Appeals

Administrative Review

Bond Issues

Business Litigation

Civil Litigation. Illinois Circuit Courts, each of the five Illinois Appellate Courts, the United State District Courts for the central and southern district of Illinois and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

• Representation of nearly 3,000 parents and taxpayers of two school districts in Madison County, Illinois, in a school district dissolution/annexation that had been contested since the late 1980s. We successfully defended our clients in two separate suits, advised them on a successful (nearly 90%) approval referendum, obtained a favorable verdict in the trial court (which plaintiffs declined to appeal) in one case, and obtaining a unanimous affirming opinion in the Illinois Appellate Court for which leave to appeal was denied by the Illinois Supreme Court.
• Successfully defended a nationwide Chicago-based insurance brokerage company in an environmental coverage claim.
• Successfully prosecuted an election fraud case in southern Illinois, removing a county official from a disputed office.
• Enforced judgment for patent infringement against an Illinois-based agricultural chemicals company for European-based (Denmark) client.
• Represented 1300 Illinois municipalities in a class action brought against the treasurer of the State of Illinois, successfully overturning a 40-year interpretation of the statute governing the investment of public funds and recovering nearly $12 million for taxpayers.
• Successfully litigated in Lake County, Illinois, and to the Illinois Supreme Court, the constitutionality of Illinois prevailing wage laws, representing a major Lake Michigan contractor.
• Appeared and actively represented clients in the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th Circuit U.S. Courts of Appeals, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois; circuit courts in approximately 60 counties in Illinois; each of the five Appellate Court Districts in Illinois, and before the Illinois Supreme Court.

Commercial Litigation

Corporate. Previous General Counsel to group of 48 companies in the establishment of a pooled, self-insured property and liability fund with annual revenues of $30 million. General Counsel to group of 26 municipal and private gas utility companies in establishing property and liability self-insurance with annual revenues of $300,000.

Energy/Utilities. Counsel to numerous ethanol and bio diesel plants in planning, design, and preconstruction phases. Provide financial structuring and business legal services. Advised and assisted a large southern Illinois municipal-owned utility company in a corporate restructuring and refinancing.

Internal Revenue Service. Obtained numerous private letter rulings for municipal and private corporations.

Mergers and Acquisitions. Illinois counsel to a St. Louis-based telephone utility company in acquisitions of small operating companies and merger of three major operating companies serving telecommunications subscribers throughout the State of Illinois. Representation of electric utility companies serving northwest Illinois acquired by major Iowa electric utility company.

Municipal Bonds. General obligation and revenue bonds, tax increment financing, leases, and other.

Municipal Law

Probate

Professional Regulation

Real Estate. Represented numerous clients in acquisition of thousands of parcels of real estate throughout the State of Illinois.

Regulatory Agencies. Represented telephone, water, gas, and electric utilities in regulatory and rate cases, debt approvals, and regulatory tariffs before the Illinois Commerce Commission. Limited representation of Illinois-based utility companies in matters before the Interstate Commerce Commission. Representation of various insurance companies in regulatory matters before the Illinois Department of Insurance. Counsel to community bank, including general corporate, loan documentation and regulatory reporting.

He likewise represented clients in regulatory matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Treasury Department, the United States Tax Court of Appeals, the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Illinois Securities Department, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the Illinois Office of Real Estate and Banks, and numerous others.