RSHC in the news

Since day one, Brian Watson has enjoyed walking the tightrope as a thoughtful litigator and negotiator and tenacious trial lawyer for clients. Enjoy reading about Brian’s secrets to a successful outcome, advice on rules of engagement, lessons learned, and inherited family “fix-it gene” in the Emerging Lawyer profile.

RSHC’s Nick Kahlon and Matt Kennison discuss whether the effects of COVID-19 may trigger force majeure provisions or otherwise excuse performance and the principles (is the event identified, unforeseeable and outside of the party’s control or fault) that will help inform the determination.

RSHC is proud to announce Cheryl D. S. Walker is the new Chair of the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) for the First Congressional District. Cheryl was appointed by Missouri Governor Mike Parson and confirmed by the Missouri Senate and will serve a two-year term.

Recently RSHC represented four amici curiae (“friends of the court”) clients supporting the request of Cook County Public Defender Amy Campanelli to immediately address COVID-19 risks associated with persons incarcerated in the Cook County Jail.

The ABA Journal spoke with RSHC’s Ron Safer and other former federal prosecutors about the increase in schemes and scams being attempted during the current crisis.

On April 8 RSHC’s Bruce Wagman will present a free webcast designed for judges, “The Roles Judges Play in Ensuring that Animal-Related Essential Services Remain in Effect During ‘Stay at Home’ Orders.”

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes discusses what makes law firms essential businesses during the pandemic with the ABA Journal.

RSHC's Nick Kahlon and Valerie Brummel discuss information about price controls and protections against price-gouging in Illinois in the wake of COVID-19. See the attached for more information.

RSHC Founding Partner Ron Safer, a former federal prosecutor, was featured in a recent Chicago Sun Times article about the First Step Act.

We realize this is a difficult time for us all. Businesses, communities, and families are all coping with the unknowns surrounding the COVID-19 virus. Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP is continually assessing this unprecedented situation and remaining flexible in the face of uncertainty. Rest assured our priorities are continuing to provide exceptional client service, while ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of our personnel and their families as well as that of our clients and friends.

Patricia Brown Holmes will be part of an esteemed female managing partners panel at the March 6 CBA Women’s Summit, “Learning Your Leadership Language,” at the Chicago Athletic Club. Justice Joy V. Cunningham will moderate the conversation as co-panelists share their unique paths to achieving leadership positions in the law and provide advice on how to carve out an authentic leadership strategy.

RSHC's Bruce Wagman is lead counsel for The Humane Society of the United States in a new action challenging the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's increase in slaughterhouse speeds. The suit asserts that not only is the increased speed inhumane, it makes working conditions even more dangerous for workers, and compromises the safety of the food that Americans put on their table.

RSHC proudly announces that eleven RSHC attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2020 Illinois Super Lawyers list. Patricia Brown Holmes has been ranked a Top 50 Women attorney for more than a decade. Both Ron Safer and Patricia Brown Holmes have been recognized as Top 100 attorneys in Illinois. Associates, Mike Fleck and Ariel Schepers Wilson, are Illinois Rising Stars. Congratulations to all of them for attaining this high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

RSHC is proud to announce that Partner Leslie D. Davis has been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) Review Board, which investigates and prosecutes allegations of lawyer wrongdoing in Illinois. Leslie’s appointment began January 10, 2020 and expires December 31, 2021.

From a young age RSHC Partner Simone Randolph knew she “wanted to use the law to avoid conflicts, to bring people together for a common goal.” Hard work, organization, proactive communication, and anticipation of client needs enables her to run multiple complex real estate and financing deals across the country on the day to day. Grateful to and inspired by her mentors, she also possesses a true passion for the development of junior colleagues and diversity in the legal profession.