Legal Services & Lawyers

Thomas Hansen was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up on the South Side of Chicago and Park Ridge, Illinois. Thomas lives in Park Ridge, with his wife and three children.

Thomas received a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University, a Certified Public Accountant Certificate from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in Taxation from DePaul University, a Juris Doctor with Distinction from John Marshal Law School.

Thomas is a member of the Illinois Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, the Northwest Suburban Bar Association, American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Before starting his practice in 1996, Thomas previously was employed by the Internal Revenue Service for over twenty-three years: five years as an Internal Revenue Agent, five years as an International Examiner, and over thirteen years as an Appeals Officer.

Since 1996, Thomas has limited his practice to resolution of tax controversies, estate planning, asset protection and Medicaid Planning.

-Successfully completed over 2,200 estate plans ranging in size to $210 million.
-Assisted in redirecting more than $150 million away from estate taxes and to charities and heirs.
-Eliminated estate taxes in more than 450 estate plans which were otherwise taxable.
-Conducted more than 50 briefings, seminars and workshops on estate and tax elimination planning.
-Co-author of "Combining Life Insurance and Annuity Policies to Create a Financial Engine for a Nongrantor CLAT," Journal of Practical Estate Planning, CCH Incorporated, August-September, 2004.
-Author of "Tax Elimination Planning", "The Ten Most Common Mistakes in Estate Planning", "How a Charitable Trust Can Save You Taxes", and "The New Tax Law- An Update" for a national charity's newsletter.
-Graduate of the Family Wealth Counseling two-year training school on Tax Elimination Planning, and of the Renaissance School of Social Capital concentrating on Charitable planning tools.
-Has for 13 years successfully represented an Illinois based university in assisting donors to make planned gifts, including Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, bargain sale gifts and other planned gifts.
-Has for 13 years successfully represented a national charity, has conducted a national workshop program resulting in Charitable Remainder Trusts, Revocable Living Trusts, Charitable Lead Trusts, Gift Annuities and outright cash gifts.
-Founder and Director of The Good News Foundation, which is an ECFA approved charity devoted to educating Americans about their estate planning options.
-Has for ten years successfully represented a senior assisted living facility in its planned giving programs.
-Completed the Heckerling Institute and the Notre Dame Estate Planning Institute on Estate Planning.

Erik's goal is to help individuals and small businesses with their legal problems. He concentrates his practice in litigation, with emphasis on business-to-business disputes, collections and contract disputes, and real estate disputes.

In the four years since Erik was first admitted to practice, he has taken an active role in hundreds of cases and become a daily fixture in the halls of Chicago's Daley Center (home to the largest unified court system in the United States), as well as State and Federal Courts in the Greater Chicagoland area. As Plaintiffs' counsel, he has had a significent role in winning millions of dollars for his clients; as Defendants' counsel, he has successfuly saved his clients millions of dollars by defeating Plaintiff's lawsuits at summary judgment and on Motions on the pleadings. Erik has taken and defended hundreds of depositions, handled pre-trial and arbitration conferences, and particiated in trials.

He is admitted to practice in before the Illinois Supreme Court, and all the Federal Courts of Illinois (North, Central, and South) and Wisconsin (East and West), as well as the Northern District of Indiana.

CHRIS S. HAAFF owns and operates his own law firm in Crystal Lake, McHenry County, Illinois. He is an experienced litigator and negotiator in all aspects of family law, including divorce, paternity, adoption, custody and visitation, child and spousal support, surrogacy, and qualified domestic relations orders. Chris is a frequent writer and speaker statewide on family law topics, and is involved with both the Illinois State Bar Association and the University of Illinois College of Law. Chris has been recognized as an ISBA “Young Lawyer of the Year” for outside Cook County and selected in the McHenry County Business Journal list of “Top Ten Business Professionals Under Age 40.”

Experienced Family Law and Criminal Defense Attorney
You want a strong, capable advocate for your interests in divorce or custody proceedings, but not a lawyer who is indifferent to your anxieties and concerns. My Wheaton, Illinois, law practice is dedicated to compassionate legal counsel while actively pursuing your goals.

Contact me at (630) 221-0100 for a free 30-Minute consultation.

The Law Office of Emily J. Kelly represents men and women throughout DuPage and Kane Counties. I offer knowledgeable representation in all aspects of Illinois family law including, divorce and property division, custody and visitation, child support, alimony, paternity, and modifications to support or custody arrangements.

I am also a proven criminal defense lawyer who you can turn to for effective representation if you have been charged with a crime. I work to protect my clients from the worst consequences of misdemeanor charges, juvenile crimes, and traffic offenses.

Strong Sensible Direction
I consider it my duty to listen to your situation and provide you with information about all of your options so you can make informed decisions. If litigation is necessary or prudent, I will aggressively pursue your best interests in court.

My unique and practical insights into the legal system as a former prosecutor, along with my dedication to individualized service as a sole practitioner, enable me to provide the strong and caring advocacy you deserve. I have practiced since 1989 and remain an ardent student of the law. In fact, I have testified before the Illinois Legislature and authored recently enacted child support legislation.

I Want to Help You — Call My Wheaton Office at (630) 221-0100
For compassionate and capable representation in family law or criminal defense, contact the Law Office of Emily J. Kelly for a free 30-minute initial consultation. My office is conveniently located near the DuPage County Courthouse in Wheaton. For your convenience, I accept Visa and MasterCard.

Laura Childs has practiced law for 14 years. She is our senior Workers' Compensation attorney, focusing her practice on Workers' Compensation claims and appeals as well as plaintiffs' Personal Injury cases.

Ms. Childs aggressively negotiates with insurance companies and litigates Workers' Compensation and Personal Injury claims to help clients recover financial compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering resulting from accidents. A signification portion of her practice is devoted to helping clients with work-related injuries when benefits are denied or disputes arise about the nature and extent of injuries.

Stewart C. Orzoff is the founder and senior member of the Orzoff Law Offices. He has been a licensed practicing attorney in the State of Illinois for the past 43 years. He represents both injured workers who have claims under the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act and individuals who have personal injury claims.

Mr. Orzoff is an experienced litigator and counselor. His expertise, particularly in the field of workers' compensation, is widely recognized by his peers as over 50% of his cases are referred to him by other attorneys who are not familiar with the intricacies of successfully representing a client in a workers' compensation claim. Among his attorney peers he is considered to be a lawyer's lawyer. Over the years he has trained many young men and women who worked for him as law clerks and have gone on to become successful lawyers and judges.

Throughout his legal career Mr. Orzoff has successfully represented injured workers from the entire spectrum of the work force. He has represented office workers, laborers, factory workers, tradesmen, airline employees, truck drivers, package & delivery drivers, public transportation employees, government employees, management personnel and many other types of employees from all aspects of industry in the State of Illinois. He has vast trial experience at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and in the Circuit Courts of Cook County and the surrounding counties as well as the Illinois Appellate Court. He is well known for his ability to successfully settle difficult cases due to his organizational skills and extremely high level of case preparation.

Mr. Orzoff takes pride in the personal service that he offers to all clients. At the initial meeting, he offers the client a complete explanation of their legal rights and he proposes a case plan which is designed to eventually bring the case to a successful conclusion.

Mr. Orzoff was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1943 and has lived in the Chicagoland area all of his life. He graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the DePaul University College of Law in February of 1966. In May of 1966 the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois licensed him to practice as an Attorney and Counselor of Law before all of the courts in the state. At that time he was also licensed to practice before the United States District Courts for both the Northern and Southern Districts of the State of Illinois.

He began his legal career as a trial attorney for a large national insurance company and, at that time, he also began to plant the seeds for what is now the well-recognized Orzoff Law Offices. The impressive growth of his firm can be attributed to a network of referrals from satisfied clients and other attorneys.

He is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Illinois Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. In 1999 he was admitted to practice as an Attorney and Counselor of Law before the Supreme Court of the United States of America.


Areas of Practice:

75% Workers' Compensation
25% Personal Injury
Litigation Percentage:
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Certification/Specialties:
Mandatory Arbitration Program - Certified Arbitrator, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois


Bar Admissions:
Illinois, 1966
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1966
U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 1966
U.S. Supreme Court, 1999
Education:
DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1966
J.D.


Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois
B.A.
Major: Pre-Law


Representative Cases:
James Chrisos v. Hockersmith Transportation Services Co., 326 Ill.App.3d 1141 (Appellate Court of Illinois 2001)
Frank Leschkies, as Administrator of the Estate of Siegfried Leschkies, Deceased, v. Playboy Club of Lake Geneva, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, 465 F.Supp.80 (United States District Court, N.D. Illinois, Eastern Division 1979)
Professional Associations and Memberships:
Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation - University of Chicago Hospital, 2002 - Present
Board of Directors


Illinois State Bar Association



Illinois Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association



American Trial Lawyers Association



Languages:
Spanish
Fraternities/Sororities:
Nu Beta Epsilon

Brad Cahow has been practicing law in Kane, Dekalb, McHenry, DuPage, Cook, Will and nearby counties since 1981. Brad provides legal services in the following areas:

REAL ESTATE LAW

Brad has represented several thousand real estate clients in residential sales and purchases. He prepares contracts and provides title insurance services. His experience also includes loan modifications, short sales, and landlord tenant disputes

FAMILY LAW

Brad had years of experience in both uncontested and contested divorces, custody disputes, visitation rights, child support issues and adoptions.

ESTATE LAW

Brad prepares Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, Powers of Attorney for Heatlh Care and Property, Living Wills. His practice also includes Probate.

PERSONAL INJURY AND WORKERS COMPENSATION

If you suffer a personal injury or are hurt at work, Brad will assist you in recovering damages from the party responsible for your injury.

TRAFFIC AND CRIMINAL LAW

Brad provides representation in traffic, misdemeanor, driving under the influence, and non-violent felony cases.

CIVIL LITIGATION

Brad repsesents small claims litigants, debt collection defendants, landlords, tenants, and contract litigants.

INITIAL CONSULTATION IS FREE

Business, tax and estate planning practice in Oak Brook, Illinois

Practice consists of residential and commercial real estate, wills and trusts.

Steven H. Jesser served 14 years as the first Associate General Counsel of Northwestern Memorial Hospital/HealthCare, renowned tertiary care medical center and largest hospital in Illinois.
He was a litigation-commercial real estate development attorney of an international law firm, and was a Chicago felony trial prosecutor.
In private practice since 1995, he has represented many U.S. and international physicians, dentists, other healthcare providers, corporations, and individuals in:
Contract transactional, regulatory, licensing-disciplinary, litigation-trial, and appellate matters.
Admitted to practice in 8 states/32 federal courts, he has been a frequent author-lecturer on health, corporate, and criminal law.


Areas of practice

Health Law Contract Transactions and Litigation
Business and Commercial Transactions, Litigation, and Appeals

Representation of Individuals in General Practice

State and Federal Court Litigation, Appeals, and Mediation

Healthlaw and Health Insurance Law

State and Federal Criminal Defense

Mediation

Bad Faith Insurance

Business & Commercial Law

Business Organizations

Contracts

Insurance Defense

Insurance Law

Litigation & Appeals

Mergers & Acquisitions

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability, January 1, 1996 - Present

Our firm takes a team approach to resolving family law matters. By assigning a partner, an associate, and a paralegal to every client, we ensure that there is always someone in the office to answer our clients' questions and resolve legal matters. In addition, if necessary, we employ service counselors, business evaluators, forensic accountants, financial planners, psychiatrists, and psychologists to ensure our clients receive the best possible legal advice and representation possible.

We are strongly committed to building relationships with our clients. We understand that family law matters do not end when a divorce is final. Child custody and child support issues often continue until the children are in college and spousal support matters can continue for a lifetime. Our services go beyond the initial divorce proceeding. We ensure that our clients have the resources to manage divorce settlements, with an eye toward the secure enjoyment of their life.

I am a native Chicagoan, and moved to DuPage County in 1972.

I attended DePaul Law School full-time in the evening, while working for one of the major trust companies in the Chicago Loop. I therefore received extensive training and experience in Estate Planning, Probate and Tax matters, and have practiced in those areas for over 30 years.

My first employment after law school was with a Chicago law firm that specialized in Real Estate and Real Estate Development matters. I worked for them for several years, adding extensive experience in both residential and commercial real estate transactions and commercial real estate development to my legal expertise.

As a private practitioner in DuPage County, I continued practicing in these fields, and added representation of clients in divorce and other domestic and family related matters. I have now represented hundreds of clients relative to dissolution of their marriages. Several judges have also appointed me as Guardian ad-litem or attorney for children in troubled situations or in complex divorce cases.

I feel that my expertise in each of these areas compliment the other. For example, complex divorces often involve real estate or business holdings, with the accompanying valuation and ownership issues. Sometimes, a trust for the benefit of children is appropriate. In doing estate planning, there is often the need to plan appropriately for the second marriage situation. Real estate clients also often need to appropriately plan their estates, and to take title to their home in a manner that is consistent with their ultimate estate desires.

I was admitted to practice in the courts of Illinois in 1971 and the U.S. Federal Court in 1971, and admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court in 1992. I am a member of both the Illinois and DuPage County Bar Associations.

I have been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Glen Ellyn for some years, and am presently the President of the club. As such, I recently accepted, on behalf of our club, the Family Shelter Services Civic Partner of the year award. We work closely with Family Shelter Services and other organizations to provide benefits to children in need.

My primary hobby is the study of history, particularly of the American Civil War period. I am the past president of two Civil War Round Tables (Chicago and Salt Creek, which meets in Glen Ellyn, Illinois), and a member of three Round Tables (Chicago, Salt Creek and Milwaukee). I have also given presentations, on a number of topics, to round tables throughout the midwest.