Joseph H. "Joe" Yastrow

John has more than 40 years of experience advising hundreds of financial institutions and their boards on mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory issues, corporate governance, and securities law matters. John is straight-forward, a good sounding board and strategic thinker, meticulous, and personable. John is the founder and former co-chair of Barack Ferrazzano’s Financial Institutions Group and has advised hundreds of financial institutions on strategic, corporate governance and othe...

Gary D. Blachman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Gary D., 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 Gary D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Margaret H. (“Peggy”) MCCORMICK is a principal of Minsky, McCormick & Hallagan, P.C., and has been practicing exclusively in the field of immigration law for over thirty years. From 1999 until 2003, she served as national President of the American Immigration Law Foundation, and during her tenure, she established the Immigration Policy Center to increase public understanding of immigration. She is past national President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (1997-98). She curre...

Jim Cruger, a partner in Perkins Coie’s national Private Equity practice, concentrates his practice in the areas of mergers, acquisitions, formation of private investment vehicles and joint ventures. Jim has represented numerous private equity funds and public companies in transactions during his 28 year career. Public company representation has included Deutsche Post DHL, Leggett & Platt (NYSE), Voyager Learning Company (NASDAQ) and Strategic Hotel Capital (NYSE). Fund representati...

For more than 30 years, Mark Simon has helped lending institutions, real estate funds and developers on a wide range of real estate financings and investments. He combines deep technical knowledge and industry experience with an understanding of the legal and business needs of real estate funds, banks, insurance companies and private developers. Recognized as a leading lawyer for years by industry publications such as Chambers USA, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers, Mark brings market knowledge and ...

Joseph A. Power Jr. is one of the founding partners at Power Rogers & Smith. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Loyola University, Mr. Power has practiced law for almost 40 years. He has worked on groundbreaking cases throughout his fruitful career in law, and at 28, he became the youngest lawyer in the nation to obtain a million-dollar-plus verdict for his client. He has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America every year since 1987 , was named one of the “Top Persona...

Kristen Hudson represents businesses and business people in complex commercial litigation and product liability cases in state and federal courts in Texas, Illinois and across the country. Most recently, in early 2022, Kristen was part of a trial team that received a defense verdict in a four-week jury trial in Illinois involving significant eight-figure liability for alleged benzene exposure in the printing industry. In 2021, Kristen successfully defeated three separate attempts at a tempora...

Susan L. Novosad, Of Counsel, is a highly respected personal injury and wrongful death attorney in Chicago. With nearly 40 years of legal experience, she is known for her compassionate advocacy and relentless pursuit of justice for victims of medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, and catastrophic personal injury cases . Susan is also recognized for her exceptional negotiation skills, helping clients secure fair settlements while resolving disputes effectively. Susan’s legal career is...

Mr. Liss is experienced in trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition counseling and litigation. He has significant experience in complex inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), and has represented numerous clients in federal courts around the U.S. Mr. Liss represents clients in a wide variety of industries including health care, consumer goods and products, insurance and financial services, industrial and commercial products and online reta...

Clients engaged in complex commercial real estate and corporate finance transactions count on LaVon M. Johns’ experience, insight, and commitment to help them anticipate issues, address challenges, and, ultimately, get to “yes.” A consummate dealmaker who balances business savvy and legal know-how with outstanding communication skills and a deep commitment to building long-term client relationships, LaVon focuses her practice on complex commercial real estate and finance mat...