Jay A. Erens

With over 30 years of experience, Bruce I. Ettelson, P.C. is widely recognized as a leading private investment funds lawyer who has been on the forefront of the industry's evolution since its early years. He is the founder of the Firm's dedicated Investment Funds Group, which was ranked in 2021 by Chambers & Partners as Tier 1 in the U.S., Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom and globally. His practice focuses on structuring and forming premier private equity funds and their management companies....

Tim Schafer, II is an experienced trial lawyer, handling cases involving personal injury or wrongful death caused by truck accidents, car accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, product liability, train accidents and airplane crashes. During his career Tim has obtained two of the largest jury verdicts in the State of Indiana, $30,750,000 for brain damage and wrongful death caused in a premises liability case and $32,500,000.00 for brain damage caused to a young mother who was invo...

Mark Filip, a former federal judge and high-ranking Justice Department official, helps to lead Kirkland’s government enforcement defense and internal investigations group, and serves as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. As a partner in the Firm’s Chicago and Washington, D.C. offices, Mark has successfully guided numerous Fortune 100 companies and financial institutions through complex mission-critical moments, counseling leaders and Boards of Directors on high-stak...

Steven Grimes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Steven, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Steven is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Laura Balson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Laura, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Laura is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

William T. Gibbs is a partner at the Chicago personal injury and medical malpractice law firm of Corboy & Demetrio and concentrates his practice on cases arising from railroad negligence, automobile collisions, participation in sports, unsafe pharmaceuticals or medical devices, construction negligence, medical negligence, premises liability, product liability and aviation litigation. For more than a decade at Corboy & Demetrio, Bill has obtained numerous record-setting and multi-milli...

Ashley Fischer is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP. She is Partner-in-Charge of the Health Industry Advisory Practice Group in Chicago. She also co-chairs the firm’s Health Antitrust Affinity Group. Ashley represents healthcare providers on a wide range of corporate and regulatory matters, focusing on affiliations, collaborations, joint ventures, managed care contracting networks such as clinically-integrated networks (CINs) and accountable care organizations ...

Beata Leja is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Immigration Law. Beata, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Beata is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

You often hear about small-town values from big-city attorneys in commercials, but Jim McPhedran, who grew up on a farm outside Oglesby, took his small-town values to Chicago and brought back his law degree to help the people of the Illinois Valley. He remains as committed to his community today as he was as a new lawyer over three decades ago. "I learned a long time ago that you treat all clients the same," said Jim McPhedran. "Each deserves the same level of respect, consideration, and hard...

Described by clients as a "phenomenal practitioner and extremely bright," Michael Hartz advises on business succession planning, tax-efficient wealth transfer into trusts for future generations and strategies for fulfilling philanthropic goals. Michael is ranked among the leading lawyers for private wealth law in Chambers High Net Worth, where his practical, effective solutions to complex problems have led to consistent recognition. With 40 years of experience in trust and estate planning and...