RSHC in the news

RSHC proudly announces that Partner Merili Seale has been recognized by the National Bar Association as one of the nation’s top 40 lawyers under the age of 40. The award commends those most deserving for their high achievement in the legal field based solely on merit, and their commitment to the practice of law, community service, and social change. Merili and fellow award recipients will be honored at the 10th Anniversary of the Awards ceremony on July 24 during the NBA’s 93rd Annual Convention in New York City.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila is extremely proud of our three partners recognized as top Gen X practitioners in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business. Joseph McCoy, Kelly Warner, and Josh Lee serve in senior leadership roles at the firm as well as actively serve on boards of professional associations and organizations giving back to their profession and community.

RSHC is proud to announce that RSHC Employment Counsel Drahcir Marie Smith has been elected the 2019-2020 Corresponding Secretary for the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (BWLA). Drahcir served as a BWLA Board Member at Large for the 2018-2019 term. Congratulations to all of the new BWLA Officers and Board members!

Raymond D. Rushing, a product liability litigator and former diversity co-chair of a global law firm, joins Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila’s product liability group adding a wealth of experience in the medical device, consumer and industrial product defect, and mass tort claims area.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes was the special guest on the March 15 Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll retrospective podcast hosted by Radio Dave Milberg featuring 30 Feminist Hit Singles Before Their Time between the 1950’s and 1990’s. The history and snippets of thirty (30) hit songs about female empowerment by Aretha Franklin (Respect), Helen Reddy (I am Woman), Gloria Gaynor (I Will Survive), and more were remembered for their strong and positive impact.

Patricia Brown Holmes made history when she was elected RSHC’s first Managing Partner in April 2018. She is the first and currently the only African-American woman to head a national law firm that is not women- or minority-owned. RSHC is a top ranked firm for gender and racial diversity.

Whether a land sale, lease, or financing with a fast-paced lifecycle, Craig Jeffrey brings order to chaos, creates the roadmap, and then executes the plan. Through the lens of his parents, who were small business owners, he saw the important role a lawyer played in helping businesses and communities thrive. Enjoy reading what Craig’s planning and a little serendipity have led to in the January 2019 Leading Lawyers Magazine—Real Estate, Construction & Environmental Edition.

RSHC Partner and mother Leslie D. Davis was inspired by ‘Scared Straight’ to harness resources available to her (judges, lawyers, and colleagues) and put them to work. She put together a day-long mentorship program called ‘No Second Chance’ to give seven young men a front row seat of the justice system and hear from people who could share the reality of incarceration.

RSHC is very pleased to announce that Deborah Bone, Tal Chaiken, Layla Dotson Lumpkin, and Laura Kleinman Malhotra have been elected new partners effective January 1, 2019.

RSHC’s Patricia Brown Holmes leads a group of new Am Law 200 Leaders heading into 2019 per LAW.COM—Patricia Brown Holmes was elected RSHC’s first Managing Partner in April 2018. She is the first and currently the only African-American women to head a national law firm that is not minority- or women-owned.

Congratulations to RSHC Partners, Nick Kahlon, Josh Lee, and Merili Seale, on their recognition by Crain’s Chicago Business as 2018 Chicago’s Notable Minority Lawyers. They are problem solvers who think outside the box, and who advance the causes of justice and equality through their practices and pro bono work.

It’s all about a company’s culture! A first-time entry, RSHC was awarded 5th place out of 65 small companies recognized at the Chicago Tribune 9th Annual Top Workplaces 2018 Awards Celebration held November 1. Top workplaces believe in collaboration, opportunities for growth, and diversity. Congratulations to everyone at RSHC who makes a difference!

According to a soon-to-be released survey of 3,000 lawyers by Joan Williams, University of California at Hastings law professor, there is a double standard for women lawyers expressing anger at work or in the courtroom when it’s justified. About to begin a six-to-eight-week federal trial, RSHC Managing Partner, former judge, and prosecutor, Patricia Brown Holmes shared, “… earn the trust of the judge and jury and show them that their stereotypes are wrong. One way that I do that is authenticity.”

On Friday, July 27, Judge Leinenweber of the Northern District of Illinois entered a permanent injunction against the Trump Administration’s attempts to force the City of Chicago’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts as a condition of receiving federal grant funding. The Court’s injunction invalidates three conditions that the Administration imposed on Byrne JAG funding, and will allow Chicago to receive and use these critical funds for local law enforcement efforts.

Breaking boundaries, leading by example, and committed to making a difference, RSHC Partners Heidi Dalenberg, Patricia Brown Holmes, and Kelly Warner were selected as three of Chicago’s Notable Women Lawyers 2018 by Crain’s Chicago Business. Crain’s recognized 150 legal industry leaders who have served with distinction for decades, demonstrate the power to effect change, and serve as role models and mentors to others. Join us in congratulating Heidi, Patricia, and Kelly, and thanking them for their leadership and dedication to our clients and RSHC.