Susan T. Bart

Aurelija Fitzpatrick is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Aurelija, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Aurelija is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A skilled negotiator and litigator, partner Michael F. Koenigsberger focuses his practice on family law- related matters. Recognized as one of Chicago’s leading lawyers in family law, he has represented hundreds of clients in complex custody and financial issues, prenuptial agreements, paternity cases and domestic relations. Particularly adept at dealing with high-asset, complex cases, Michael takes pride in working with clients through all phases of the issues they face, from litigatin...

Jim Murphy has 20+ years of experience practicing intellectual property law, including successfully representing clients as lead counsel in jury trials across the country and proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Jim helps clients secure and maximize the value of their intellectual property. He also counsels clients on all related issues such as licensing, unfair competition, trade secrets, and copyright. Jim also represents clients with intellectual property aspects of mer...

Emer Simic is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group and focuses her practice on patent litigation and counseling in the pharmaceutical and biotech space. Emer has substantial experience successfully representing pharmaceutical and biotech companies in Hatch-Waxman and patent infringement disputes before the U.S. District Court and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). A strategic advisor and compelling advocate, Emer partners with her clients to achieve their goals ...

Julie Sirlin Pleshivoy advises high‑net‑worth families, family offices, and entrepreneurs on the full spectrum of wealth transfer and tax planning. Combining sophisticated tax knowledge with a background in investment management, she develops estate plans that safeguard family assets and support smooth transitions across generations. Leveraging her experience and an LL.M. in Federal Income Taxation, Julie brings a distinctive financial perspective to structuring business ventures, succession ...

Nick is of counsel in the firm’s Securities Litigation & Regulatory practice group. A trial lawyer with 40 years of experience, he defends financial services firms and their employees in securities matters all over the country. Nick’s practice encompasses the full range of investor-based disputes and regulatory enforcement proceedings, as well as disputes arising out of employment practices in the financial services industry. He also handles internal investigations and investi...

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...

Kerry R. Peck is the managing partner of the Chicago law firm Peck Ritchey, LLC. He is the past President of the 22,000 lawyer Chicago Bar Association. His clients include families, hospitals, banks, the State of Illinois, County of Cook, and City of Chicago. For over ten consecutive years, he has been selected by his peers in statewide surveys of Illinois attorneys as a “Super Lawyer”, an attorney to whom other attorneys would refer their family, and he was named a member of the ...

Tara R. Devine joined Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., in March 2004 and became the firm’s first female partner in 2011. In 2018, Ms. Devine was promoted to Managing Partner of the firm’s Waukegan office. She concentrates her practice in the areas of personal injury , nursing home negligence , wrongful death , medical malpractice and product liability cases . Ms. Devine has helped achieve numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of her clients in perso...

Charles W. Mulaney, Jr. focuses on mergers and acquisitions (friendly and hostile), corporate governance and corporate financings. He counsels clients on a broad range of securities and corporate matters, including disclosure issues, the duties of directors and shareholder activism. Mr. Mulaney represents special committees of directors in transactions and internal investigations. He also advises major investment banks on acquisition and financing matters and has represented issuers and under...