CBA Officers & Board of Managers 2022-2023
Officers:
President Timothy S. Tomasik
Timothy Tomasik is a founding member of Tomasik Kotin Kasserman LLC where he has distinguished himself as one of Chicago’s elite trial attorneys. Prior to joining the firm, Tim practiced for 15 years at Clifford Law Offices in Chicago and also served as a member of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Bureau of Special Prosecutions.
Mr. Tomasik has tried over 100 jury and bench trials to verdict and has handled and successfully resolved hundreds of millions of dollars in claims in a variety of practice areas, including complex premises liability, aviation litigation, medical negligence, medical liability, hospital liability, and mass disasters.
As a trial attorney, Mr. Tomasik has handled significantly complex and high profile and cases including serving as a lead counsel of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the World Trade Center litigation against the airlines industry for security breaches that led to the tragic 9/11 hijackings and air crashes in which he helped to secure a $1.2 billion settlement.
Mr. Tomasik is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including being inducted by his peers into the International Society of Barristers, an honor society of outstanding trial lawyers. He has also been inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates and in 2018 became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Mr. Tomasik is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, American Bar Association Torts Committee, and chair of the Sub-Committee on Experts and Evidence. He has served in CBA leadership for a number of years, perhaps most notably as Chair of the Judicial Evaluation Committee for 15 years. He is a former Chair of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand, a foundation that provides grants to Chicago’s underprivileged youth.
Mr. Tomasik received his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Colorado and his J.D. from the University of Denver.
First Vice President Ray J. Koenig III
Ray J. Koenig III is a member in Clark Hill’s Litigation and Tax & Estate Planning groups. He also serves in leadership roles within the firm, which include serving as the Managing Member of Clark Hill’s Chicago office, Co-Leader of the firm’s Global Litigation Practice, Co-Chair of the firm’s PRIDE Committee, and an elected member of the firm’s Executive Committee.
Mr. Koenig represents individuals, families, financial and medical institutions, charities and governmental agencies in probate, trust, and guardianship controversies, including complex matters which require practical solutions. Mr. Koenig has decades of experience in a variety of aspects of controversies involving trusts, probate, guardianships and related fiduciary issues including will and trust contests, will and trust construction and reformation actions, citations to recover, breach of fiduciary duty claims, charitable disputes, and guardianship litigation. His years of practice have also resulted in his retention as an expert witness in matters involving guardianship and probate issues.
A frequent author and lecturer, Mr. Koenig is an active member and past member of many legal and social service organizations including: Commissioner on the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations, Trustee of the Illinois State Retirement Systems (SERS), Equality Illinois PAC, Chicago House Social Service Agency, the Lambda Legal Education and Defense Fund and the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and a member of the Board of Directors at the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
Mr. Koenig received his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.
Second Vice President John C. Sciaccotta
John C. Sciaccotta is a member of Aronberg Goldgehn. He has nearly 35 years of trial and litigation experience advocating for clients in complex civil litigation, arbitration, mediation and business counseling matters with a special emphasis on complex civil trial and appellate cases brought in federal and state courts and tribunals throughout the United States.
Mr. Sciaccotta represents publicly and privately held domestic and foreign business entities, lenders, employers, municipalities, government bodies and individuals in transactional matters and disputes He has substantial experience representing real estate owners/developers, business owners in a wide array of industries, professional service organizations, partnerships, limited liability companies, manufacturing, construction, technology, professional sales companies, professional sports leagues, professional sports owners, professional athletes, municipalities, hedge funds and broker/dealers, governmental bodies, banks and lending institutions. He is the founder and co-chair of Aronberg Goldgehn Business Divorce practice group, the chair of the Commercial Litigation marketing group, a
founding member of the firm's DEI Committee, and a senior member of the firm's Marketing Committee.
Mr. Sciaccotta has been appointed as a Neutral Arbitrator and Mediator for many years to resolve and arbitrate business related disputes. He serves on the Commercial Panel of the American Arbitration Association's National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators.
He is an active member of many legal and community organizations in addition to the CBA, including the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Justinian Society of Lawyers, National Italian American Foundation, The Lawyers Club of Chicago, the City Club of Chicago, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. He was co-founder of the CBA Business Divorce and Complex Ownership Committee, had has served as vice chair of the CBA CLE Committee, the CBA Mediation Program Committee and the CBA Civics Committee.
Mr. Sciaccotta received his undergraduate degree from Creighton University and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Secretary Kathryn C. Liss
Kathryn C. Liss (Katie) is the Assistant Dean and Director of Law Career Services and the Executive Director of the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center at DePaul University College of Law. Ms. Liss enjoys working with law students and attorneys in helping them navigate their career path as well as their professional identity. Outside of her work at DePaul, she serves as a mentor to undergraduate students interested in practicing law. Prior to her current position, Ms. Liss practiced solely in domestic relations for over ten years handling cases involving divorce, paternity matters, adoptions, orders of protection, and mediations. She also served as a court appointed Child Representative and Guardian ad Litem in Cook County.
Ms. Liss remains involved in professional organizations that support causes she cases about. Within the Chicago Bar Association, she actively serves on its Board of Managers, Membership and Finance Committee, and Record Editorial Board. She founded the CBA’s Anti-Human Trafficking Committee as well as the Task Force Against Sexual Harassment and Assault and remains committed to both. She previously served as Chair of the CBA's Young Lawyers Section and Co-Chair of its Alliance for Women. Additionally, Ms. Liss serves as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness, Miami University's Pre-Law Alumni Advisory Board, Illinois Coalition to Address Intimate Partner Violence-Induced Brain Injury, Force of Lawyers Against Sexual Harassment, and Association of American Law Schools. Ms. Liss served as a past member of the Chicago Bar Foundation's Board of Directors, the Chicago Bar Foundation's Young Professional Board, and the Center for Conflict Resolution's Board of Directors.
Ms. Liss received her undergraduate degree from Miami University (Ohio) and her J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law.
Treasurer Nina Fain
Nina Fain is the General Counsel for the JSS Family Trust. She was among the first African American woman to become a partner in major law firms in Chicago. Ms. Fain has transacted business for clients in England, Germany, Poland, Japan, China, Israel, France, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Russia, and the Caribbean. Her knowledge of complex corporate transactions, economic development, real estate and finance has allowed her to provide effective representation to both public and private clients for more than two decades. Ms. Fain has worked with colleagues and trained numerous associates, with an interest in diversity and retention of women lawyers and lawyers of color in these firms. Her leadership, interest and focus on education and continuing legal education for professionals is derived from her academic background.
In addition to a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Ms. Fain holds a Bachelor of Science in Education, and a Master of Science in Education Administration from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. As a Senior Fellow, she studied corporate strategy at the University of Texas-Dallas in its Graduate School of Business Management’s Institute for Corporate Governance and was a member of its inaugural class for women who were trained to sit on publicly traded corporate boards. Ms. Fain developed smart strategies to acquire corporate business clients and be a profitable member in law firms. She has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Public Policy at DePaul University and the Graduate School of Business at Roosevelt University. She has held various community board leadership positions, serving on the Francis W. Parker School Alumni Association Board, Homes for Children Foundation, and the Field Museum Board of Trustees.
Ms. Fain served on the Field Museum’s Audit and Pension, Finance and Endowment Committees. She has been a frequent lecturer for both corporate and non-profit organizations, with her expertise in corporate training focused on alternative dispute resolution methodologies, leadership, and implicit bias. Fain is bilingual and speaks, writes and translates Spanish for business matters. She also has a working knowledge of French. She maintains strong ties to the Chicago south side community where she grew up and she serves as the volunteer counsel to the Southeast Calumet Homeowners Association and its 3,000 members.
Immediate Past President E. Lynn Grayson
E. Lynn Grayson is a partner in the women-owned boutique environmental law firm of Nijman Franzetti LLP. She is consistently recognized as a leading environmental lawyer by Chambers USA (Band1), Best Lawyers, Who’s Who, Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers and has been named Chicago’s Environmental Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers. A significant portion of her practice is dedicated to serving as national environmental counsel supporting corporate law departments with development of environmental strategies and management of day-to-day environmental compliance challenges and cleanup obligations. She counsels corporate leadership on material environmental risks and liabilities, advises clients on critical enforcement, regulatory and litigation matters, and serves as lead environmental counsel in U.S. and international transactions.
For her work to promote diversity in the legal profession, she is the recipient of the CBA’s first Alta May Hulett Award, the WBAI’s Women with Vision Award, the ISBA’s Diversity Leadership Award and the Best Lawyers’ Women of Influence Award.
She serves on the Board of Trustees of her alma mater Franklin College, the Board of Directors of the Environmental Law Institute (Washington, D.C.), Chicago Bar Foundation, the Geneva Lake Museum (Secretary) and the Geneva Lake Association (Vice-President).
Ms. Grayson earned her bachelor’s degree from Franklin College and her J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. She is admitted to the Illinois bar, several federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Board of Managers:
Michael Alkaraki
Michael Alkaraki is a partner and trial lawyer at Leahy Hoste Alkaraki, where he represents plaintiffs in cases of catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability and wrongful death. He is an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he teaches Advocacy, Trial Practice and Professional Identity Formation and serves on the Dean’s Diversity Council and the Alumni Board of Governors.
Mr. Alkaraki holds a variety of leadership positions within the organized bar, publishes and presents frequently on topics related to his practice areas and serves a trusted arbitrator appointed by other attorneys in their cases. He is a Certified Mediator in the CBA Mediation Service, serves as a Mediator-Coach for attorneys undergoing advanced skills training in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution and serves as faculty for the CBA Trial Academy intensive skills training course. He is the immediate past Chair of the CBA Media Production Committee, a member of the CBA Trial Practice Committee and served for many years on the CBA Judicial Evaluation Committee before joining the Board of Managers. Mr. Alkaraki also serves on the Illinois State Bar Association’s Assembly, on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Bar Foundation and on the Board of Directors of Opportunity Knocks, a local not-for-profit entity addressing the needs of the young adult developmentally disabled population.
In 2021, Loyola University Chicago School of Law recognized Mr. Alkaraki with the St. Robert Bellarmine Award, which honors alumni who have distinguished themselves within their first 15 years of practice by their contributions to the profession and the School of Law. In 2019, the Illinois State Bar Association recognized Mr. Alkaraki with the Civic Education Award for his dedication to advancing public understanding of the judicial process and the role of attorneys in society, and in 2017, Mr. Alkaraki was recognized as one of “Forty Under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin/Chicago Lawyer Magazine for his success in the courtroom and commitment to the profession and broader community. Mr. Alkaraki received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Saint Joseph’s College and his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Hon. Louis G. Apostol
Hon. Louis G. Apostol was reappointed Public Administrator by Governor Pritzker in 2022. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Executive Director, general counsel, and legislative liaison for the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board (2008-2017). He has practiced law for over 40 years and was a partner in several notable firms in Chicago specializing in civil and criminal litigation, tax, finance, property, administrative and government law. He is a certified executive (CAE).
He formerly served as a Commissioner/Trial Judge on the Illinois Court of Claims (2003-2008) and as Public Administrator of Cook County (1991-2003). He was appointed a Special Counsel for the City of Chicago. He is an active member and contributor to charitable organizations such as the Diversity Scholarship Foundation, “Leadership 100” and served as the President of the Hellenic Foundation in Chicago. He was elected to the NIU Alumni Association Board of Directors (2015-2021). He was elected to the Associated Colleges of Illinois Board of Trustees (2016-2018). In 2018, he was appointed “Distinguished Advisor” to the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago.
He received his BA from Elmhurst College, MBA from NIU College of Business and JD from NIU College of Law. He was elected to the NIU College of Law Board of Visitors in 2000, served as Vice Chair and was elected Chair in 2014. He is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois, U.S. Supreme Court, and other Federal Courts.
He is an active member of the ABA, ISBA, CBA, CCL and HBA. In 1997, he received the "Hellene of the Year Award" from the HBA in Chicago. In 1998, he received the "Distinguished Service Award" from the NIU College of Law. In 2003, he received the "Community Service Award" from the Association Forum of Chicago. In 2012, he received the "Outstanding Government Service Award" from the UHVA. In 2004 and 2005, he was featured on the "Best Lawyers in America" - Sky News Program. In 2018, he received the “Public Service Award” from the NIU College of Law. In 2019, the Cook County Board of Commissioners recognized his exemplary government service and contributions to the practice of law.
Octavio Duran
Octavio Duran is the owner and principal of Duran Law Offices. He dedicates his practice to representing individuals and families in all areas of personal injury including automobile collisions, construction negligence, premises liability and workers compensation. He started his law firm in September 2019. Mr. Duran recently completed ten years of service through the Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association. Through the YLS, he received multiple awards and recognitions, including the “Rising Star,” “Best Project,” and “Public Service,” Awards.
He is licensed to practice law in Illinois, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
Mr. Duran has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers from 2014 to the present. Prior to receiving his law degree, Mr. Duran tried multiple misdemeanor bench trials for the Cook County Public Defender’s Office under the authority of the Illinois Supreme Court and the certification of the Dean of his law school. Mr. Duran served as a mentor for various law school students through various organizations like The Chicago Bar Association, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, and Chicago Public Schools. He has also launched multiple fundraisers for legal aid through the Chicago Bar Foundation, raising over $30,000.00 each year for the past four years. The funds go to a higher mission that Octavio and the Chicago Bar Foundation maintain, which is to improve access to justice for historically underprivileged communities.
Naderh Elrabadi
Naderh Hana Elrabadi is a sole proprietor of Elrabadi Law, a Plaintiff’s Injury Law Firm in Chicago. Ms. Elrabadi is actively involved in the Chicago Bar Association where she currently is serving as Chair of the Anti-Human Trafficking Committee. She was appointed to serve as a Human Rights Commissioner for the Commission on Human Relations for the City of Chicago by Mayor’s Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot where she served for over 10 years adjudicating discrimination complaints under the Human Rights Ordinance. Prior to her current position, Ms. Elrabadi was a Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago Department of Law Traffic Section. Her practice has allowed her to try over 140 jury trials to verdict on behalf of injured plaintiffs.
Ms. Elrabadi was the Past Secretary and Board Member of the Arab American Bar Association of Illinois and mentorship program liaison for Arab American law students. She continues her mentorship work through the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Diversity Scholarship Foundation. She also serves on the Board of University of Illinois School of Law. She also serves as an Arbitrator in the Municipal Division and the Law Division in Cook County program. She was a delegate for the Arab Lawyers Forum in London, England.
She is actively involved in the community and serves as Board Member of Running Refugee Life Foundation which serves the refugee population of Chicago, access to services such as housing, education, healthcare, and food security. She also volunteers for the Cook County Expungement Summit and assists in citizenship and naturalization applications for underserved communities.
She received her undergraduate degree Loyola University Chicago in Communications and Political Science, her master’s degree in Sociology and her Juris Doctor for John Marshall Law School.
Anthony F. Fata
Anthony F. Fata is a partner at Kirby McInerney LLP. For more than 20 years, he has represented clients in complex financial matters, including claims arising under the commodity, securities, antitrust, and whistleblower laws. He has regularly appeared before federal and state courts throughout the United States and in regulatory matters overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and other governmental and self-regulatory agencies.
Prior to joining Kirby McInerney LLP, he practiced at McDermott, Will & Emery LLP, where he defended SEC enforcement matters, securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, and consumer class actions. He then joined Cafferty Clobes Meriwether & Sprengel LLP to lead the firm’s efforts in commodity manipulation matters.
In addition to his law practice, since 2016, Mr. Fata has been an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law. He teaches J.D., M.S.J. and LL.M candidates in a wide range of financial services courses, including Securities Regulation, Regulating Broker Dealers, Regulating Funds and Advisors, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Financial Crimes Compliance, Regulating Depository Institutions, Financial Privacy, and Corporate Law. He is also a recurring panelist for the Practicing Law Institute Internal Investigations Seminar conducted in Chicago each year.
Mr. Fata is active in the Chicago Bar Association, where he Co-Chairs the Securities Law Committee and serves on the Editorial Board of the CBA Record.
Mr. Fata received his bachelor’s degree from Miami University and his J.D. from Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Robert Fioretti
Robert Fioretti is a seasoned litigator and certified mediator bringing his clients a diverse range of legal experience. A partner in the law firm Fioretti Campbell LLC, he has handled cases in complex litigation and governmental law, many of which have been litigated in federal and state court or resolved through arbitration and mediation.
Mr. Fioretti cultivated his experience as a Senior Supervising Attorney of the General Litigation Division for the Corporation Counsel working in the Mayor Harold Washington administration. He was involved in more than 500 civil rights cases. His personal trial experiences have led to over 100 state and federal verdicts and appellate court decisions. He was appointed to numerous cases as an Illinois Special Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant State’s Attorney.
Mr. Fioretti served two terms on the Chicago City Council as 2nd Ward Alderman where he focused on education, community development, and helped create over 8,000 jobs. He earned his J.D. from Northern Illinois University College of Law and is a member of the adjunct faculty.
Mr. Fioretti remains deeply involved in the Chicago community where he serves on various boards and lectures extensively on the legal profession, education, civics and has received numerous awards for his work in public service and the legal profession. He continues to serve his community with pro bono legal services.
He has served on the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Supreme Court and the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association Executive Committee. He was elected to the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly in 2019.
Cynthia S. Grandfield
Cynthia Grandfield is a Senior Counsel at Del Galdo Law Group, LLC in the firm’s Chicago office that has devoted her career to the representation of the government in civil litigation, specifically counties, municipalities, school, park districts, and community colleges in anything they are sued for or need to sue for. She has handled several high-profile matters, including most recently obtaining critical injunctive and remedial relief during the pandemic to protect the public health, safety, and welfare on behalf of local governments and local elected officials. During the course of her career, Ms. Grandfield has tried over 100 cases to verdict, ranging from a one-day bench trial to a multi-week jury trial.
Prior to becoming a member of the Board of Managers, Ms. Grandfield was a member of the CBA’s Judicial Evaluation Committee for over a decade. She also is currently appointed to the National Government Relations Committee for the Federal Bar Association. Through that Committee, she advocates for the federal judiciary, the filling of vacancies and creation of new judgeships, and assists in drafting statements and advocating on behalf of the FBA on a wide range of federal legal issues.
Ms. Grandfield received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton and her J.D. cum laude from DePaul College of Law.
Malcolm “Skip” Harsch
Skip is the Director of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and the ABA’s Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities. As director of these Commissions, he oversees and is involved in the planning and implementation of many of the ABA’s Hispanic and LGBTQ+ initiatives including national advocacy, ABA policy work, and legal educational programming. In his role at the ABA, Mr. Harsch helped created and implement the ABA’s ‘How to Be an Ally’ Toolkit and has presented both nationally and internationally on Allyship in the workplace. He is also a contributor to the publication, Out and About: The LGBT Experience in the Workplace.
Mr. Harsch is a native of Illinois with strong ties to the Midwest. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Iowa and his JD from DePaul University College of law. While at DePaul, he began his association and non-profit crusade as a summer intern at Lambda Legal. Mr. Harsch is the immediate past Co-Chair of the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) LGBT Committee and sits on the board of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago (LAGBAC). He is a past CBA Young Lawyers Section executive committee member, a past at-large board member for the National LGBT Bar Association and was extremely involved in the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago.
Risa R. Lanier
Risa Lanier was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, in the Roseland and Marquette Park communities. She graduated from Percy L. Julian High School and matriculated to Illinois State University, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. She then attended Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Law, earning a Juris Doctorate in 1999. On February 14, 2000, Ms. Lanier was sworn into the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where she has practiced criminal law as a prosecutor for the past 22 years.
Under the leadership of State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Ms. Lanier currently sits on the executive staff of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office as the First Assistant, where she oversees the operations of the office and works alongside members of the executive staff to create policies and procedures in the State’s Attorney’s Office that promote public safety while recognizing and combatting historical inequalities inherent in the criminal justice system through a progressive prosecution model. She also helps develop in-house training programs, engage with elected leaders, stakeholders, and community members, and prosecutes high profile cases.
Outside of her official duties, Ms. Lanier serves the community in a variety of ways. She is a member of the National Black Prosecutors Association and the Chicago Bar Association where she currently sits on the Board of Managers. She is an active member of New Faith Apostolic Church and has served on the Executive PTO Board at Oakdale Christian Academy and Child Care Center. She is also an alumni of the Civic Leadership Academy (Class of 2018) at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Patricia L. McCarthy
Patty McCarthy is a Regional Sales Manager with LexisNexis where she leads a team of Practice Area Consultants who work with large law firm customers and law schools. Over her 20 years with LexisNexis, she has worked with law firms across the country to help them leverage and utilize the LexisNexis investments to assist them in serving their clients and growing their business. She has held numerous positions within LexisNexis, and especially enjoys her role as a “people leader” which involves coaching and mentoring.
Ms. McCarthy embraces the LexisNexis corporate values to promote the Rule of Law and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago. Her involvement with the CBA reaches back as a student member of the YLS, co-chair of the YLS Environmental Law Committee, recipient of the “David C. Hilliard Award for Outstanding Committee Service” and a member of YLS Board of Directors. Patty currently serves as the CBA liaison member of the Board of Directors of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI), and she had previously been a member of CBA/CBF Task Force on the Sustainable Practice of Law and Innovation.
Ms. McCarthy joined LexisNexis after practicing as a litigator for seven years. The firms included: Wildman Harrold (practice areas: Bankruptcy, Complex Product Liability and Environmental); Seyfarth Shaw (Environmental) and Coffield Ungaretti & Harris (Environmental). During law school, her work experience included: summer associate at McConnell, Valdes, Kelley, Sifre, Griggs & Ruiz-Suria in San Juan, Puerto Rico and an internship at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Regional Counsel in Chicago.
Ms. McCarthy began her career in Atlanta, Georgia as a CPA and worked as a Senior Accountant at Arthur Andersen. Her volunteer activities in Atlanta included being on the Atlanta Organizing Committee for the 1996 Olympics.
Ms. McCarthy received her JD from DePaul University College of Law and graduated with a B.S. with Honors, in Business Administration with concentration in Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Hon. James M. McGing
Judge McGing currently serves as a partner in the firm of Miller & McGing Law Firm. He served as the Supervising Judge of the Law Division, Tax and Miscellaneous Remedies Section.
Prior to this assignment Judge McGing presided in the Jury Section in cases including medical negligence, wrongful death, construction accidents, asbestos, traffic accidents and premises liability.
Judge McGing previously served in a variety of top local enforcement positions including the Director of Organized Crime Intelligence, Director of Operations, Chief Administrative Officer, and Legal Counsel for the Sheriff of Cook County. He was also a partner in the law firm of Miller, Fanucchi and McGing for 14 years where he concentrated his practice in civil and criminal litigation matters. Prior to that, Judge McGing served as a trial attorney for the law firm of Francis A. Nolan and Associates. He also served as an Administrative Law Judge for the City of Chicago’s License Commission overseeing business and liquor licenses and an Administrative Law Judge for the City of Chicago for personnel matters and police and fire applicants.
Judge McGing also served as a Special State’s Attorney appointed in several matters by a Circuit Court Judge and served as an Appellate Prosecutor representing State’s Attorney’s offices throughout Illinois in their appeals to Appellate Courts throughout Illinois. Prior to that, he served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Judge McGing is a graduate of the DePaul University School of Law, JD 1986, DePaul University BA 1983 and the FBI National Academy, Quantico, Virginia 1999. He served from 2006 to 2019 as a Circuit Court Judge. He has served on the oversight board of the U.S. Department of Justice- Chicago Regional Computer Forensic Lab, as President of the FBI National Academy Associates of Northern Illinois, as a representative to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Member of the Cook County Criminal Warrant Committee, Member of the Cook County Criminal Apprehension and Booking System (CABS) that brought Live-Scan and uniform booking to more than 100 police departments in Cook County, member of the Cook County 911 Board and was appointed by then U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to the Chicago Anti-Violence Initiative.
Jeffrey Moskowitz
Jeffrey Moskowitz is a trial attorney, entrepreneur, and amateur comedian. He received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. At DePaul, he was a recipient of the prestigious CALI Award for excellent trial litigation skills and the Benjamin Hooks’ Distinguished Public Service Award for his extensive pro bono work.
Immediately out of law school, he started his law practice, over the past ten years, it has grown into a thriving business. In 2017, Jeff founded a consumer legal funding company that helps plaintiffs bridge the gap while their cases are pending.
Mr. Moskowitz has been selected by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for 2020, 2021 and 2022. After evaluating over 700 Chicagoland attorneys, Expertise.com chose Jeff as one of the best 46 Litigation Attorneys in Chicago.
He has handled hundreds of cases and tried countless motions, hearings and trials, both bench and jury. He has successfully advocated for clients in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties, as well as in the Northern District of Illinois federal court.
Mr. Moskowitz is a past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Section executive board. During his year, the section was selected for five American Bar Association Awards including the ABA Outstanding Affiliate Award and the American Bar Endowment Outstanding Public Service Project Award for founding the Racial Justice Coalition. He also served the CBA YLS as the member service manager, director, and co-chair of the Moot Court Committee.
At DePaul College of Law, he is the Chair of Nominations for the Alumni Engagement Board and has proudly served on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He also serves on the Board of Managers for the Decalogue Society of Lawyers and is the Treasurer of the North Suburban Bar Association. Jeff is also a member of the Chicago Bar Foundation Young Professionals Board and an attorney mentor in the Justice Entrepreneurs Project. Jeff is licensed as a private pilot by the FAA.
Hon. Mary Rowland
Judge Mary M. Rowland was sworn in as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois on August 22, 2019. She served as a Magistrate Judge for the same court from October 2012 to August 2019.
Judge Rowland attended the University of Michigan for her undergraduate degree, and the University of Chicago for law school. After law school, she clerked for District Judge Julian A. Cook, Jr. in Detroit, Michigan. Judge Rowland then served for ten years in the Chicago office of the Federal Defender; first as a staff attorney and later as the office’s chief appellate attorney. In 2000, she joined the law firm Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, where she led the criminal defense practice and also litigated high-profile civil cases.
Judge Rowland is a founding member and one of the judges presiding over the first alternative to incarceration court in the Northern District of Illinois, Sentencing Options that Achieve Results (SOAR). Since 2009, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She is also a member of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago (LAGBAC) and the Alliance of Illinois Judges.
Eirene N. Salvi
Eirene Nakamura Salvi is an attorney at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., where she concentrates her practice medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability cases.
During her time with the firm, Ms. Salvi has obtained a number of noteworthy verdicts and settlements, including an Illinois record-high $148 million jury verdict on behalf of a dancer paralyzed by a collapsed pedestrian shelter at O’Hare International Airport, a Boone County record $9 million jury verdict in a wrongful death case, and a Kendall County record $4.25 million settlement in an auto accident case.
In recognition of her outstanding legal work, Ms. Salvi has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and Illinois Super Lawyers as a Rising Star. In 2018, she was honored with a Trial Lawyer Excellence Award by The Jury Verdict Reporter and Law Bulletin Media. In 2020, Ms. Salvi was honored with the Illinois State Bar Association’s Diversity Leadership Award, which recognizes a person or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of diversity within the Illinois legal community, its judiciary and/or the Illinois State Bar Association.
Ms. Salvi is a co-chair and founding member of the Chicago Committee of the Japanese American Bar Association. The group provides a special forum for members of the legal profession with interests and ties to the Japanese American community to discuss issues, network, and serve the community. Ms. Salvi is also a board member of JABA Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships to law students and recent grads. Ms. Salvi is currently the Vice President of the Board of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth, an organization that channels the legal community’s resources to promote one-to-one mentoring and tutoring programs in disadvantaged Chicago communities. In addition, Ms. Salvi is on the Young Professionals Board of the Chicago Bar Foundation.
Ms. Salvi received her law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2015. She speaks Spanish, Japanese, and French.
Kevin Thompson
Kevin Thompson is a partner in the business law firm of Levin Ginsburg. Kevin is the head of the firm’s intellectual property practice group. He has two decades of experience in counseling clients in the selection, clearance, maintenance, and protection of trademarks around the world. He also counsels clients regarding copyright, websites, terms of service, privacy, internet law, social media, and domain name issues.
For the CBA, Mr. Thompson currently serves as vice-chair with the Law Practice Management and Technology Committee as well as the International and Foreign Law Committee. He previously chaired the Cyber Law and Data Privacy Committee when it was known as the Computer Law Committee.
Prior to attending law school, Mr. Thompson worked for the Division of Information Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Hon. Allen P. Walker
Allen P. Walker is an Associate Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County. He was selected as an Associate Judge in 2012. He currently sits in the General Chancery Division. His prior assignments include the Motions Section of the Law Division and the Mortgage Foreclosure /Mechanics Lien Section of the Chancery Division. Judge Walker has taught numerous judicial education courses at the biennial Illinois Judicial Education Conference. He is also a member of the Illinois Judicial College Committee on Judicial Education. Judge Walker currently serves as the vice-chair of the Supreme Court Committee on Illinois Evidence. Judge Walker is also the assistant secretary for the Illinois Judicial Council, a member of the Illinois Judges Association, the Cook County Bar Association and a member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Board of Managers.
Before the bench, he was a partner at Greene and Letts, where he focused on representing and advising individuals, for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, and municipal entities in litigation and transactional matters. He has also served as an adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School. Judge Walker graduated from DePaul University’s College of Law, in 1987.
Matthew P. Walsh II
Sandra S. Yamate
Sandra S. Yamate is the CEO of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (“IILP”). IILP is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession through research and educational programming. IILP works primarily in the US but has begun expanding its efforts into the UK, EU, and Latin America. She spent ten years as the Director of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession and the preceding three years as the first Executive Director of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. Prior to that, she was a litigator in Chicago for ten years.
Ms. Yamate is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”), where she serves as a member of both the Advocacy and Survey Committees. She is a member of the Board of Trustees and a former Chair of the National Judicial College, where she chairs the Nominations and Governance Committee, and a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee.
Ms. Yamate was a founding member of both the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, where she was its third president and first woman president, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (“NAPABA”) where she was the first Central Region Governor, organized NAPABA’s first regional conference, and is currently a member of its Leadership Advisory Council. She chairs the Harvard Law School Asian American Alumni Group and helped found both the Asian American Institute in Chicago (now the Chicago affiliate of Asian Americans Advancing Justice) and the National Women’s Political Caucus of Greater Chicago. She is a steadfast member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee where she annually chairs the Chicago Bar Association’s Holiday Drive to Support Local Animal Shelters. She has been honored to be the recipient of numerous awards, most recently the 2020 Women’s Leadership Award from NAPABA and the National Bar Association’s 2021 Global Advocates Award.
Ms. Yamate earned her JD from Harvard Law School and her AB in Political Science (cum laude) and History (magna cum laude) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.