- Divorce
- Child Custody and VisitationSearched for, interviewed and selected expert witnesses to opine on matters such as standard of care applicable to accountants, attorneys and environmental consultants, damage calculations including business valuations and lost profits, asbestos product identification, fire causation, origin and propagation, post-traumatic stress disorder, cause of death, real estate appraisals, child custody evaluation
- Premarital Agreement
- Criminal DefenseSelected for the 2013 Leading Lawyer. O’Reilly was one of the very few chosen by his peers as an outstanding attorney in the area of personal injury, Aviation and criminal law.
- Wrongful DeathWrongful death – representing plaintiff estate of a mother and child who perished in an apartment fire; representing plaintiff estate of an individual killed in an automobile accident
- FraudAccountant liability – representing both plaintiffs and defendants in actions alleging theories of negligence, breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act
- MisdemeanorsMr. O’Reilly now represents victims involved in a variety of complex wrongful death and personal injury cases that require seasoned expertise. In addition, he handles a select number of white collar and other criminal defendants charged with felonies and misdemeanors in addition to a variety of commercial litigation cases for his clients. He has handled numerous press cases, often appearing on news programs, as an expert commentator, offering his perspective into his own and other cases that are in the public eye.
- EmbezzlementMichael has prepared appellate briefs in several matters in Illinois appellate courts and one in the Seventh Circuit. In the Seventh Circuit appeal, the appellate court affirmed the grant of summary judgment that Michael obtained at the trial court level in favor of an accountant who had been sued for malpractice when it allegedly failed to detect an employee embezzlement. The Seventh Circuit decision is Midwest Imports, Ltd. v. Les Coval and Joe Pieciak & Co., P.C., 71 F.3d 1311 (7th Cir. 1995).
- Restraining Order
- Money LaunderingTo comply with applicable laws, regulations, guidance or professional obligations that we may be subject to, including anti-money laundering requirements. Where personal information is necessary for the firm to carry out its anti-money laundering checks failure to provide such information may result in the Firm not being able to provide the representation.
- Corporate LawAndrew’s breadth of experience in nonprofit corporate governance enables him to intervene at the eleventh hour to support crisis management strategy, and remedy operational issues that may threaten public perception or even an organization’s tax-exempt status. Over the past decade, he has successfully obtained numerous retroactive reinstatements of tax-exempt status revocations, public charity reclassifications and waivers of IRS penalties for tax filing deficiencies.
- Mergers and AcquisitionsHe’s served as faculty lecturing on the art of M&A to other attorneys and taught the legal portion of an M&A certification course for and to various intermediaries and investment bankers across the country. Bill has been recognized by Super Lawyers on the list of Illinois’ Top Mergers and Acquisitions and Closely Held Business Attorneys. He was also named by Corporate INTL as Business Transition Attorney of the Year in Illinois.
- Business FormationBusiness Formation. Assisting entrepreneurs with the formation of new business enterprises including domestic and international corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, partnerships, joint ventures, and strategic alliances.
- Business DisputesMark takes pride in being a responsive and knowledgeable “go-to” resource and advisor for his clients. He has handled a wide variety of business law matters for numerous clients ranging from forming small startups to buying or selling multi-hundred-million dollar businesses. His practice includes representation of businesses in a range of industries from pharmaceuticals, to automobile dealerships, to technology startups.
- Business TransactionsThe firm’s real estate practice includes both residential and commercial transactions. Whether the firm is representing individual home buyers and sellers or commercial developers, it gives each transaction the personal attention it deserves.
- Limited Liability CompaniesLimited Liability Companies and S Corporations Leadership and Management, Liability, and Dispute Resolution with Supplement and Selected Forms, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (2015 and ’08, ’10, ’12, ’13)
- Trade Secrets
- Intellectual PropertyIntellectual Property. Helping clients protect and manage their basic intellectual property issues including non-disclosure agreements, license agreements, assignments, and other agreements.
- Wrongful TerminationMr. Hart has handled a diverse list of litigation matters on behalf of the firm’s clients including: trade secret and non-compete agreements, ERISA violations, UCC Article 1 and 3, wrongful termination, partnership and minority shareholder disputes, RICO violations, real estate limited partnership contract disputes and a variety of contractual disputes. Mr. Hart ’s extensive litigation experience also provides him with an invaluable perspective on contract negotiation and drafting where he has counseled the firm’s clients in their private placement transactions, leasing transactions and venture capital transactions.
- Employment ContractRepresented the sellers of an optometry and ophthalmology practice in a pre-closing reorganization transaction and their sale of the practice to a private equity partner, along with their simultaneous rollover of equity into the buyer; drafted reorganizational documents, including operating agreements and merger documents; drafted Stock Purchase and Contribution Agreement, Continuity Planning Agreement, Contribution Agreement, Employment Agreement and Administrative Services Agreement.
- Non-compete AgreementEmployment law – representing plaintiffs in actions alleging discrimination and breach of contract for failure to pay commissions; representing a plaintiff in an action alleging breach of a non-compete agreement
- Real Estate LitigationMatthew D. Kugler is an Associate working in the Advanced Planning & Family Office Practice Group at Handler Thayer. Mr. Kugler is licensed to practice law in Illinois. He previously worked as an M&A Tax Associate, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, structuring including F reorganizations, and state tax matters, his experience includes handling tax controversy, private client and real estate matters.
- Construction Litigation
- Real Estate TransactionsThroughout his career, Mr. Thayer has been heavily involved in the formation, financing, and operation of business enterprises in a variety of industries both domestically and internationally. His industry experience includes technology ventures, securities offerings, cryptocurrency matters, real estate transactions, oil and gas offerings, manufacturing businesses, retail establishments, franchised businesses concepts, resort development, brokerage businesses, professional sports team acquisition, and other start-up and emerging businesses. He has also worked with large family offices with respect to their international holdings, including offshore trusts, international companies, and the complex tax issues that go with those structures.
- Land Use and Zoning
- Property DamageProduct liability – representing commercial kitchen appliance manufacturer in personal injury and property damages actions; asbestos manufacturers in personal injury, wrongful death and property damage actions
- Personal InjurySelected for the 2013 Illinois Super Lawyers. O’Reilly was one of the very few chosen by his peers as an outstanding attorney in the area of personal injury.
- Medical MalpracticeFrom law school with honors in the top 10% of her class and earned course honors for the highest grades in Legal Writing & Reasoning, Legal Research, Medical Malpractice, Tax Clinic and Federal Income Tax. While in law school she was a Notewriter and an Associate Editor of the Law Review and chosen as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant for several legal writing classes. Prior to law school, Lacee earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Print Journalism with a minor in Political Science from the nationally-ranked Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. Lacee is a widely published author with over 120 articles to her credit.
- Estate PlanningNina B. Stillman is a veteran business and estate planning attorney, serving as senior counsel in the Advanced Planning & Family Office Practice Group at Handler Thayer. She has a variety of experience which includes standard wills, domestic and international complex estate plans, drafting opinions as an Expert Witness and working with business owners on agreements and resolving employee issues.
- WillsMr. Bostwick was named by Worth Magazine as “One of the Top 100 Attorneys in the United States” serving affluent families and family offices. He has also been recognized by various independent organizations on their lists of top attorneys. Leading Lawyers Network named him one of the Top Attorneys in Illinois, in the area of, Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law. Mr. Bostwick has also been named to the lists of The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts & Estates Law and Super Lawyers Illinois Rising Stars in the areas of Estate Planning & Probate and Tax.
- TrustsMr. Bennett is an Associate in the Advanced Planning & Family Office Practice Group at Handler Thayer. His practice is focused on tax compliance, planning and administration and estate planning, trust and estate administration, and wealth transfer planning. He has worked with a broad range of clients, including high net worth individuals seeking to implement carefully designed tax minimization strategies. He has experience handling complex trust and estate accounting, compliance returns for charitable trusts, and tax returns for trusts, estates, individuals, and partnerships. Mr. Bennett has also represented clients before the probate courts in Cook County and Lake County in connection with on-going estate administration matters.
- ProbateThe firm’s comprehensive financial and estate planning services include drafting, implementation, estate administration, probate services, advanced planning and asset preservation planning.
- Bankruptcy
- Tax LawRigas P. Pappas is an Associate in the Advanced Planning & Family Office Practice Group at Handler Thayer. Mr. Pappas focuses his practice on complex legal and tax planning issues, designing and implementing estate plans for high-net-worth families, as well as handling estate and gift tax matters. He has also worked one-on-one with clients, devising strategies for wealth preservation and asset protection. Additionally, Mr. Pappas works on matters involving business and corporate services.