RSHC in the news

In the January 2019 Illinois State Bar Association’s Bench & Bar Council Newsletter, RSHC Associate Erin Gasparka explains and recaps the changes made to Rules 5, 23, 62, and 65.1 effective December 1, 2018. Most important among the 2018-2019 amendments are the changes made to Rule 5 and the Advisory Committee’s further embrace of electronic efficiency.

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 Partners Taylor Corbitt and Steve Hankins explain how to manage legal department transitions in their recent article, “Five Questions Every Change Champion Should Ask,” published by Corporate Counsel on November 27, 2018. Corbitt and Hankins guide in-house legal departments in transition to help identify quality-critical metrics, search out waste, align internal resources, prioritize predictable outcomes, and ensure sustainability.

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.

RSHC Partner Leslie D. Davis will be a co-panelist at the December 5 Women in Law Conference presented by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer at the University Club of Chicago. Women making a difference in the legal profession will discuss leadership, strategies for success, and how to influence outcomes.

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.

RSHC Managing Partner, Patricia Brown Holmes, closed out the November 1-2, 2018 HOW Forum sharing stories about her family and career, while tying in lessons learned throughout the Forum. She spoke about how the qualities of resilience, strength, and determination allow women to lead change in their personal lives and in their organizations. Her keynote concluded with a champagne toast, after audience members were noticeably moved by her speech.

Crisis management at the top of the Executive Branch. RSHC attorney Jack Theis moderated a panel with his former colleagues from the White House Counsel’s office who explained how they handled legal, policy, and political risk during the Obama Administration. RSHC co-sponsored the November 16 event with the American Constitution Society.

On Friday, November 2, Missouri Governor, Michael L. Parson, appointed RSHC Of Counsel Cheryl D. S. Walker to the Missouri Ethics Commission for a four-year term through March 15, 2022. Cheryl previously served for five and half years on the Board of Curators and Co-Chair of the Presidential Search Committee at the University of Missouri.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (RSHC) welcomes leading animal law practitioner Bruce Wagman, as Of Counsel to its San Francisco office. A former partner at an AmLaw200 firm, Bruce has dedicated his 26 year legal career to defending and improving animal lives.

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!

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP has been ranked in the 2019 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" list nationally in 2 practice areas and regionally in 8 practice areas for our professional excellence, quality of law practice, and breadth of legal expertise.

Eddie Arruza from Chicago Tonight interviewed Ron Safer, RSHC Partner and former U.S. Attorneys’ Office Chief of the Criminal Division, Cara Hendrickson, Illinois Attorney General’s Public Interest Division Chief, and Brendan Shiller, a plaintiff’s attorney, on how the proposed Chicago Police Consent Decree might proceed after this week’s hearings. Ron commented, “You cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It is a major step forward. It does not hamper the police, it helps the police.”

The Chicago consent decree is progress toward creating a mutual respect and restoring the broken trust between the police and Chicago neighborhoods. When a community that witnesses crime feels victimized by the system, its residents are not apt to cooperate with the police. Ron Safer shares his comments on the facts about why criminals remain on the street.