Paul A. Svoboda

Mark E. Schmidtke represents clients in ERISA and Non-ERISA employee benefits matters in state and federal courts throughout the United States for nearly 30 years. He has been lead or co-lead counsel in ERISA litigation matters pending in the courts of 49 states. He has argued appeals in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits, as well as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the Minnesota Suprem...

Michael Jacobson represents issuers, lenders and investors in a wide variety of commercial finance matters. He regularly assists them with senior, first-lien, second-lien, unitranche and mezzanine financings and structures. Michael frequently handles cash flow and asset-based transactions, leveraged buyouts and buildups, recapitalizations, restructurings and workouts. He has extensive experience negotiating the complex intercreditor arrangements these deals can require. He also routinely repr...

Steve Napolitano is a corporate partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Steve represents private equity funds, family offices and public and private corporations in connection with leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, going private transactions, growth equity financings, senior and mezzanine debt financings, joint ventures, recapitalizations and restructurings. He also has substantial experience representing private equity sponsors, corporations and senior managemen...

David Koropp is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. David, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2023. 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.

Kristen Laughridge Gale is a partner in the environmental law firm of Nijman•Franzetti LLP, in Chicago. She has broad experience in litigation and enforcement-related issues, including private cost recovery, the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA, underground storage tanks, CERCLA, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. Ms. Gale has successfully represented clients in regulatory disputes and negotiations with both state and federal agencies, including defending enforcement acti...

Josh is a first-chair trial lawyer and counselor. Many of the world’s highest profile companies trust him to resolve disputes in ways that align with their business goals. Clients also seek Josh out before disputes arise, helping them to calibrate business strategies to reduce the risk of litigation or maximize leverage from potential claims. Many of Josh’s clients are in the retail, manufacturing, and real estate development industries. He has championed their rights in a host of...

Scott Seaman Scott is a commercial litigator and trial and appellate lawyer with more than 37 years of experience. Scott is widely regarded as one of the leading attorneys in the United States representing insurers and reinsurers in property and casualty matters. He is known for employing his deep knowledge of the law and insurance and financial industries, strategic thinking, and honed trial and appellate advocacy to produce creative solutions and outstanding results for clients on a cost-ef...

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

Brian C. Bianco is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property. Brian C., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brian C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David A. Herpe is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, based in the Firm’s Chicago office. As a member of the Private Client Group, he counsels families, business owners, executives and individuals on all aspects of sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning and related matters, including the preparation, administration and construction of wills and trusts, fiduciary income taxation, federal estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes, charitable gift planning, f...