Winning the lottery sounds spectacular, but there are many financial implications that you should be aware of. Watch Lindsey Paige Markus on Good Day Chicago to learn more about how you should manage your winnings responsibly.
On Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Loyola University of Chicago,Wintrust will host a free financial, legal and empowerment seminar for separated, divorced or widowed women.
This event features a panel discussion where Chuhak & Tecson attorney Lindsey Paige Markus will help attendees grasp important aspects of estate planning, wills and trusts.
To view a full list of panelists and to register for the event, click here.
Sometimes, for a child who has been traumatized, the best therapist in the world is the doll in the child’s small hands. From baby dolls to Barbie dolls to boy dolls, these toys are often the key to unlocking communication and encouraging the child to express difficult emotions.
Jewish Child & Family Services (JCFS) successfully uses dolls as a therapeutic and educational resource for young clients in its Child Welfare program, as well as Counseling and Child Development programs and the need for new dolls is ongoing. Since children appreciate seeing a bit of themselves reflected in their dolls, it’s important to offer them toy companions from a variety of cultures—with different skin colors, ethnicities and genders, as well as differently-abled dolls.
At its Fall Mix-and-Mingle on Thursday, Nov. 5, Women Helping Women encourages each attendee to bring a multicultural or diverse ability doll to donate to JCFS.
Hosted by the women attorneys of Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., Women Helping Women is an after-hours group offering professional women the opportunity to network, build business and accomplish charitable service at the same time. Over wine and hors d’oeuvres, each Mix-and-Mingle spotlights a different nonprofit agency serving women or women and their children and identifies practical ways that participants can help.
“Who doesn’t smile when they shop for a doll?” said Lindsey Paige Markus, a Principal at Chuhak & Tecson. “JCFS’s request for culturally diverse dolls beautifully underscores our firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
In light of this commitment, Chuhak & Tecson’s Diversity and Inclusion Council will partner with Women Helping Women to co-host the event.
JCFS has been serving the Chicago community for more than 150 years, currently touching the lives of about 30,000 people in one way or another annually. The organization offers a wide range of services and programs, not only to Jewish families but to adults and children across the community.
The Child Welfare program, focal point of the Mix-and-Mingle, provides foster care, group homes and adoption support.
“We are a niche provider for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services,” said Stacey Shor, vice president and chief development officer. “We’re especially known for being able to take the really complex cases, everything from babies who’ve arrived in a full body cast, where you can’t have just a standard foster parent, to teenagers who’ve moved from home to home and suffered severe trauma.”
Shor will be speaking at the November mixer and promises to tell some of the stories of children serviced by JCFS. She also has invited foster care and residential staff to the event to answer questions.
Dolls that are donated, Shor said, will be used for trauma therapy and as gifts for birthdays and holidays and for children just entering the foster care system.
“For any child, not just children who have suffered trauma, being able to have a doll that looks like you is meaningful,” she said. “Receiving a doll that you can use to express yourself, that you can care for, that you know is for you personally, can be very powerful.
“We feel strongly about giving new items as opposed to used items to children whose lives are in flux,” Shor added. “These are typically kids who have never gotten anything new, something that was just for them.”
Ideas for purchasing culturally diverse dolls, as well as the opportunity to make the purchase, can be found at the organization’s Amazon Wish List.
Markus considers each WHW mixer a highlight of the year.
“When you see the mounds of donations on the table,” she said, “—for this event, culturally diverse dolls that will be donated beforehand by employees at all levels of the firm and by attendees during the event—everyone gets excited and is able to see firsthand the tangible support we are able to provide these agencies.
“There is something about working women coming together, not only to network but to help others as well, that creates an indescribable energy in the room,” Markus said. “We have attracted some extraordinary professionals. As a result, we’ve been able to do impactful work for so many worthy organizations.”
The Fall Mix-and-Mingle takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. at Lloyd’s Chicago, 1 S. Wacker Dr. If you would like to receive an invitation, please contact Jane LaGrassa at (312) 201-3447 or jlagrassa@chuhak.com.
Chuhak & Tecson attorney Lindsey Paige Markus will be a panelist for the discussion of “Conceivable Options for the Modern Family: Medical, Legal and Ethical Considerations for Planners in a Rapidly Changing World” at the Advocate Charitable Foundation Professional Advisor Breakfast scheduled for the end of the month. This discussion will focus on such issues as assisted reproduction and same sex marriage.
This is a free CLE, CFP and CPE seminar taking place on 8 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Northern Trust. CPAs, wealth advisors and attorneys are encouraged to attend.
To find out more and to register, click here.
As part of Chuhak & Tecson’s focus on learning more about the people we work with every day, the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Council invites everyone to celebrate:
Mexican Independence Day!
September 16 is one of Mexico’s most important holidays. Every year, local mayors and politicians re-enact the famous Grito de Dolores. On the night of September 15, thousands congregate at Mexico City’s Zócalo, or main square, to hear the president ring the same bell Father Miguel Hidalgo did and to recite the Grito de Dolores. The crowd roars, cheers and chants as fireworks light up the sky!
History of:
Long before 1810, Mexicans had begun to chafe under Spanish rule; Spain kept a stranglehold on the colonies, limiting trade opportunities and appointing Spaniards (as opposed to native-born Creoles) to important colonial posts. After Napoleon invaded Spain and imprisoned Ferdinand VII, Creole patriots saw their chance to claim their independence. Conspiracies quickly began to form as citizens plotted for the insurrection against Spain, its leaders, including parish priest Father Miguel Hidalgo, Royal army officer Ignacio Allende, and government official Miguel Dominguez.
On September 15, 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo was notified the Spanish had found out about the plot and were coming for him. The morning of the 16th, Hidalgo took to the pulpit in the town of Dolores to announce he was taking up arms against the tyrannies of the Spanish government, inviting his parishioners to join him. This famous speech became known as El Grito de Dolores or the Cry of Dolores. Despite Hidalgo and Allende’s fall in 1811, when they were captured at the Battle of Calderon Bridge by the Spanish army, Mexico was able to liberate itself in September 1821 when an agreement was reached with turncoat officer Agustin de Iturbide.
Today, most Mexicans celebrate by hanging flags and spending time with family. Parades, parties and other civic festivities are also part of the celebration.
Tamika was a high school dropout who figured her options looked just like those of many in her neighborhood—the drug dealers, gang members and prostitutes. April was a young mom who lost custody of her children and, like Tamika, also found herself jobless and homeless.
When there’s no place to call home, many young adults are discovering there still is a place for hope. The Night Ministry, named for what was perceived to be the loneliest time for the homeless, has been serving the community for nearly 40 years with housing, healthcare and practical resources.
Through the patient encouragement of The Night Ministry staff, both Tamika and April began developing new visions of themselves and new versions of what they could do with their lives. Now Tamika is a married homeowner with a little girl, a GED and a full-time job, and she’s taking steps to become a paralegal. April has her kids back, runs her own business from her new apartment and is working on a bachelor’s degree.
With success stories like these, it’s easy to see why Women Helping Women has chosen to shine a light on The Night Ministry at its Spring Mix-and-Mingle on Thursday, April 30, at Lloyd’s Chicago.
Hosted biannually by the women attorneys at Chuhak & Tecson, Women Helping Women is an after-hours networking group partnering wine and hors d’oeuvres with business development and philanthropy. Each mixer features a different not for profit organization serving women, or women and their children, and participants are asked to select from a wish list to help support the organization’s work.
With nearly 10,000 youth and young adults homeless in Chicago each year, The Night Ministry meets an array of basic needs. A Health Outreach bus offers free medical services in six neighborhoods, a Youth Outreach van provides food, counsel and relationship, and the agency’s four shelters offer programs ranging from emergency overnights to two-year commitments.
“The Night Ministry is vital to Chicago because it provides a safety net of social services that are absolutely life-saving,” said Stacy Massey, communications and media relations coordinator. “We have to remember how important it is to have a safe place to sleep and enough food to eat, because if you don’t have those things, you can’t access education either.”
Loretto Kennedy, a principal at Chuhak & Tecson, had previously worked with The Night Ministry in projects sponsored by her church and the Girl Scout troop she leads.
“This is a top-notch organization with many different facets, and they do each of them extremely well,” Kennedy said. “The particular outreach we’re going to be supporting at our Mix-and-Mingle is an interim program for young people who have not had the benefit of a stable home life and often find themselves without resources to meet their day-to-day needs.
“The Night Ministry reaches out to them on many levels—food, hygiene and shelter—but also reaches out on moving forward in a more purposeful, positive direction,” she said.
Massey said the organization is the only one in Chicago that reserves beds for pregnant teenagers, and it tries to be pragmatic in meeting young people where they are. Most of their clients are 18 to 24 years old, though some are as young as 13.
“Not everyone who comes to our overnight shelter, for example, is big on following a lot of rules,” she said, “so we have a realistic approach to addressing that concern. We look at how we can make the situation better for everyone, because everyone wins when young people don’t become chronically homeless.”
Last year, The Night Ministry touched the lives of nearly 5,000 young people through its various programs, Massey said, and celebrated with 147 who left to move into stable housing of their own.
Now beginning its sixth year, Women Helping Women has grown so much that Lloyd’s Chicago is once again being reserved in its entirety for the evening.
“We have people who were with us at the first event who still continue to come,” Kennedy said. “I think that speaks volumes for the benefits they receive and the quality of the people they’re meeting here. Our past guests are reaching out to bring other colleagues into the Women Helping Women network, and the professions and market niches that are represented keep expanding event after event.”
Attendees to the April 30 mixer are encouraged to bring donations of men’s or women’s underwear, deodorant, twin-size sheets or blankets, bath towels, coffee or flatware to help meet a variety of ongoing needs at The Night Ministry. The agency’s Amazon Wish List also includes specific clothing items, Blu-Ray disc players, NutriBullet blender/mixers and Play Station 4 consoles and controllers.
The Spring Mix-and-Mingle will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at 1 S. Wacker Dr. If you would like to receive an invitation, please contact Jane LaGrassa at 312-201-3447 or jlagrassa@chuhak.com.
Click here to read the winter 2015 edition of The Bottom Line, an employment law newsletter by Chuhak & Tecson Principal, Ryan Haas.
Click here to read Bloomberg’s Bulletin, a newsletter featuring Illinois legislation amending the Illinois Condominium Property Act by Chuhak & Tecson Principal Steven Bloomberg.
Ronald N. Primack, an established entrepreneurial attorney, recently joined Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. in an Of Counsel position.
With a client list that includes Fortune 500 corporations and multinational conglomerates, Primack successfully operated his own law firm in Tinley Park for nearly 30 years. As a Chuhak & Tecson attorney, he now serves clients from two locations—both Chicago and Tinley Park.
Primack’s expansive practice is built largely on representing individuals, business owners and financial institutions in banking, business law, real estate transactions, and commercial and civil litigation in both state and federal court. Joining Chuhak & Tecson allows him to maintain his commitment to excellent client service through the increased efficiency, expanded technology and other amenities inherent in a larger firm.
“Aligning with Chuhak & Tecson provides greater resources both for me and for my clients,” Primack said.
“This firm has a deep bench of very skilled and qualified lawyers in every single one of my practice areas. I had the opportunity to affiliate with other firms, but I chose to join Chuhak,” he said. “As a midsize firm, it’s a good fit for my clients.”
Mark Broaddus, a Principal at Chuhak & Tecson, has enjoyed a longstanding professional relationship with Primack, both as co-counsel and as an opponent.
“Ron has a very diversified and sophisticated general practice,” Broaddus said. “He’s an experienced entrepreneur who has built his practice from the ground up. His emphasis on client services is a perfect match with Chuhak & Tecson’s "Right there with you" commitment to our clients.
“Joining Chuhak gives Ron the opportunity to expand and grow his existing business relationships and serve his clients in a way that is still competitively priced,” Broaddus said.
“The firm benefits as well. Having Ron on our legal team introduces us in the southwest suburbs with an already established presence. We’re excited about the opportunity to build on our own current and future relationships there.”
A law school graduate of DePaul University, Primack forged a sturdy work ethic in the steel mills and construction sites of Gary, Ind., where he worked long enough to realize his ambitions lay elsewhere. The jobs he held there continue to inform his career today.
“Having done those things gives me a good point of reference in working with my clients,” Primack said. “If there’s an operational question or a manufacturing question, I can relate it back to my steel mill experience. If there is a question on mechanic’s liens, I can relate it back to my construction experience.”
As a litigator, Primack represents clients in a diverse array of commercial and civil cases, including construction matters as well as business and consumer litigation; breaches of contract; shareholder disputes; insurance claims; property damage; property rights; probate and others.
Two cases he won on appeal in the Illinois First District produced published decisions.
Primack also handles transactional matters related to banking, business, real estate, estate planning, probate and municipal law. He has considerable experience helping clients start their own businesses, giving counsel on business entity formation, potential liability, tax structures, insurance coverage, employment matters, succession strategies and corporate compliance issues.
His extensive municipal experience includes significant work for the Village of Lansing and an area park district, which he represented for more than 25 years.
On November 13, the women attorneys of Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. hosted their fall Women Helping Women event—at Lloyd’s Chicago. Despite frigid temperatures, over 170 women were in attendance to support a worthy cause.
Women Helping Women (WHW) is a networking group for women business leaders and entrepreneurs to mingle, build business and support a not-for-profit organization benefiting women or women and their children.
Upon entering the event, guests were greeted with refreshments and decorations that reflected this evening’s event partner, Concordia Place. Chicken tenders, pigs-in-a-blanket and bite-sized peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, along with centerpieces containing markers and Play-Doh, paid homage to the Concordia Place’s award-winning childhood, after-school and summer camp programs which helped to serve 750 families and individuals in 2013.
“Concordia Place was overwhelmed by the generosity and energy of all the inspiring women who were part of the event,” said Brenda Swartz, president and CEO of Concordia Place. “Our focus is on the growth and opportunity of all those we serve and it was evident by those in attendance they wanted to help make a difference in those lives.”
The donations collected for Concordia Place included over 500 craft and gardening supplies and over $650, all of which will help support its pre-school, after-school and teen Sprouting Out programs.
In addition to these donations, guests purchased over 75 items from Concordia Place’s Sprouting Out program. The program uses teen-grown herbs and botanicals as ingredients in handcrafted products, including olive oil soaps, soothing shea and lip balms, deodorants and healing salve—all of which were available for purchase at the event.
As a part of the program’s buy-one-give-one initiative, Concordia Place matches each purchase with a gift of the same product to The Night Ministry, an organization which offers housing, healthcare and human connection to members of the Chicago community struggling with poverty or homelessness.
For information on Concordia Place or the Sprouting Out program, visit concordiaplace.org. For information on Chuhak & Tecson’s spring WHW event or to request an invitation, contact Brittany LaMantia at blamantia@chuhak.com.