RSHC Of Counsel Cheryl D. S. Walker will be presenting at the April 23 AIA (American Institute of Architects) Contract Document Workshop for engineers, contractors, and architects in St. Louis, MO. She will lead two sessions, one providing instruction on AIA short form construction contracts, including the recently released AIA A104, and the other a case study that will examine a contract for the construction of a café within a retail store.

2018 marked the 55th anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing into law the Equal Pay Act (the “1963 Act”), which amended the Fair Labor Standards Act and aimed to abolish wage disparity based on sex. At the April 4 National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) Conference, RSHC Partner Ryan Poscablo will take part in a panel discussion exploring the current state of the law, the various state laws that have been passed, and how colleges and universities can proactively address pay equity issues before being targeted for internal complaints, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charges, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs investigations, and private litigation.

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.

ACLU Annual Luncheon Co-Chair, Ruth Krugly, welcomed almost 2,000 supporters to the March 15 program. The ACLU’s 100 year history is reflected in the issuance of landmark court rulings and the passage of transformational legislation, and its relentless efforts to secure the civil rights and liberties of all.

We are proud to announce that the Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyers has named 21 of RSHC’s Illinois attorneys as Leading Lawyers and ten as Emerging Lawyers. Less than five percent of all lawyers licensed in Illinois are eligible for Leading Lawyer membership, and less than two percent of all lawyers licensed in Illinois under the age of 40 are recognized as Emerging Lawyers.

This week RSHC attorneys Yakov Wiegmann and Matt Lee and the CGRS have filed suit against the Department of Justice on behalf of Ms. A.B., a Salvadorian domestic violence survivor seeking asylum.

At the March 1st 10th Annual Animal Law Conference at the ISBA Chicago Regional Office or via live webcast, RSHC’s Bruce Wagman will share insights on three current hot topics in animal law: creating sanctuary for endangered chimps and varied species, the area of dangerous dog litigation in Chicago and beyond, and the use of experts in animal-related litigation. Don’t miss hearing about the animal law updates and advances made in this rapidly-evolving practice area.

On Monday, March 11, 2019 RSHC partner Edward Casmere will be at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills presenting on DNA in the Court Room – The Cutting Edge of Science and Medicine. Mr. Casmere will be part of a panel discussion hosted by Perrin Conferences.

On February 8, 2017, the Federal Circuit affirmed a win for Netsmart Technologies, Inc. against the appellants, Uniloc USA, Inc. and Uniloc Luxembourg S.A., both non-practicing entities. The appellate court panel, consisting of Judges Wallach, Moore, and Hughes, affirmed by per curium order the district court’s grant of Netsmart’s motion to dismiss a patent infringement suit last May, because the asserted patents were directed to unpatentable subject matter.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila proudly announces that ten RSHC attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers list. Patricia Brown Holmes has been ranked as 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. Associate Stephanie Jones has been newly selected as an Illinois Rising Star. Congratulations to all of them for attaining this high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

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.

Since its founding, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP has developed the firm to put clients first. Our compensation structure reflects this goal by recognizing the contributions of all team members in making compensation decisions. RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes shared that in addition to benefiting our clients, we believe all attorneys and staff benefit from the structure. Because we share the compensation pie more equitably, it becomes a larger pie to share.

RSHC Managing Partner and U of I Urbana double alumna Patricia Brown Holmes was reappointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to the University of Illinois Systems Board of Trustees. She received both her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana and is extremely proud and excited to rejoin the board at a time when innovation, diversity and new millennial educational challenges will be a focus of the University.

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.

On January 25th, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) issued a decision that will make it easier for companies to maintain an independent contractor relationship with workers. The Board’s decision in SuperShuttle DFW, Inc. overrules its 2014 decision in FedExHome Delivery, and returns to the prior test for determining whether an individual is an independent contractor.

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.