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.

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.

RSHC associate Stephanie Jones shares her law school experiences and memories, as well as insights on being a lawyer and a mom in the October 15 edition ofThe Decisive Utterance, the newspaper for The John Marshall Law School legal community. In the article, Stephanie discusses how she felt “practice ready” when she graduated law school and now loves being a litigator. One of her priorities in juggling a busy schedule is staying organized, and she understands that the demands of litigation often requires her to reset, reorganize, and reprioritize.