alum, attorney Scott Walker, who focuses his practice to the area of Personal Injury, Probate, Wills, Trust, Estates, Contract, Real Estate, Business and Mass Tort law. I use my military and mechanic background and training to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve our issues. I listen and relate to my clients through my real-world experience, which includes 14 years of military service, with combat tours during Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom, and over twenty years of managerial experience in the maintenance, mining, and...

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.

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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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.

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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™...

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...