Tessa Lancaster

Laurence R. Bronska focuses his practice on representing funded and unfunded private equity groups, management teams and individual investors. He advises clients on the legal aspects of complex business transactions across diverse industries and market segments, including leveraged buyouts, non-control and growth equity investments, divestitures and acquisitions. Please view more on Laurence's biography here: https://www.mwe.com/en/team/b/bronska-laurence-r

Matt Regan is a partner in Kirkland's Chicago office. He has broad experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of commercial litigation matters in both state and federal courts. Matt's cases have involved claims in the areas of antitrust and trade regulation, accountant/auditor malpractice, class actions, products liability, software consulting, fraud and breach of contract, and other complex commercial disputes. The Legal 500 U.S. recognized Matt for his work in Energy Lit...

Howard Schaffner is a senior partner in firm of Hofeld and Schaffner. The Hofeld and Schaffner law firm is been honored to be ranked as a top tier law firm by US News and World Reports and to have received the highest ranking from Martindale Hubble. As a specialist in plaintiff’ s personal injury Mr. Schaffner has achieved multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements in well over 150 cases. A few examples include; $39,000,000.00 verdict in a drug product liability case $16,000,000.00 ve...

Derek G. Barella is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Derek G., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Derek G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dan McGuire concentrates his practice in the insolvency, bankruptcy, and business reorganization fields. He represents debtors, creditors' committees, private equity funds, banks, and other financial institutions and investors in all aspects of insolvency work, including Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court restructurings, debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, structuring transactions involving insolvency issues, cross-border insolvencies, and the acquisition and divestiture of assets of bankrupt o...

Robert B. Ellis P.C. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Robert B., 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 Robert B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

You often hear about small-town values from big-city attorneys in commercials, but Jim McPhedran, who grew up on a farm outside Oglesby, took his small-town values to Chicago and brought back his law degree to help the people of the Illinois Valley. He remains as committed to his community today as he was as a new lawyer over three decades ago. "I learned a long time ago that you treat all clients the same," said Jim McPhedran. "Each deserves the same level of respect, consideration, and hard...

Tom Donovan advises on patent and trademark litigation and prosecution, unfair competition and trade secret litigation, as well as a variety of licensing-related matters. Regardless of the client or the complexity of the matter at hand, Tom provides his clients with the guidance they need, in a way they can understand and apply to their daily business operations. Tom also has significant negotiation and drafting experience with software licensing, as well as patent, trademark and copyright li...

Rich brings 30 years of commercial real estate experience to understanding each client’s objectives and achieving them proactively and efficiently. Clients routinely seek Rich’s market knowledge and depend on him to handle their largest transactions, as well as their day-to-day real estate deals. Rich represents large real estate investors and lenders, as well as technology companies, in projects located across the country. As a co-chair of Barack Ferrazzano’s nationally pro...

As a seasoned litigator with the added benefit of in-house experience, Maile takes pride in her in-depth understanding of her clients and their businesses so she can anticipate their needs, their pain points, and the internal and external pressures they face. With nearly 30 years of experience litigating and counseling clients in all types of commercial litigation, Maile is meticulous, responsive, tough, and strategic. Since joining Barack Ferrazzano, Maile has represented clients in commerci...