Click here to read the fall 2014 edition of The Bottom Line, an employment law newsletter by Chuhak & Tecson Principal, Ryan Haas.
Loretto Kennedy, a principal with Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., will serve as a keynote speaker for Congressman Rodney Davis’ women’s conference titled “Investing in Women” on Saturday, July 19. The free program is dedicated to helping women connect with each other and achieve success personally and professionally.
The conference will take place at the I-Hotel, located on the University of Illinois campus, with the keynote session scheduled from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Other keynote speakers include Congresswoman Susan Brooks, representative for the 5th District of Indiana; Cynthia Bruno, morning news anchor for WCIA-3; and Phyllis Wise, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The conference will showcase how women help drive the success of the nation. According to Davis, who represents the 13th District of Illinois, more than half of the 72 million women in the workforce are primary income earners and are also starting two of every three new businesses. Nearly 50 percent of women make the majority of financial decisions for their home, while 85 percent make all family healthcare decisions.
“This event is about helping women connect and invest in each other through shared stories of finding and embracing their passions, overcoming life’s challenges and achieving success in their various fields,” Davis said.
Kennedy, who focuses her practice on litigation, as well as helping corporations and startups with business planning, risk management, corporate formation and contract negotiation, is a staunch supporter of women’s leadership and empowerment. She is a founding member of Chuhak & Tecson’s Women Helping Women initiative, which integrates business development, networking and philanthropy into events that benefit not only the attendees, but the Chicagoland community as well.
Investing in Women
Saturday, July 19, 2014
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
I-Hotel, University of Illinois
1900 S. 1st Street
Champaign, IL 61820
For the third year in a row, attorneys and staff at Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. will participate in the Women Everywhere: Partners in Service Day, an annual volunteer project that serves underprivileged families, women and children across Chicagoland. Sponsored by nine local women’s bar associations, WE is partnering with nearly 30 agencies that will benefit from this year’s day of service.
Through WE, firm employees are serving the not for profit organization Good News Partners, Inc. which offers affordable housing to those in need. Coordinated by Chuhak & Tecson principal Eileen Sethna, the June 13 event invites volunteers to partake in an afternoon of painting, cleaning and organizing at several of Good News Partners’ 10 housing facilities.
Good News Partners’ mission focuses on ending homelessness and hopelessness for everyone that comes through its doors. The organization is dedicated to securing short-term or permanent housing and providing a community of healing, support and care for its residents through partnerships with local churches and businesses.
WE serves as a volunteer collective in the Chicagoland area aimed at soliciting and coordinating volunteer activities on behalf of women and children in need. Since its inception in 2003, the WE Project has also facilitated an education program that stresses women’s equality in employment and voting. To learn more, visit Women Everywhere.
For a woman living with HIV/AIDS, making it through each day is like swimming upstream against the undercurrents of emotional, financial and health-related challenges.
It would be daunting for anyone to manage. If that woman is also a mother with children to care for, well, that’s when things can get truly complicated—but not impossible. Thanks to Chicago House and Social Service Agency, these families are thrown a lifeline in the form of affordable housing and other essentials.
Women Helping Women will partner with Chicago House at its Mix-and-Mingle on Wednesday, April 30, at Lloyd’s Chicago. Hosted by the women attorneys of Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., WHW is an after-hours event for professional women to network with other entrepreneurs, decision makers and potential strategic partners while simultaneously serving the community.
Guests enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres at each mixer, which highlights the work of a different not for profit organization serving women or women and their children. For the Chicago House event, guests are asked to donate books, board games or non-perishable food items.
Chicago House was the first agency in the Midwest to open a family housing program, one of several it offers to people who have been disenfranchised by HIV/AIDS, said Judy Perloff, chief program officer.
“There is an intersection between homelessness, poverty and HIV,” Perloff said. “In the 1980s, when Chicago House was founded, it was gay men with HIV who were being forced out into the streets due to discrimination. In the ‘90s, women became the new demographic. They were contracting HIV from their partners, and families were being displaced as a result of that and their own families rejecting them.”
Chicago House’s Family Support Program provides not only a place to call home but also mental health services, case management and career counseling for the moms, plus developmental opportunities for their kids. A key component is the highly effective after-school mentoring program, which pairs each young person with an individual tutor for academic encouragement and immerses them in music, fine arts, theater and other road-to-success influencers.
According to Perloff, statistics show that Chicago House youth have a higher graduation rate than other students in Chicago Public Schools and are more likely to enroll in college and graduate.
“With this program we try really hard to break the cycle of homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, an incomplete education and under-developed work record that often comes with the HIV-positive diagnosis,” Perloff said.
Loretto Kennedy, a principal at Chuhak & Tecson, has been impressed with the work of Chicago House since she learned about it from a friend.
“They’re very holistic in their approach,” Kennedy said. “They address all of the challenges that come with an HIV/AIDS diagnosis, whether it be housing or financial services or emotional support. They don’t just react; they’re incredibly proactive.”
This will be the 10th Mix-and-Mingle hosted by Women Helping Women since the initiative was launched in 2009. The mixer is becoming so popular that, for the first time, Chuhak & Tecson has bought out the entire restaurant so there will be plenty of room to mix and mingle.
“This event has become bigger and bigger every time,” Kennedy said. “There’s a growing commitment by women who have attended in the past and also a great buzz among women in the community who have heard about it and want to attend.
“Not only are they eager to enjoy the networking opportunities available, but they’re also excited to support great Chicago-based organizations in a worthy cause,” she said.
The Mix-and-Mingle will take 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 Katie Walsh at (312) 201-3447 or kwalsh@chuhak.com.
Canning hunger in Chicago continues to be a priority for attorneys and staff at Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., as they recently came together to volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
On February 26 about 30 Chuhak & Tecson employees donated their time for the third year in a row to help fight hunger in Chicago. Together, their efforts and thousands of others are what help the Food Depository distribute over 66 million pounds of food each year to 678,000 Cook County residents.
This year, volunteers worked together to repackage 3996 pounds of bulk pinto beans into 1332 smaller bags, as well as 1443 pounds of pasta into 624 bags. This totaled 5439 pounds of food packed for distribution to local food pantries and shelters.
Chuhak & Tecson donated its 81 accumulated volunteer hours to Lakeview Pantry, one of the longest running food pantries in Chicago. Each hour the firm contributed will serve as $5 off the pantry’s next monthly food bill from the Depository. Focused on eliminating hunger and poverty in the city’s North Side community, Lakeview Pantry provides on-site food distribution, food delivery services and case management programs that help clients address issues that frequently cause food insecurity, such as unemployment and housing instability. The firm previously partnered with Lakeview Pantry to collect non-perishable food items for its “25 Ways to Give Back” service initiative in 2012.
Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., is proud to announce that principal Lindsey Paige Markus is one of 17 women attorneys from across the city named as “Women Making an Impact” by Chicago Lawyer magazine and Law Bulletin Publishing.
Nominated for recognition by local attorneys and law firms, the honorees were profiled in the 2013 edition of the magazine’s special publication titled Women in Law. This is the third year for “Women Making an Impact,” applauding attorneys who stand out for their contributions to the legal profession in Chicago.
“It is an honor to be recognized among such an extraordinary group of women,” Markus said. “Women represent about 50 percent of law school graduates but less than 20 percent of partners at law firms. Thus, while we have seen substantial progress towards equal opportunity, women are underrepresented in some of the most influential positions.
“This demands women in the law to continue to grow and set examples for other women to help shatter barriers. It is wonderful to see these attorneys acknowledged for their impact, and a privilege to be included among them.”
This is not the first time that Markus, an estate planning and asset protection attorney, is in the spotlight for her professional achievements. Super Lawyers Magazine has named her an Illinois Rising Star annually from 2010 to 2014. In 2012, she was selected by Chicago Lawyer as one of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch,” and Oy!Chicago recognized her for its first annual “Double Chai in the Chi” award, honoring 36 outstanding young adults in the Jewish community.
Markus has been with Chuhak & Tecson since 2005. She works with individuals, families and small business owners to design estate plans that effectively protect assets, transfer wealth and minimize taxes. Emphasizing a comprehensive approach to ensure her clients’ interests are well-protected, she also represents business owners to strategize business formation, succession planning and related issues.
In 2013, Markus became one of the first estate planning attorneys certified in Illinois as a collaborative law fellow. Her training in this area uniquely qualifies her to consult on estate planning and tax implications with individuals going through a divorce.
Principal Ed Josephson has witnessed Markus’ professional growth since she joined Chuhak & Tecson as a law clerk, built an impressive client list as an associate and in 2011 was elevated to principal.
“Lindsey has always shown a remarkable passion for and understanding of the law,” Josephson said. “She is constantly trying to better her knowledge for the benefit of her clients, which shows in her work ethic and dedication, and which sets her apart from other attorneys.”
Markus believes her workplace has helped shape her career and promote her growth as a community leader. She writes a regular column for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and enjoys giving presentations on topics involving estate planning, wealth protection, charitable giving and more.
“Working at Chuhak & Tecson has given me tremendous space and autonomy to grow–socially, personally and professionally,” Markus said. “It gives me an exceptional platform to hone my skills in educating clients and the legal community about innovative estate planning techniques that achieve their personal and financial goals.”
Markus also leverages her knowledge of tax and estate planning to guide clients in making planned gifts to philanthropic organizations. Passionate about giving back to the community herself, she serves on several boards and committees for the Jewish United Fund, Advocate Charitable Foundation and The Standard Club.