The Partners of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP are proud to announce that name partner Patricia Brown Holmes has been unanimously elected as the firm’s first managing partner. A former judge, top tier litigator, and nationally prominent advocate for law firm diversity, it is believed that Patricia is the first black woman to lead and have her name on the door of a major law firm that is not women- or minority-owned.

RSHC Partner, Patricia Brown Holmes, will be a panelist for the “Managing Partners” session at the April 12 “May it Please the Court: Symposium on Women Lawyers in the Courtroom.” The United States District Court and Chicago Bar Association in conjunction with the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois and the Black Women Lawyers’ Association are sponsoring this complimentary half-day program to discuss and promote strategies and best practices to empower women lawyers as lead counsel and trial counsel in litigation. Patricia will also be presenting the Closing along with the Honorable Amy J. St. Eve.

RSHC Partner, Drahcir Marie Smith, will be a panelist at the April 17th Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law panel event, “Navigating the Gray Area in the World of #MeToo,” to be held at Katten Muchin Rosenman, in Chicago. The event is designed to foster an open discussion about sexual harassment in the workplace. The in-person event is free and also available to be watched via livestream. RSHC Associate and moderator, Stephanie Jones, will guide the panel to focus on the “what now?” in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Panelists from diverse employment backgrounds will share their insights from the perspective of counsel, advisor, employee, employer, journalist, investigator, and even victim.

RSHC Partner and 1998 alumni, Joseph Q. McCoy, will be the keynote speaker for the April 12 Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Black Law Students Association’s (BLSA) Annual Graduating Students Recognition and Alumni Banquet, “Lifting As We Climb.” This celebration recognizes the achievements of predecessors, current students, and the next generation.

RSHC Partner Rod Perry will be a panelist at the April 5 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows Alumni Speaker Series program, “Advancement, Transitions, and Career Planning,” to be held at Winston & Strawn in Chicago. LCLD Alumni, who have advanced or transitioned to new roles and responsibilities, will share their experiences to help others identify opportunities and navigate potential road blocks, pitfalls and ethical issues.

Rich Lenkov and Craig Collins from WGN Radio 720’s “Legal Face-Off” interviewed RSHC Partner Jack Theis on their February 28 talk show. Jack shared his thoughts on crisis management in the White House vs. private practice, the importance of being concise as a lawyer, and the scope of the president’s pardon power.

As RSHC begins its third year, we are pleased to share our 2017 Annual Report, which highlights our 24-month road to building A Law Firm Built for Clients.®

Cybersecurity risks pose substantial challenges to any company functioning in today’s data-driven marketplace. In addition to threats from internal and outside forces, risks associated with protecting personal and financial information, and the possibility of protracted civil litigation, corporations face increasing pressure from regulators to ensure the security of their systems. This week, two federal agencies doubled down in this arena: the Department of Justice established a task force to combat cybersecurity threats, and the Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance on the appropriate disclosures of cyber risks and incidents.

RSHC Partner Joseph Q. McCoy will be a panelist on the February 27 “Black History Month – Authentic Leadership Panel” to be held at Cushman & Wakefield in Chicago. The inspirational six-person panel will share personal insights on leadership and their experience.

RSHC Partner Jack Theis, former Special Assistant and Associate Counsel to President Obama, put out fires and advised White House officials on the legal side of crisis management. As an attorney at RSHC, he will advise clients on litigation, white collar matters, and how to respond to multidimensional problems with complex risks. Learn about some of the highlights of Jack’s job as a White House lawyer, how that experience relates to his new role, and what attracted him to RSHC.

RSHC Partner Joseph Q. McCoy will be a panelist for the March 2 Chicago Committee’s “Law Firm Boot Camp for Junior Associates” to be held at Ropes & Gray.

RSHC Partner Kate Stimeling, former USF Law Review managing editor, and RSHC are pleased to host the April 13 University of San Francisco (USF) Law Review Alumni-Student Mixer at its San Francisco office. Current and past members are invited to celebrate and share their Law Review experiences. Registration is now open.

Patricia Brown Holmes will moderate the March 13 Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (BWLA) 2018 Spring Fundraiser, “Power in the Boardroom, Strategies to Achieve Diversity on Corporate Boards,” to be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Joseph Q. McCoy decided to try his hand at something brand new at RSHC and bring a complementary practice to an outstanding group of lawyers. Not afraid to go where few others have gone, he embraced the opportunity because he wanted to make a difference and influence outcomes.

RSHC Partner Patricia Brown Holmes will moderate the General Counsel Roundtable at the March 23 National Bar Association’s Corporate Law Section Seventh Gateway to Success Conference, “Take Your Advanced Career to the Highest Level,” at the Kimpton Aertson Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The distinguished six-member roundtable will discuss the next steps Corporate and Outside Counsel need to take to reach the General Counsel level.

Jack Theis, former Special Assistant and Associate Counsel to President Obama, has joined the national law firm of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila (RSHC). As a partner in the Chicago office, he will concentrate his practice on commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, antitrust and competition law, and risk and reputation management.

RSHC Partner Dave Resnicoff published the recent brief article, “De-Risking Executives From Personal Liability For Compliance Failures,” in the January-March 2018 Issue of Risk & Compliance Magazine. Executives have never been at higher personal risk for compliance failures. Compliance efforts typically focus on reducing the risk of corporate liability. But often there is little attention paid to reducing the risk of individual executive liability. Dave suggests several practical, common sense steps in-house counsel and compliance personnel can recommend to their executive teams to reduce their own risk, and at the same reduce risk to their organizations.

RSHC Partner Ron Safer will be a co-panelist along with the Hon. Christopher Plourd discussing “The Need for Forensic Science Reform and How to Get There” at the March 16 Center on Wrongful Convictions (CWC) Spring CLE Symposium to be held at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. False forensic science is a leading factor contributing to the wrongful conviction of women. Mr. Safer worked with the Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions to exonerate Julie Rea Harper and Kristine Bunch, both of whom were victims of wrongful convictions based on junk science.

RSHC Partner Brian Watson testified before the Missouri Senate on the public policy behind statutes of limitations and Senate Bill 934, which would reduce the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits from five years to three years in Missouri.

Joseph McCoy will be a speaker at the February 8-11 18th Annual Charting Your Own Career (CYOC) Conference to be held at The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, in Orlando, Florida.