Michael G. Ruff

Brent has devoted more than 30 years to advising banks, thrifts, insurance companies and agencies, securities broker dealers, and investment advisory clients on complex regulatory matters, formation and capitalization, business combinations, examination, and enforcement issues. Brent is a strong advocate for his clients, dedicated to achieving reasonable and practical solutions. Brent’s experience is focused on the financial services industry. He began his career as an examiner with the...

Rob Drobnak has significant experience in the structuring, negotiating and documentation of credit facilities for acquisitions, working capital and other general corporate purposes. Rob’s strong acumen around the entire life-cycles of finance transactions, including the negotiation, structuring and documentation of deals from inception to close, during growth and workout phases and in sale, foreclosure and other exit scenarios, helps clients to successfully navigate unexpected obstacles...

Stephanie advises on complex tax issues, investment structures, acquisitions and sales of special assets, trust and probate administration and charitable giving. She serves as a fiduciary consultant on litigation matters for corporate fiduciaries and interfamily disputes. Stephanie also represents taxpayers on contested tax matters, including federal and state audits and administrative appeals. Stephanie’s clients include high net worth individuals, family offices and corporate fiduciar...

Jeffrey H. Lipe is a founding partner of Lipe Lyons Murphy Nahrstadt & Pontikis LTD in Chicago, Illinois. He leads the firm’s general liability practice and is a member of the professional liability, commercial litigation, product liability, construction, transportation, and labor and employment practice groups. His practice includes product liability, construction litigation, commercial litigation, employment counseling and litigation, premises liability, transportation liability m...

Elise J. McGee advises high-net-worth individuals and business owners on all aspects of wealth-transfer planning, including estate and trust administration, leveraged wealth-transfer techniques, tax matters, cryptocurrency and QSBS planning, real estate transactions and closely held business matters. Elise has extensive experience working with owners of closely held businesses to develop governance and succession plans, and on corporate, tax and compliance matters relating to those businesses...

Eric S. Rein is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Commercial Litigation. Eric S., 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 Eric S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew Olins is chair of Gould & Ratner’s Business Reorganization and Creditors’ Rights Practice and is a member of the Corporate Practice. Matt practices in the areas of business reorganization, commercial finance, creditors’ rights, restructuring and insolvency. Matt represents lenders, special servicers and various types of other creditors in loan workouts, business bankruptcy cases, commercial finance transactions, commercial foreclosures and litigation. He also rep...

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...

Sarah Raisch is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Sarah, 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 Sarah is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Neil T. Kawashima has a diverse practice, representing wealthy individuals and families on matters related to estate and gift planning, business succession and governance, and estate and trust administration. Neil’s clients include owners of privately-held businesses, beneficiaries of long-term trusts, fiduciaries and entrepreneurs. Neil has advised his clients regarding traditional and novel uses of trusts, wealth transfer strategies, business control mechanisms such as voting trusts a...