Courtney Podkowa

A recognized leader in public finance law, Janet Goelz Hoffman helps nonprofit organizations find a productive balance between their missions and their margins. With decades of experience, she regularly handles financings for nonprofit organizations including hospital systems, cultural and educational institutions, and continuing care retirement communities. Janet also advises nonprofit organizations on board governance and conflict of interest issues. Janet helps nonprofit clients address fi...

Maureen O'Brien is a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Maureen's practice includes a broad range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, and she has extensive experience with the M&A aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including strategic and private equity transactions. Maureen advises clients on the design and implementation of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, welfare plans, Section 409A matters and equity and in...

Jody Kahn Mason is a principal in the Chicago, Illinois, office of Jackson Lewis P.C., and is a co-leader of both the firm’s Biometric Privacy Litigation Group and the Privacy Litigation team. Jody has significant litigation and trial experience, and is a member of the Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Jody has counseled countless companies regarding compliance with biometric privacy laws, including the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act...

Bill Kramer is an intellectual property attorney, focusing his practice on patent prosecution, patent threat analysis/response and intellectual property transfers. He has broad knowledge of many technical subjects, with particular experience in algorithm-based computer software, video distribution systems, cloud computing, artificial intelligence software, modern currency forms and transfers, and blockchain technologies. Bill leverages his technical aptitude and successful experience to help ...

Susan Daley is a partner with Perkins Coie and has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of executive compensation, securities and employee benefits. She is currently President of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, Chair of the Federal Securities Law Subcommittee of the Employee Benefits Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, and a member of the BNA Pension & Benefits Advisory Board. She is a former Chair of the Ill...

Kristian Werling is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law. Kristian, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kristian is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ms. Zink is a litigation partner at Lipe Lyons Murphy Nahrstadt & Pontikis LTD in Chicago, Illinois. Her practice focuses on insurance defense litigation, including personal injury, premises liability, construction liability, employer liability, and product liability matters. She regularly represents insurers and insureds in complex civil litigation and is known for thorough research, clear legal writing, and strategic motion practice. Ms. Zink has successfully obtained more than 23 summa...

Trial lawyer Jerry Santangelo has extensive experience representing major financial institutions, securities broker-dealers, RIAs, financial advisors, and individual investors in federal and state courts and arbitration proceedings. He has won many multimillion-dollar cases in courts across the nation and personally has tried nearly 100 securities industry arbitrations to final judgment. Few lawyers have Jerry’s level of experience in handling securities industry arbitrations for invest...

Kenneth T. Lumb joined Corboy & Demetrio as a Chicago personal injury and medical malpractice lawyer in 1995 after a tour of duty in the United States Army. Ken was named Partner in 2015 and Managing Partner in 2019. As a captain in the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps), Mr. Lumb served four years as the Medical Claims Judge Advocate at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. His duties at the Defense Department's largest medical facility included medical malpr...

David Zwaska is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. David, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.