Legal Services & Lawyers

Sean's practice focuses on business transactional law, business litigation, civil litigation, and real estate law. Sean has experience litigating business and civil disputes as both plaintiff's and defendant's counsel, helping buyers and sellers complete real estate transactions, as well as experience drafting contracts ranging from small business contracts to plow a parking lot to large corporation contracts dealing with operating and maintaining real estate.

Sean earned his Juris Doctor (JD) and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Marquette University. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Economics from Northern Arizona University. Before joining Halling & Cayo, Sean ran his own practice, Tosa Law Office.

Sean has not only the legal training and experience needed to provide complete service, he also has the education and training to understand the real world needs and challenges that organizations large and small face today.

Licensed attorney in Illinois since 1984 with an active civil litigation practice relating to complex injuries, premises liability, insurance coverage, construction claims, scaffold, crane and work platform matters, commercial litigation, intellectual property and other legal concerns.

Past Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association's Civil Practice and Procedure Section Council. Past Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association's Standing Committee on Professional Conduct. Recipient of Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation's Distinguished Service Award. Frequent lecturer and author.

Mr. Passen is a personal injury attorney at Chicago-based Passen Law Group. Mr. Passen concentrates in all areas of personal injury, including truck accidents, brain and spinal cord injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death.

Prior to joining Passen Law Group, Mr. Passen was an attorney in the litigation department of Jenner & Block LLP.

Mr. Passen received his B.A. magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, in Economics from the University of Michigan in 2002.

Mr. Passen obtained his law degree, summa cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law in 2006, where he graduated Order of the Coif. During law school, Mr. Passen was as a member of the DePaul Law Review.

During the 2003-04 academic year, Mr. Passen clerked for the Honorable Ronald A. Guzman, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He also spent the following semester clerking at the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.

Mr. Passen is a member of the Illinois Bar. He is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Association for Justice. In addition, Mr. Passen volunteers to work with elementary teachers and students in Chicago-area public schools as part of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago's "Lawyers in the Classroom" program.

Effective November 1, 2008, I opened my own law office in Brookfield, Wisconsin (in Waukesha County, a suburb of the City of Milwaukee). In addition to being more centrally situated to my personal client base, this move also reflects the fact that as my practice was increasingly focused on asset planning and debt reorganization, it resulted in my former law firm more frequently encountering conflicts of interest with business organizations and financial organizations it represented (or, desired to represent!).

Generally, I will continue to provide services in the following areas of concern as they tend to interact, and at the listed rates:

A. Personal/business debt reorganization/resolution. My services here are based on assisting clients either eliminating debt concerns that hamper their business, or in exiting the business under circumstances where protection of the owner's personal assets are maximized, to the extant legally possible. This involves the use of such tools as Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcies; Chapter 128 state law liquidations: and personal asset protection plans. To that end, I am representing only a few area banking concerns [AnchorBank; NorStates Bank) to eliminate conflicts of interest which, far too often, may be influencing the vigor of representation offered by other firms in this locale. Fees in this practice area will range from $250 to $265 per hour.

B. Employment matters and litigation. For businesses, I offer services in responding to employee claims, and assisting in employment decisions where a claim potential exists. I also will counsel higher-compensated employees about exploring their options in conflict with their employer. To this area, I bring my experience as a former claims investigator for the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division and years of representing each side in - typically - contested employment disputes, where trials or administrative hearings are likely to occur. My litigation (courtroom work) matters will focus on misrepresentation, fraud and/or administrative code violations, such as deceptive business practices. Fees here will range from $225-$245, again driven by the complexity and breadth of the issues.

C. General business consulting, planning and setup matters, including subsidiary and affiliate implementation, as a means to protect the core business in the event a planned expansion or venture either fails, or is more successful than anticipated. Generally, these services will be at an hourly fee range of $200-225, based on the size and complexity of the client's project.

A note about the fee ranges: Generally, these ranges are markedly less than charged by similar practitioners with similar experience in the subject fields. Nor do I expect to increase them any time soon. The business model of a "downtown firm," with annual fee increases noted as
standard in their engagement letter is not one I care to follow. I have a long relationship with most all of my present client base; they expect effective service and I intend to keep my overhead under control to eliminate fee spiraling for such services.

It goes without saying that a business seeks customers that pay timely for fair services; but the larger you grow in the service fields, the harder it is to hold true to that goal . . . and other clients tend to suffer for the consequences of that growth. I am proud that my practice has been virtually client referral-based. After initial discussion on a matter, I quote a fee rate from the above ranges and confirm it by letter. I also charge as "expenses" only out-of-pocket fees (for legal filings, court reporter fees) and, occasionally, photocopying; scanning; mailing, if a large volume is handled on my end (versus being copied and issued at your own facilities).

Personally, I obtained the coveted A-V rating from Martindale-Hubbell (generally recognized as the foremost and longest-established lawyer evaluation service) back in 1991 (one of the first to achieve such at my former firm).

Prior to engaging in private practice, I served as a law clerk (legal researcher) to the Wisconsin Supreme Court after graduating cum laude from Marquette Law School, where I was one of the editors of its Law Review. During law school, I was employed as a field investigator for the Equal Rights Division (through a law school clinical program) of the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (investigating discrimination claims).

I have also been president of the Alumni Association for the Law School, and served two terms as its representative on the Marquette University National Alumni Association's Board of Directors. Early on, I was awarded the Volunteer Lawyer of the Year for the Milwaukee Young Lawyers' Association/Legal Action of Wisconsin joint program for supplying legal services to the community for complex employment matters; and still provide services on bankruptcy matters for its current program.

Richard Schmack was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Berwyn, Illinois. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1977 with double majors in Political Science and History. In 1980 he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Richard was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the Federal Trial Bar. Richard has made DeKalb County his home since1985. He, his wife, Jackie, who is his office manager, and their sons reside in Sycamore.

Prior to opening his private practice in 1989, Richard served as an Assistant DeKalb County State's Attorney, handling misdemeanor and traffic prosecution, as well as child support enforcement. In his capacity as the civil assistant, Richard represented DeKalb County in lawsuits in Federal and State courts, served as legal advisor to all departments of County government, and represented the County's Zoning Board of Appeals, gaining valuable knowledge of the County's zoning ordinances and regulations.

In private practice Richard is a general practitioner well versed in the areas of Adoptions, Bankruptcy, Criminal Misdemeanors and Felonies, Traffic, DUI, Guardianships, Juvenile Law, Real Estate, Wills & Estates, and Zoning.

We Are A Debt Relief Agency. We Help People File Bankruptcy Under The United States Bankruptcy Code.

Office located at 10200 Broadway, Crown Point, Indiana. Telephone (219) 663-7400. Adam Decker has practiced law in Crown Point since 1994.

Susan is a ball of fire attorney who will listen to you. She has plenty of life experience and is easy to talk to. Susan has her own practice, has flexible hours and takes on a variety of cases.
Her extensive experience in manufacturing management is a valuable asset to her corporate clients.
She's licensed in both Indiana and Illinois.

Give Sue a call for a free consultation - 219-663-2588

Jigar K. Patel is an Illinois licensed Attorney with an office in Westchester, Illinois, and practicing in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Mr. Patel's firm, The JKP Law Group, Ltd. is a full service firm. Practice areas include Real Estate Transactions, Bankruptcy, Business Counseling, Construction Law, Family Law, Immigration, Estate Planning, Personal Injury, and Litigation.