Tag Archives: Appellate Law

Hugh Griffin is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Faith Pincus
05 Jul

Our latest featured speaker is Hugh Griffin from Hall Prangle and Schoonveld!

Hugh will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18 & 20, 2023. This will be his first time speaking with us. We are looking forward to it, Hugh!

Hugh is co-chair of HPS’ Appellate Practice Group at Hall Prangle and Schoonveld. He is among the country’s most experienced and distinguished appellate attorneys. He has also served nine years on the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee and was appointed by the Supreme Court as the Committee’s Vice Chairman from 2003-2006. 

Over the course of his career, Hugh has handled more than 500 appeals in the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court, arguing nearly 50 times before the Illinois Supreme Court. He also has handled appeals in more than two dozen other state courts, as well as in federal Courts of Appeals across the country. Based on his decades of experience in handling all kinds of civil appeals, Hugh is able to bring fresh analysis, seasoned insight and often an innovative approach to appeal issues. 

Hugh has been selected as an “Illinois Leading Lawyer,” an Illinois “Super Lawyer,” a “Best Lawyer” in appellate practice and was named as the “2011 Chicago Best Lawyers Appellate Lawyer of the Year.” He also has been honored repeatedly as one of the top “100 Super Lawyers in Illinois.”

Thank you for joining the program, Hugh!

Christopher Bellows is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Faith Pincus
28 Jun

Our latest featured speaker is Christopher Bellows from Holland & Knight!

Christopher will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Florida Civil Cases Webinar on August 1 & 3, 2023. He most recently spoke at in 2022 at our Advanced Appellate Practice Seminar for Florida and attendees loved him!  We’re glad to have you with us again, Chris.

Christopher is a Partner at Holland & Knight. He is an appellate attorney who has handled complex civil appeals in the Supreme Court of Florida, all Florida District Courts of Appeal and the federal appellate courts.

Christopher has significant experience in complex commercial litigation, including areas of contract law, Uniform Commercial Code, business torts, foreclosures, receiverships, replevins, construction disputes, landlord-tenant litigation, product liability, personal injury, first amendment, employment discrimination, housing discrimination, environmental law, professional malpractice, antitrust, securities fraud and shareholder disputes.

Thank you for joining us once again, Christopher!

Hon. Gerald Cope, Jr. (Ret.) is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Faith Pincus
26 Jun

Our latest featured speaker is Hon. Gerald Cope, Jr. (Ret.) from Akerman!

Judge Cope will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Florida Civil Cases Webinar on August 1 & 3, 2023. He has taught this class several times before to rave reviews! Judge Cope always provides a detailed outline and walks attorneys carefully through the topic.

It’s so good to have you back with us, Judge Cope!

As the former Chief Judge of Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal and member of the court for 22 years, Gerald Cope is the chair of Akerman’s Appellate Practice. He represents clients in appellate litigation at the state and federal levels. He was recognized by the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar for his contributions toward the 2013 enactment of the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act in Florida. As a member of the Court of Appeal, he participated in approximately 60 appeals involving arbitrability of disputes, interpretation of arbitration clauses, proceedings to enforce or vacate awards, and comparable proceedings involving appraisal clauses in insurance contracts.

Judge Cope is a founding member of Akerman Bench, an innovative practice including former appellate and trial court judges providing the perspective of both sides of the bench. He conducts practice oral arguments for attorneys appearing in state and federal appellate courts, serves as a consultant on appeals, and provides support to trial counsel.

Additionally, Judge Cope has served as an adjunct professor teaching federal and Florida arbitration at the University of Miami School of Law. He is a member of the Executive Council of the Florida Bar’s International Law Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. Judge Cope also serves as a special master.

Thank you for joining us, Judge Cope!

Catherine Basque Weiler is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Faith Pincus
21 Jun

Our latest featured speaker is Catherine Basque Weiler from Swanson, Martin & Bell!

Catherine will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18 & 20, 2023. This will be her first time speaking with us. We are looking forward to it, Catherine!

Catherine is a Partner and the chair of Swanson, Martin & Bell’s Appellate Practice Group. Her practice area focuses on trial practice and appeals. She has briefed more than 200 cases involving a wide range of litigation topics in various state and federal courts of appeal, including the Seventh Circuit, all Illinois Appellate Districts, the Colorado Appellate Court and the North Carolina Appellate Court.

In addition to her appellate practice, Catherine actively represents clients in the state and federal trial courts through all phases of litigation, from case inception through trial, primarily defending legal malpractice, commercial, product and premises liability claims. Catherine’s wide-ranging appellate practice and knowledge of procedure gives her a unique perspective on case strategy.

Prior to joining the Swanson, Martin & Bell, Catherine acted as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General in the Civil Appeals Division, representing state agencies and representatives, and the People of Illinois, before all Illinois Appellate Courts and the Seventh Circuit.

Thank you for joining the program, Catherine!

Gretchen Harris Sperry is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Faith Pincus
14 Jun

Our latest featured speaker is Gretchen Harris Sperry from Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani!

Gretchen will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18th & 20th (2023). This will be her first time speaking with us and was recommended as a speaker by multiple appellate attorneys.

Welcome, Gretchen!

Gretchen is a partner and Co-Chair of the Appellate Group in Gordon & Rees’ Chicago office. She frequently represents government agencies and elected officials in constitutional litigation as a court-appointed Special Assistant State’s Attorney. 

Additionally, Gretchen represents private sector clients before various governmental, legislative, and regulatory agencies, counseling them on pending legislation and regulatory compliance matters. Gretchen is experienced in white collar criminal matters, having represented entities in federal criminal prosecutions and investigations, as well as conducting internal investigations in anticipation of government involvement. 

Gretchen is an active member of the legal community. She was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at two Chicago law schools teaching Appellate Advocacy. She also serves as the Secretary of the ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers and is a Past President of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association.

Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Gretchen was a partner at a national law firm where she served as chair of the firm’s nationally recognized Appellate Practice Group.  She was also a Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Mary Jane Theis and the Honorable Maureen E. Connors in the Illinois Appellate Court.

Thank you for joining the program, Gretchen! We look forward to it.

Efrat Cogan is our latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by

Efrat Cogan is our latest Featured Speaker!

Effie first spoke for us at our first Appellate Law Specialist Exam Prep Course in 2013 and again in 2015.  Effie is highly experienced in appellate law and provides valuable insight for our attendees.

Recently Effie spoke at our Advanced Appellate Program in Los Angeles.  Coming up, Effie will be speaking at our Appellate Law Specialist Exam Prep program coming up in Los Angeles.

Efrat Cogan
Buchalter Nemer

Ms. Cogan is a California State Bar Certified Appellate Specialist.

Efrat M. Cogan is Senior Counsel in the firm’s Litigation and Appellate Practice Groups in Los Angeles. Ms. Cogan is certified as an Appellate Specialist by the California State Bar of Legal Specialization. Her practice areas encompass appellate, real estate and construction, copyright and unfair competition, class actions, professional liability, governmental and constitutional law.

Ms. Cogan has written “Executive Nonacquiescence: Problems of Statutory Interpretation and Separation of Powers,” 60 Southern California Law Review 1143, 1987. She has contributed to the California Municipal Law Handbook, published by the California League of Cities, and has co-authored “The ‘Empire’ Strikes Back: Effective Use of the False Claims Act” (2005).

Ms. Cogan has been selected as one of Southern California’s Super Lawyers nine times (2004-2006 and 2008-2013) and was also selected as a Southern California Super Lawyer, Corporate Counsel Edition from 2009 to 2010. She currently serves on the California State Bar’s Advisory Commission.

Ms. Cogan earned her J.D. at the University of Southern California, where she was a staff member and articles editor for the Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.