Nicole O'Toole Peterson

Mina Amir-Mokri practices broadly in the area of employee benefits and executive compensation. A clear, concise communicator, Mina is appreciated for her creativity, productive and balanced approach to negotiation, and practical, streamlined solutions to the often complex challenges her clients face. Mina’s clients include executives, public and private companies, tax-exempt organizations and bankruptcy constituencies. She negotiates, designs and drafts compensation arrangements, stock ...

Martin G. Durkin is a trial lawyer whose practice includes antitrust and commercial litigation. He has successfully litigated business and transactional disputes, and tried many complex commercial matters. Mr. Durkin's practice is focused on commercial matters, including breach of contract, business torts, RICO, securities fraud and consumer fraud. Mr. Durkin has also represented a number of Fortune 500 companies in the defense of class actions and mass actions. Representative Matters Class A...

Patricia Brown Holmes is a highly respected and accomplished lawyer who focuses her practice on high-stakes, “bet-the-company” commercial disputes and litigation; class actions; investigations and white collar criminal defense; environmental, social, and governance issues (ESG) such as diversity audits; and risk, reputation, and crisis management counseling for her wide range of public and private corporate clients. She is the first Black woman to lead and have her name on the doo...

Ziemowit T. Smulkowski is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. Ziemowit T., 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 Ziemowit T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Philip A. Bareck has been with Katz Friedman since 1991, became a partner in 2003, and a shareholder in 2007. Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law teaching Workers' Compensation Law, has been selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer (5% of the attorneys in Illinois), included in Best Lawyers in Workers’ Compensation Law, awarded inclusion in Top Trial Lawyers (American Trial Lawyers Association top 100 Trial Lawyers for Illinois), Top Attorneys in Illinoi...

With more than two decades of experience, Paul Quinn represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in leveraged acquisitions and dispositions, corporate governance, and restructurings. Paul also represents management teams in employment and compensation arrangements, distressed-focused private equity funds in acquisitions in bankruptcy court and out-of-court processes; and private equity and venture capital funds in minority growth equity investments. Ranked by Chambers USA , ...

Janet Garetto is a partner in the IP group. Her practice spans the firm’s Trademarks & Copyrights, Patents and IP Litigation practice groups. Janet counsels clients on IP issues facing their brands. In addition, she counsels clients on patent protection and litigation prevention issues with a focus on chemical and mechanical technologies. Janet also serves as the Managing Partner of Nixon Peabody’s Chicago office. What do you focus on? I focus my practice on three main areas, ...

Andrew White advises real estate investors, funds, sponsors, and operating companies on private equity capital raising, finance, investment, and development of commercial real estate. He also counsels on the formation of joint ventures to own, operate, develop, and finance a full range of property classes, including office, industrial, multifamily, hotel, and retail properties. Additionally, Andrew represents purchasers and landlords in sales, leasebacks, and the financing of single-tenanted,...

David Polster is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law. David, 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 David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mr. del Hierro is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group of Kirkland & Ellis and heads our bank regulatory practice. He has more than 30 years of experience in representing banks and bank holding companies, thrifts and thrift holding companies, payments and fintech companies, investment banks and institutional lenders in connection with regulatory issues relating to capital formation transactions, mergers and acquisitions and complex financings. He has significant experience representi...