Chuhak & Tecson is pleased to announce that Janet Wagner has joined the firm as a principal. Wagner focuses her practice on banking and commercial financing transactions. She provides trusted counsel, exacting documentation and clear communication to commercial banks, credit unions, institutional lenders, insurance companies and other lenders in a wide range of commercial and real estate financing matters.
A highly skilled attorney with extensive experience in analyzing transactions in the banking, corporate and real estate areas, Wagner enjoys creating documents that reflect the exact intentions of the transaction, especially when the transaction is challenging and more unusual. With her comprehensive knowledge of all phases of a loan or credit transaction, she is able to chart the progress of a matter while explaining the technicalities and route to a successful closing.
“We are so excited to have Janet join our team,” said Ed Burke, principal and practice group leader, Banking group. “She brings not only a wealth of experience on the documentation side, but practical experience to help our clients from A to B in the most efficient manner possible.”
In addition to real estate and commercial lending, Wagner has advised lenders on documenting loans secured by unique collateral, including boats, aircraft, rail cars and film rights. Working with her colleagues at the firm, she also handles commercial transactions and corporate matters, counsels clients on the day-to-day operations of businesses, reviews and negotiates contracts and other business documents, and advises clients on corporate governance matters and choice of entity.
Wagner received her LL.M. degree in Child & Family Law and her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and earned her B.A. degree, cum laude, in Philosophy, from Mundelein College (now Loyola University Chicago).
Chuhak & Tecson is pleased to announce that Christine A. Barone has joined the firm as a principal in the Estate Planning & Asset Protection and Estate & Trust Administration & Litigation practice groups.
Barone focuses her practice on elder law. This encompasses contested and uncontested adult guardianships, decedents’ estates, trust administration and litigation, estate planning and asset protection. Notably, she handles planning for those with disabilities or special needs and long-term care planning for eligibility and appeals for Medicaid benefits. She has also represented nursing homes in securing and appealing Medicaid benefits for their residents and claims for payment from the State of Illinois in the Illinois Court of Claims. She prepares and reviews contracts, wills, trusts, special needs trusts and powers of attorney.
Barone is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), which is an exclusive honor bestowed on a select group of attorneys by the National Elder Law Foundation. Currently, there are only 17 CELAs in Illinois providing resourceful and inspired solutions for clients faced with elder law issues. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is also a former president and current board member of the Veterans’ Legal Aid Society.
“With the addition of Christine, we are thrilled that our firm now has two Certified Elder Law Attorneys,” said Lindsey Paige Markus, principal and practice group leader of the firm’s 23-attorney Estate Planning & Asset Protection practice group. “Mallory Moreno, who recently joined Chuhak & Tecson, is also a CELA, and with Christine, they will bring their experience and passion to advocate on behalf of our elderly population and individuals with disabilities.”
Barone finds the most rewarding aspect of assisting and representing her clients is alleviating some of the burden that they feel in extremely stressful and overwhelming situations. She has the knowledge and skills to assist clients step-by-step to try to confront concerns and worries that are often life altering. She understands that communication is critical to an attorney-client relationship and will sit down and discuss the various outcomes and scenarios so that her clients can not only make informed decisions, but also feel a sense of relief.
Barone received her B.S. degree in political science, English minor, from the University of Iowa and earned her J.D. degree, with a certificate in tax law, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
May is National Elder Law Month—an excellent opportunity for elder law attorneys to educate and advocate for older and disabled persons and their families. Elder Law attorneys handle a wide range of legal matters affecting elderly or disabled people, including issues related to healthcare, long-term care planning, guardianship, retirement, Social Security and so many other important matters.
Elder law attorneys address issues facing our aging population and individuals with disabilities, many of whom are unable to speak for themselves. Elder law attorneys are trained and have the sensitivities needed to help their clients find a sense of peace during life-altering moments of crisis, such as losing a loved one, being faced with unforeseen health problems, experiencing family strife or planning for expensive long-term care.
Chuhak & Tecson is pleased to acknowledge two experienced Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA), Mallory Moreno and Christine Barone, who focus their practices in adult guardianships, both contested and non-contested, estate and trust administration and litigation, including financial exploitation, will and trust matters, fiduciary disputes, issues of capacity, powers of attorneys, undue influence, financial exploitation and fraud. A large portion of their practices is also dedicated to long-term care planning, Medicaid, Medicaid appeals, estate planning, special needs planning and disability law. According to the National Elder Law Foundation, there are only 17 CELAs in Illinois currently.
“We are living in an unprecedented time,” said Mallory Moreno, principal at Chuhak & Tecson and a Certified Elder Law Attorney. “For the first time in U.S. history, it is projected that by 2034 the number of individuals age 65 and older will outnumber individuals ages 18 and younger. This means that it is more important than ever to consider all that elder law provides to an ever-aging population, from estate planning, disability planning, long-term care needs, Medicare, retirement and Social Security, to crisis and postmortem planning. Elder law helps to protect and meet the needs of countless individuals as they navigate through their golden years.”
Can an elder law attorney provide you with guidance and support on any of the above concerns? Please contact one of our skilled and knowledgeable elder law attorneys, Mallory Moreno or Christine Barone.
This Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. communication is intended only to provide information regarding developments in the law and information of general interest. It is not intended to constitute advice regarding legal problems and should not be relied upon as such.
The 20th anniversary celebrates our attorneys’ extensive experience and knowledge of addressing the challenging issues of middle-market lending, collections of credit and asset collateral and protections. Whether drafting or reviewing complex documents or determining effective strategies in handling a workout or necessary litigation, for two decades our Banking attorneys have provided the know-how necessary to handle all stages in the life of a credit transaction – from origination to disposition.
“It’s amazing,” said Ed Burke. “It’s been 20 years of fantastic growth. I could not be prouder of our attorneys who have grown up with me here at the firm as well as many of our clients, most of whom we now consider friends.”
Josh Hyman, former principal at the firm, along with Jim Gottlieb, former principal and current of counsel, started the Banking practice 20 years ago. In 2004, Burke was the first associate hired in the group after which Cisco Connell joined as an associate. During the Great Recession, the Banking group exploded in size due to pressures in the real estate markets. This resulted in the group adding a number of new clients and becoming a national practice in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, SBA and conventional workout matters. In 2012, Adam Moreland joined the firm, focusing on commercial lending transactions and, at that point, the Banking group became a full service, litigation and transactional team. Today, the group continues to represent more than 100 financial institutions ranging from small community banks to the largest financial institutions in the country.
As clichés go, spring always seems to be linked to a fresh start. So, I apologize for taking such an over-used path. But, when it comes to the Banking group, we are in the midst of several new beginnings and so I could not help myself.
Among the new beginnings, as we celebrate our group’s 20-year anniversary, I am pleased to say that I have assumed the role of practice group leader from my long-time colleague, Cisco Connell. As some of you are aware, Cisco is leaving the firm at the end of May to start a new position as chief legal counsel at one of the group’s private equity clients.
Cisco has been an outstanding leader for the group and within the firm. While we are sad to see him leave, we certainly look forward to continuing to work with him from the other side of the table. As an 18-year member of the Banking group and its first associate, I am excited to take over the role of practice group leader and to continue working with so many long-standing clients. Many of our clients have actually grown up with our group and me; it actually seems that we all started in the banking industry together.
Also, something new and exciting for our firm, Lindsey Paige Markus, principal and leader of our estate planning group, has written a book, “A Gift for the Future.” Lindsey has done an outstanding job of taking an often overwhelming and confusing topic that nobody wants to discuss and distilling it into an easy to follow format with roadmaps for people at all different stages of their lives.
As we continue to emerge from Covid and move towards summer, our plans are to make sure that we re-connect with our clients in-person, whether it be through a presentation or, better yet, over lunch, drinks, at a game or on a golf course. We also want to make sure that our clients will meet some of our group’s newest members, who have just arrived or will be coming on board shortly. We are thrilled to be adding such strong attorneys to the team, especially as 2022 continues to be quite active in both the workout and front-end areas of our group.
Along those lines and as always, we appreciate the opportunity to work with our clients and continue to be a resource as we move from April showers to May flowers (sorry!).
This said, we wish Cisco continued success in his new endeavor and are grateful for all the years he gave us, as he has surely left his mark. My sincere congratulations to our entire Banking Team—attorneys, paralegals, staff—for 20 great years! And Chuhak & Tecson—thank you. As the entire firm also celebrates its own milestone in 2022—35 years!—the Banking Team appreciates your continued stewardship. It allows me to say to our clients, with confidence, that we are Right there with you.
Client Alert authored by Edmond M. Burke (312 855 4352), Principal.
This Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. communication is intended only to provide information regarding developments in the law and information of general interest. It is not intended to constitute advice regarding legal problems and should not be relied upon as such.
Mallory Moreno, principal at Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., will present a program titled “The 5Ws of Special Needs Planning: Who? What? When? Where? Why? (and How?)” on Thursday, April 14, 2022, to the employees of Astellas Pharma US, Inc., an affiliate of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma, Inc. The program will be held via Zoom.
The presentation is hosted by the Astellas US Disabilities and Special Needs Employee Resource Group. Attendees will learn about some of the basics of special needs planning. Moreno will discuss the importance of powers of attorney and how these tools can be used for multiple planning purposes. She will also discuss guardianships, special needs trusts, means-tested benefits, such as Medicaid and SSI, and explore ABLE Accounts. The presentation will offer some of the planning tools and resources available for individuals with disabilities, including what family members or loved ones may want to consider and what individuals with disabilities themselves might be able to explore.
Moreno focuses her practice on adult guardianships, both contested and non-contested, estate and trust administration and litigation, including financial exploitation, will and trust contests, fiduciary disputes, issues of capacity, powers of attorneys, undue influence, financial exploitation, citations and fraud. A significant portion of her practice is dedicated to long-term care planning, Medicaid, Medicaid appeals, estate planning, special needs planning and disability law.
Moreno is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), an exclusive honor bestowed on a select group of attorneys by the National Elder Law Foundation. As of 2021, there are only 17 CELAs in Illinois providing creative solutions to elder law issues. Moreno also serves as president-elect for IL NAELA and chairs several of its committees. She is a frequent faculty speaker for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) as well as other organizations.
This program is not open to the public. For more information on this topic or to inquire about Ms. Moreno’s availability to speak at your organization, please contact her at mmoreno@chuhak.com.
Loretto Kennedy, principal and co-general counsel, and Mallory Moreno, principal, at Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., will participate in a panel as part of the Women Lead WITH Illinois Law 2022 Summit, a conference and workshop sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Law on Friday, April 8, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This program will be held via Zoom.
This is the 4th annual summit which will feature inspiring stories from women of all ages and backgrounds, discussions on how they have navigated their careers paths, advice on building a sense of empowerment and provide networking opportunities through virtual conversations.
Kennedy will participate in a panel discussion titled “We’re worth it! Leadership and Collaboration in the Workplace.” Moreno will be a panelist in a discussion titled “Deal with it! Your future, your finances and your estate.”
Kennedy represents a diverse group of clients, including product manufacturers, retailers, contractors, start-ups, non-profits and local public entities. She provides counsel on a broad range of matters, including contract, aviation, products liability and coverage disputes at both the trial and appellate levels.
Moreno focuses her practice on adult guardianships, both contested and non-contested, estate and trust administration and litigation, including financial exploitation, will and trust contests, fiduciary disputes, issues of capacity, powers of attorneys, undue influence, financial exploitation, citations and fraud. A significant portion of her practice is dedicated to long-term care planning, Medicaid, Medicaid appeals, estate planning, special needs planning and disability law.
For more information, please contact Heather Ball, Director of Events & Alumni Programming for the University of Illinois College of Law at hball@illinois.edu. To register to attend, click here.
Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. is excited to announce that the firm has moved to a new location effective April 1, 2022. The new office space at 120 S. Riverside Plaza, suite 1700, Chicago, near Union Station between Adams and Monroe, now brings everyone together on one floor and provides more efficient and productive access to collaborate with each other and with our clients.
In keeping with the firm’s focus of One Space … One Culture … One Firm, the new office fosters a better fit for the firm’s culture of dynamic and ever improving and mutual mentoring, coaching, training and teamwork among attorneys, paralegals and staff as well as continuing to further enrich client service. The new space is designed with employees and clients in mind. It offers contemporary visual appeal, but more importantly, better workspace designs, improved physical workflows and inviting meeting spaces.
“We are so excited that our two and one half year process is finally coming to fruition, as we move into new space that we were able to design and build from scratch,” said Mitchell D. Weinstein, president and a member of the firm’s Space Lead Team. “We are anxious to bring everyone together on one floor for the first time in a very long time.”
Weinstein continued, “From the time we decided to move, we sought to design and build space that would provide amenities and benefits for our staff and clients. The new space provides more natural light to interior spaces and adds state-of-the-art technology to our conference rooms — something we have lacked in our current space. We even designed a family room for clients who bring young ones to their will signings, which is unique. We are returning to the office more regularly these days, as the pandemic restrictions have lessened, and as we adapt to a hybrid work environment, this new space encourages togetherness and collaboration. We look forward to seeing everyone enjoy this space, and, when appropriate, invite clients and colleagues to see it as well.”
One of the most important aspects of the firm is the value it stresses on inclusiveness, as it strives to be a place where everyone, regardless of their role or their contributions, can feel equally involved and supported in all areas. A smaller footprint allows for enhanced access and interaction — and thus more touchpoints — so that everyone can feel a more heightened sense of belonging that encourages them to do their best work and reach their potential.
The firm is concentrating on its environmental impact, especially the furthering of a paper-light direction, limiting filing space and changing related storage processes. It is also using this project to support minority- and women-owned businesses in the community. To date, the firm has directed more than 33% of its construction dollars to such businesses and has requested and worked with diverse teams from other vendors while actively encouraging non-minority or non-women-owned businesses to hire diverse work crews.
For additional information on Chuhak & Tecson’s new offices, contact Michelle Schadler, chief operating officer, at mschadler@chuhak.com.
The plaintiff, a pressman with a 28-year work history, contracted acute myelogenous leukemia that he alleged was caused by exposure to benzene in Sun Chemical’s products. In the original complaint, the plaintiff named 22 defendants in addition to Sun Chemical. However, by the time of trial, all the other defendants had been dismissed; several pursuant to settlement with the plaintiff.
In the closing argument, the plaintiff’s counsel asked the jury for a total of $16.3 million in compensatory damages. The jury took approximately two hours to return a unanimous verdict in Sun Chemical’s favor indicating that the liability determination was not a close call. In discussions after the verdict, several jurors indicated that cross-examination of the plaintiff’s experts’ exposure and causation opinions, exposing the subjective bases and flawed assumptions, was central to their decision.
“In closing argument, we highlighted the flaws in the plaintiff’s exposure expert’s methods to reinforce the point that many of his conclusions were not reasonably supported by the data he relied upon,” Mr. Wood explained.
If you have questions regarding this case or have a litigation matter you would like to discuss, please contact Mr. Wood at swood@chuhak.com.
Moreno focuses her practice on adult guardianships, both contested and non-contested, estate and trust administration and litigation, including financial exploitation, will and trust contests, fiduciary disputes, issues of capacity, powers of attorneys, undue influence, financial exploitation, citations and fraud. A significant portion of her practice is dedicated to long-term care planning, Medicaid, Medicaid appeals, estate planning, special needs planning and disability law.
Moreno is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), an exclusive honor bestowed on a select group of attorneys by the National Elder Law Foundation. As of 2021, there are only 17 CELAs in Illinois providing creative solutions to elder law issues. Moreno also serves as president for IL NAELA and chairs several of its committees. She is a frequent faculty speaker for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) as well as other organizations and serves as co-chair of the Young Lawyers’ section of the Chicago Bar Association’s Serving our Seniors Committee.
The Chicago Bar Association is one of the oldest and most active metropolitan bar associations in the United States. The association’s voluntary membership of 17,000 consists largely of lawyers and judges from Cook County and the State of Illinois. The purposes and objectives of the association are to establish and maintain the honor and dignity of the profession of the law and to promote the general welfare by sponsoring and supporting continuing legal education programs (CLE) covering new developments in all fields of law. The CBA also cultivates social relationships among its members and increases the usefulness of the legal profession in promoting the due administration of justice and the public good.
This program is approved for of Continuing Legal Education credits. To register, please click here.