Our latest featured speaker is Mona Naser of Carlson Dash!

Mona is speaking at our upcoming 14th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program on December 10 & 12, 2024. This program covers a wide range of topics, including effective complaint and answer strategies, deposition and discovery techniques, navigating case management conferences, honing motion writing skills and heading up to trial. Led by experienced Circuit Court Judges and accomplished attorneys like Mona from a variety of backgrounds, including both large and small firms, this program offers an exclusive insider’s perspective on litigating in Illinois Circuit Court, along with invaluable general litigation skills. Attendees have consistently raved about the program each year.

Mona will be co-teaching “The Early Parts of Your Case: Themes, Complaints, Answers, and More” on December 10th. You can see the detailed agenda for her topic and the rest of the program, and sign up to watch it live or purchase OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package download here.

Mona has worked with corporate and individual clients to advise, counsel, and assist them in areas of commercial litigation, commercial real estate, general corporate work, and residential real estate.

On the litigation side of her practice, Mona represents individuals and entities as well as major creditors in a multitude of litigation matters in the areas of complex commercial cases and employment law.

In her capacity as a legal business counselor, Mona has advised individual and corporate owners of multi-unit dwellings, commercial strip malls, gas stations, mixed-use property, and small businesses in matters of dispositions, acquisitions, leasing, employee policies, and financing.

She works with clients to initially determine the appropriate business formation for their respective business needs and continues the relationship by helping business clients with corporate formalities, shareholder disputes, and dissolution. She drafts Shareholder Agreements, Bylaws, Operating Agreements, Resolutions, Employment Contracts, and other documents necessary for corporate governance.

Mona’s practice goes beyond working with businesses. She also represents buyers and sellers in all matters of dispositions and acquisitions.

We are so excited to have you join us Mona!

Our latest featured speaker is Gary B. Bell of Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC!

Gary is speaking at our upcoming Writs of Administrative Mandamus 101: The Nuts and Bolts program on January 28th and 30th, 2025. He is co-teaching “Briefing and Brief Writing” (Gary is speaking on January 30th). You can sign up to attend live, order OnDemand Streaming, or get the recorded package here.

This program will guide you through the Writs of Administrative Mandamus process, from knowing when it is appropriate, to making your record, to filing and opposing a petition for writ of administrative mandamus. Faculty will also teach you how to draft a writ, and about other forms of judicial review mechanisms of California state and local agency actions. The faculty will provide strategies and practical tips throughout the program and we’ll have a breakout session at the end for attorneys who focus in one practice area to ask questions of the speakers, including Gary.

Gary recently spoke at our previous program Administrative Law Hearings: A Beginner’s Guide, earlier this year. He was very popular with our attendees when he taught “Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies” and co-presented during a mock hearing demonstration. You can still purchase the recorded package or OnDemand Streaming here.

Gary is a Shareholder of the firm and resident in the firm’s Sacramento office. He currently serves as City Attorney for the City of Novato, Town Attorney for the Town of Yountville, City Attorney for the City of Auburn, and Assistant City Attorney for the City of Weed, as well as General Counsel for the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of Napa County, the Upper Valley Waste Management Agency, the Garden Valley Fire Protection District, the Pine Grove Community Services District, the River Pines Public Utility District, and the First 5 Yuba Commission.

His practice covers all aspects of municipal law and public law, including elections, land use, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), public works contracting, contracts, franchise agreements and franchise fees, joint powers agreements and agencies, solid waste and recycling, cannabis regulation and enforcement, municipal finance law, labor and employment law, constitutional law, code enforcement, conflicts of interest, open meetings and records laws, post-redevelopment issues, and matters involving Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCOs).

Gary’s current projects for clients include a comprehensive update to a municipal code and policies and procedures manual; negotiating and drafting solid waste franchise agreements; and advice regarding a major development at a municipal airport and several benefit assessments.

Before joining CH&W, Gary served as City Attorney for the City of Firebaugh and advised municipal clients throughout California on a wide range of issues, including counties, cities, school districts, and special districts.

Gary graduated with highest honors from UC Santa Cruz in 2008 with a B.A. in psychology. He received his J.D. in 2012 from the UC Davis School of Law, where he was staff editor of the UC Davis Business Law Journal and a research assistant in constitutional law. While at Davis, Gary worked as a law clerk in the Governor’s Office of Legal Affairs and as a legal extern at the Placer County Superior Court.

Before law school, Gary served as a Senate Fellow for the California State Senate in Sacramento, where he staffed the Senate Local Government Committee and worked on legislation of interest to California’s local governments.

We are so glad to have you back Gary!

Our latest featured speaker is Heidi L. Wickstrom of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.!

Heidi is speaking at our upcoming 14th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program on December 10 & 12, 2024. The comprehensive program covers a wide range of topics, including effective complaint and answer strategies, deposition and discovery techniques, navigating case management conferences, honing motion writing skills and heading up to trial. Led by experienced Circuit Court Judges, and accomplished attorneys from a variety of backgrounds, including both large and small firms, this program offers an insider’s perspective on litigating in Illinois Circuit Court, along with invaluable general litigation skills.

Attendees have found this program helpful year after year.

Heidi will be teaching “Pre-Trial Matters” on December 12th. You can see the detailed agenda and the rest of the program, and sign up to watch it live or purchase OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package download here.

Heidi most recently spoke at our Mastering the Deposition 101: The Nuts and Bolts (IL) program this past July. Heidi was very popular with our attendees, who found her advice very helpful. You can purchase a recorded package or OnDemand Streaming of that program here.

Heidi Wickstrom is a partner at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to joining the firm, Heidi spent her legal career as a trial attorney at the Pillersdorf Law Firm in New York, New York. Heidi concentrates her practice in representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice, birth trauma, catastrophic motor vehicle, and products liability cases. Heidi was a member of a trial team that obtained a million dollar verdict in a birth trauma case against St. Francis Hospital as well as a February 2024 verdict in a birth trauma case against the University of Chicago Medical Center for million, which is the second-highest medical malpractice verdict in Illinois history.

Heidi is an active member of the American Association for Justice, serving on the Board of Governors, the Illinois Trial Lawyer’s Association, serving on the Board of Managers, as well as the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and New York Academy of Trial Lawyers. Heidi is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Syracuse University College of Law.

It is always a pleasure to have you back Heidi!

Our latest featured speaker is Dan Lawton of Klinedinst PC!

Dan is speaking at our upcoming 10th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice Program (CA) program on January 21st and 23rd, 2025. This program is taught by a host of seasoned appellate attorneys. The majority among them hold the distinction of being Certified Legal Specialists in Appellate Law, and many have previously served as staff attorneys for various appellate justices. Designed for those well-versed in appellate practice, this seminar delves into intermediate to advanced level topics in appellate law and practice, and assumes attendees already have a foundational understanding of the subject matter.

Dan is co-teaching “How to Advise your Trial Attorney about Post-Trial Motions and the Appeal” on January 23rd. You can see the detailed agenda and the rest of the program, and sign up to watch it live or purchase OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package download here.

Dan will also be teaching at our upcoming Trial Essentials: What Every New Litigator Needs to Know program on February 11th and 13th, 2025. This program is designed for those attorneys who would like to learn the skills they need to be successful at trial.  While it is geared for newer attorneys, those seeking a refresher can benefit from new ideas and advice from the bench. Your faculty includes judges and seasoned trial attorneys from both sides of the aisle. After the basics are covered, your faculty will then spend the bulk of the program giving you advice about all aspects of your trial. They will discuss how to do an effective witness examination and how to nail your cross-exam – of the lay or expert witness.  Your faculty will advise you on how to approach lay and expert witnesses differently and how to impeach on the cross. Throughout the program the judges will be giving you their advice from the bench – what they see that works and what they see that fails and common mistakes you should avoid. You can purchase a recorded package, OnDemand Streaming, or to attend live here.

Dan has previously taught at our 9th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice Program earlier this year, and you can purchase a recorded package or OnDemand streaming here. The last time Dan spoke, the reviews from our attendees were terrific, so you do not want to miss him teaching again in 2025.

Throughout his career in private practice, Dan Lawton has focused on civil trial work and complex commercial and intellectual property litigation on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. He also has a deep background in civil appeals, and is certified as a legal specialist in Appellate Law by the State Bar’s California Board of Legal Specialization. The certification is a distinction held by only 36 lawyers in San Diego County. His first job out of law school was a clerkship with Ninth Circuit Judge Thomas Tang.

Dan regularly counsels both corporate and individual clients in a variety of settings, often in negotiations and sometimes in transactions. His corporate clients have included companies whose stock is publicly-traded and companies whose stock is closely-held. They have included life sciences companies, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and distributors of various products, landowners and property developers, large corporations, a local major league baseball franchise, automobile dealerships, and “mom-and-pop” businesses. His individual clients have included officers, directors, and shareholders (both majority and minority) of corporations, bankers, elected officials, politicians, professional athletes and coaches, attorneys, accountants, land owners, entrepreneurs, and entertainers.

Dan has tried multiple jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations, and litigated many cases to disposition short of trial (by way of motions to dismiss and for summary judgment). Dan has obtained settlements and judgments in his clients’ favor totaling tens of millions of dollars, and obtained what is believed to be the third-largest jury verdict in the legal history of Imperial County (for ,286,461, after a nine-week jury trial). Over the span of more than 30 years, his caseload has included cases involving patent infringement, copyright infringement, trade secret theft, unfair competition, defamation, and business torts (such as trade libel and intentional interference with contractual relations). Dan has handled civil appeals and writs in both the California and federal courts. Dan has successfully litigated cases against some of the largest law firms and government agencies in the State of California.

In January 2009, Dan learned of his nomination for inclusion in 2009 San Diego Super Lawyers based on anonymous peer evaluation. He was so honored again in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 in the primary practice area of intellectual property litigation. Nominations for SuperLawyer designation are peer-driven, and fewer than 5% of lawyers in California earn the distinction. In 1997, two years after opening his own practice, Dan earned an “AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Dan has been a team leader in the J. Clifford Wallace Chapter of the American Inns of Court since 2015. In that role, he has been responsible for putting on mandatory continuing legal education programs for the Inn, a group whose membership consists of lawyers and Judges and is by invitation only. In September 2015, Dan won an award for Best Program via anonymous peer vote for a short documentary he produced entitled “Avoiding Deathbed Regrets and Having Work/Life Balance.” The documentary combined excerpts of interviews with 25 local lawyers and Judges with data concerning work/life balance for attorneys and jurists.

Active within the legal and business community. Dan has participated in numerous charitable and pro bono programs. Dan has earned multiple Wiley W. Manuel awards for community service from the State Bar of California for pro bono work on behalf of indigent refugees fleeing persecution and seeking asylum in the United States. The San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program awarded Dan its Distinguished Service Award in three separate years for his pro bono work on behalf of refugees.

We are thrilled to have you back Dan!

Our latest featured speaker is Kim R. Walberg of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP!

Kim is speaking at our upcoming 14th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program on December 10 & 12, 2024. The comprehensive program covers a wide range of topics, including effective complaint and answer strategies, deposition and discovery techniques, navigating case management conferences, honing motion writing skills and heading up to trial. Led by experienced Circuit Court Judges, and accomplished attorneys from a variety of backgrounds, including both large and small firms, this program offers an insider’s perspective on litigating in Illinois Circuit Court, along with invaluable general litigation skills.

Kim Walberg will be teaching “Other Motions” on December 10th. You can see the detailed agenda and the rest of the program, and sign up to watch it live or purchase OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package download here.

Kim has previously taught at our Illinois Annual Circuit Court Boot Camps and attendees appreciated Kim’s presentation and advice very much.

Kim concentrates her practice in commercial litigation, including breach of contract, business torts, shareholder disputes, class action defense, construction litigation, zoning litigation, commercial lease disputes, enforcement of restrictive covenants, trust litigation and Section 1983 civil rights litigation. She is the chair of Taft’s Chicago Litigation group and previously served on the firm’s Executive Committee.

Kim has defended the City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department in multiple class actions alleging due process violations based on the purported deprivation of money and other personal property. She has achieved successful resolutions of these cases at the district court level, involving issues which have been appealed and affirmed by the United States Supreme Court.

Kim has also represented the Chicago Park District against opponents of the relocation of the Chicago Children’s Museum from Navy Pier to Grant Park. She successfully defended the Park District’s position at both the circuit court and appellate court levels, taking on legal precedent from the 1800’s concerning Chicago’s Lakefront.

Kim is a pioneer in Illinois video gaming litigation, setting the industry precedent in the area of the enforceability of pre-licensure contracts between video terminal operators and establishments. She also represents Chicago’s premier financial institutions in various litigation matters relating to bank practices and owned real estate.

Kim graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and was a member of Alpha Sigma Nu National Jesuit Honor Society, the Public Interest Law Society and the Women’s Law Society during law school.

Kim received the 2018 International Advisory Experts Award: Commercial Litigation Lawyer of the Year in Illinois. She was named to the Corporate America Legal Elite for 2015 by Corporate America News magazine with the Award for Innovation in Shareholder Dispute Resolution and Best for Business Torts – Illinois. Kim was also named a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers in the category of Business Litigation in 2013 and 2014. She was named the 2011-2012 Professional Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women.

We are always so glad to have you back Kim!

Our latest featured speaker is the Honorable Patricia O’Brien Sheahan, a Circuit Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, IL!

Illinois Circuit Court Judge Patricia O’Brien Sheahan is speaking at our upcoming 14th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program on December 10 & 12, 2024. The comprehensive program covers a wide range of topics, including effective complaint and answer strategies, deposition and discovery techniques, navigating case management conferences, honing motion writing skills and heading up to trial. Led by experienced Circuit Court Judges, and accomplished attorneys from a variety of backgrounds, including both large and small firms, this program offers an insider’s perspective on litigating in Illinois Circuit Court, along with invaluable general litigation skills.

Attendees have found this program helpful year after year. Judge Sheahan has previously taught at our Annual Circuit Court Boot Camps in 2020 and 2021, and our attendees really appreciated her insight and advice.

Judge Sheahan will be teaching on December 10th. You can see the detailed agenda and the rest of the program, and sign up to watch it live or purchase OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package download here.

Judge Sheahan is a Cook County Circuit Court judge, currently assigned to Law Division, Motions Section, Calendar D, in Courtroom 2207 of the Daley Center. She oversees a call of approximately 1,300 Law Division cases, which include medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, products liability, defamation/libel, premises liability and other general torts.  She previously covered civil non-jury and jury trial courtrooms and a civil jury motion call, as well as the post-judgment and miscellaneous remedies call in the First Municipal District. Judge Sheahan serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Judges Association and serves as a Topic Editor of the Illinois Judicial Benchbook on Civil Law and Procedure.

Prior to her election in 2014, Judge Sheahan served as Associate General Counsel of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), now known as the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab.  In this capacity, she oversaw all litigation and claims, including case investigations, pre-trial discovery and settlement negotiations. Additionally, she handled and defended all employment/labor matters and claims before the EEOC, the NLRB and the IDHR, including fact conferences, mediations and evidentiary hearings. She also represented RIC in a wide variety of other complex disputes ranging from contractual, insurance coverage and probate matters.

Before joining RIC, Judge Sheahan worked as an attorney at Baker McKenzie in its litigation practice group.  She gained extensive federal and state court experience in a wide range of complex civil litigation matters, including medical malpractice, employment, products liability, and class action suits. She also represented clients at the appellate level, including the Illinois Supreme Court and multiple appellate districts throughout the State of Illinois.

We are thrilled to have you back Judge Sheahan!

Our latest featured speaker is Shannon M. Kilpatrick of Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore!

Shannon is speaking at our upcoming 9th Annual Advanced Appellate Practice program on November 19th and 20th, 2024. She will be co-teaching “Preservation and Other Circumstances that Affect the Scope of Review” (Shannon is speaking on the 19th). You can sign up to attend live, order OnDemand Streaming, or get the recorded package here.

As a faculty member, Shannon is joined by former Washington Supreme Court Justice Philip Talmadge (in private practice), 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Hon. Kim McLane Wardlaw, Appellate Judges Hon. Linda Coburn, Hon. Leonard Felman, Hon. Lori Smith, appellate Commissioners Hailey Landrus, and top-notch practitioners who have spoken at our programs on many occasions and received excellent reviews every time!

Shannon practices at Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore in Seattle. She handles civil appeals and consults on appeals (both within and without the firm), and also does legal research and writing projects for the firm. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Washington and has 12+ years experience at all levels of the state court system. She served as a former judicial law clerk to Justice Debra Stephens of the Washington Supreme Court.

Shannon handles appeals for most civil procedural and substantive issues, including in areas involving government liability, premises liability, contract disputes, insurance bad faith, workers compensation, evidentiary issues, medical malpractice, consumer protection issues, and others. Since 2018, she has also served as an Arbitrator for the superior courts of King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties.

A native of the Seattle area, Shannon grew up in Bellevue, WA and earned her BA in History from Whitman College in Walla Walla. She graduated cum laude from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she externed for the Honorable John L. Coffey at the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Shannon has significant experience volunteering with legal organizations. She serves on the Board of Governors for the Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ). She was recently appointed to the Washington State Supreme Court Gender & Justice Commission. She served as chair of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Court Rules & Procedures Committee from 2015-2018 and a member of that Committee from 2011-2015. From 2017-18 she served on the WSBA Civil Litigation Rules Drafting Task Force. From 2011-2012, she served on the WSBA Admission to Practice Rules Task Force.

We are so excited to learn from you Shannon!

Our latest featured speaker is Bruce Givner of KFB Rice LLP! 

Bruce is speaking at our upcoming Understanding the Corporate Transparency Act and Helping your Clients Comply program on November 14, 2024. The Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”) went into effect on January 1, 2024. It requires “reporting companies” in the United States to disclose information regarding its beneficial owners, i.e., the individuals who own or control a company, to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). Join attorneys specializing in the CTA for a comprehensive discussion covering the act’s implications, impacted entities, filing the Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOIR), key deadlines, penalties, and related congressional, judicial, and state matters. Attend this program to navigate these critical issues and safeguard your clients’ interests.

Bruce will be co-teaching “History of CTA, Entities Impacted & Exempt Entities” with Vince Farhat and Eileen Duffy Robinett, and “Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOIR): Contents, Timing, Gathering Information & Access” with Vince Farhat. You can see the detailed agenda for his topics and the rest of the program, and sign up to watch it live or purchase OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package download here.

Bruce will also be teaching at our Trust and Estate Planning 101: The Nuts and Bolts (CA) [Two-Part Webinar] program in March 2025. If you are just getting going with your estate planning practice, or need a refresher on various aspects of estate planning, this comprehensive estate planning program is for you. This seminar is focused on giving you a thorough overview of the critical areas of estate planning and the tasks and law you need to know to be a successful estate planning attorney.

Bruce has previously taught at our programs focused on Advanced Estate Planning, Tax Planning, and Protecting Your Client’s Assets, and our attendees raved about how much they learned from Mr. Givner.

Mr. Givner has been practicing tax law for almost five decades concentrating on income tax planning, estate tax planning, sophisticated retirement plans, asset protection planning, charitable planning, capital gain planning, tax litigation, and the representation of high net worth and high income families, as well as individuals and their closely held corporations.

He is the author of close to 150 articles in professional journals. He is also the author, co-author or editor of 18 chapters in various CEB treatises.

Bruce represented the prevailing taxpayers in L&B Pipe & Supply Co., Inc. v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 1994-187 and has been cited favorably by both the U.S. Tax Court (Judge Nims in Fujinon Optical, 76 T.C. 499 (footnote 10) and the California Court of Appeals (Judge Lui in FTB v. Safeco, 164 CA 3rd 526.  He has been AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell for 3 decades and is a SuperLawyer.

We are always so glad to have you back, Bruce!  Thank you for joining us again.

Our latest featured speaker is Edward Samuelson of Levin & Perconti!

Ed is speaking at our upcoming 14th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts program on December 10 & 12, 2024. This program covers a wide range of topics, including effective complaint and answer strategies, deposition and discovery techniques, navigating case management conferences, honing motion writing skills and heading up to trial. Led by experienced Circuit Court Judges and accomplished attorneys, like Ed, from a variety of backgrounds, including both large and small firms, this program offers an exclusive insider’s perspective on litigating in Illinois Circuit Court, along with invaluable general litigation skills. Attendees have consistently raved about the program each year.

Ed will be co-teaching “The Early Parts of Your Case: Themes, Complaints, Answers, and More” with Mona Naser on December 10th. You can see the detailed agenda for his topic and the rest of the program, and sign up to watch it live or purchase OnDemand Streaming or a recorded package download here.

Ed Samuelson focuses his practice on all types of personal injury, medical malpractice, and nursing home neglect cases. He joined Levin & Perconti as an associate attorney in 2022.

Prior to joining Levin & Perconti, Samuelson spent nearly 12 years working as a judicial law clerk at the Circuit Court of Cook County for Judges Ronald S. Davis, John P. Kirby, John “Jack” P. Callahan, Jr., and Melissa A. Durkin. His experience included writing orders on motions, prepping judges for hearings, reviewing settlement petitions, and assisting with courtroom proceedings.

Samuelson taught two classes at The John Marshall Law School, now known as the Law School at U.I.C. One class was for judicial externs where he got to know many Northern Illinois state and federal court judges. The other class was called Illinois Civil Motion Practice, which focused on practical aspects of litigating. His students learned the chronology of motions at various stages of litigation, from motions challenging venue and jurisdiction to motions for good faith finding.

Prior to joining the court as a judicial law clerk, Samuelson worked as an associate attorney at another Chicago personal injury law firm.

Samuelson graduated from The John Marshall Law School cum laude in 2008. He earned many honors including the Dean’s Scholarship, Baim Scholarship, and the Herzog Scholarship for Academic Excellence. He also holds Master of Philosophy and Master of Arts degrees in French Studies with Distinction from New York University (1992 and 1988); a Master of Arts in French with Distinction from The University of Illinois at Chicago (1986), and a Bachelor of Arts in Medieval Studies with a minor in Economics from Northwestern University (1979).

We are so glad to you have join us Ed!