Firm Life

Seven former partners of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell have formed a new law firm, Hinkhouse Williams Walsh, specializing in complex litigation and arbitrations on behalf of the insurance industry. The managing partner of the new firm is Joseph A. Hinkhouse; the other partners are John T. Williams, Patrick T. Walsh, Scott R. Ostericher, Richard O. McDermott, Laura S. McKay, and Sarah H. Dearing.

Lindsay & Rappaport has changed its name to Lindsay, Rappaport & Postel to reflect the elevation of Joseph P. Postel to name partner. David L. Grobart, Yvette Flores, and D. Chad Mihevc have formed Grobart, Flores & Mihevc, in Deerfield.

Cuisinier, Farahvar & Benson, a full-service litigation firm, opened in April at 120 N. LaSalle St.

Thomas C. Cronin, formerly of Cummins & Cronin, has opened a new law firm under the name of Cronin & Co. at 77 W. Wacker Dr., Suite 4800. He will continue to practice commercial, class-action, and personal-injury litigation.

Wessels & Pautsch has changed its name to Wessels, Pautsch & Sherman, to reflect the recognition of senior shareholder James B. Sherman.

Vedder Price has formed a subprime lending and mortgage task force to help clients with investigations and lawsuits that may arise from the contraction of the mortgage and credit markets.

Nixon Peabody has announced the opening of its Shanghai office. It is the firm’s first office in Asia. The firm opened an office in London in 2007.

Ungaretti & Harris has opened an office in Grand Rapids, Mich. The office is managed by Joseph L. Voss.

Nanette R. Elster, a partner at Spence & Elster, has been named director of The Health Law Institute at DePaul University College of Law.

Thomas E. Chomicz, a partner at Quarles & Brady, has been reelected as board chair of St. Xavier University.

Louis G. Apostol, a partner in Apostol & Kowal, and a commissioner to the Illinois Court of Claims, has been elected president of the Hellenic Foundation.

Tara R. Devine, an associate at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

Joseph P. Switzer, a partner at Swanson, Martin & Bell, has become a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Lawrence I. Richman, a partner at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, has been elected a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

Terrence J. Lavin of Lavin Law Offices has been inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Jonathan Vegosen, a partner at Funkhouser Vegosen Liebman & Dunn, has been appointed a director-at-large to the board of the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation.

James D. Brusslan, of counsel at Levenfeld Pearlstein, has become the only practicing Illinois attorney accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional).

Frederick H. Cohen, a principal at Goldberg Kohn, was appointed to the board of the Public Interest Law Initiative.

Jeffrey M. Dalebroux has been elected to serve a second term on Dykema’s executive board, and Michael C. Borders, the partner in charge of the firm’s Chicago office for the last four years, has been appointed to the executive committee.

Wildman Harrold has appointed Kenneth E. Bedno as chief financial officer. Bedno was previously the firm’s finance director.

> Partners

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has named two new partners in the firm’s Chicago office: David F. Levy, tax, and Patrick J. Nash Jr., corporate restructuring.

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell has appointed partner Jon Biasetti as co-chair of the firm’s insurance practice group. And Daniel Schlessinger, a former managing partner and chair of the Chicago office, has been named to the firm’s executive committee.

McAndrews, Held & Malloy has promoted five attorneys to partner: Oggie Beremski, Merle S. Elliott, Consuelo Garcia Erwin, Christopher M. Scharff, and Philip H. Sheridan. The firm has also elevated five attorneys to its board of directors: Christopher V. Carani, Sandra A. Frantzen, Wilhelm L. Rao, Ronald H. Spuhler, and John A. Wiberg.

Bollinger, Ruberry & Garvey has elevated Christopher G. Buenik, construction and personal-injury litigation; Ronitha D. Maharaj, tort litigation; and W. Grant Farrar, construction and personal-injury litigation; to partner.

Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen announced that four attorneys have become partners with the firm: Tamara K. Hackmann (Urbana office); Douglas R. Heise and Michael D. Schag (Edwardsville office); and Drew M. Schilling (Rockford office).

> In-House

Dean A. Frankel has been promoted to vice president and general counsel at Relational Technology Solutions in Rolling Meadows.

To Chicago Investment Group: general counsel and chief regulatory officer Howard J. Rosenburg, from DLA Piper.

> Moves

To Dewey & LeBoeuf: partner Mark R. Goodman, insurance transactional, from Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell.

To Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor: new associate Brett A. Harvey, labor and employment.

To Grippo & Elden: new associate Pei Yuan Chung, commercial litigation.

To Reed Smith: partner Arnold E. Grant, tax, benefits, and wealth planning, from McGuireWoods.

To Holland & Knight: senior counsel Bryan T.D. Jung, financial services and structured finance and securitization, from Foley & Lardner.

To SmithAmundsen: partners Robert E. Lessman, construction; and Joshua E. Hornaday (Waukegan office), family law, from Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli.

To Tabet DiVito & Rothstein: partner Christopher D. Liguori, litigation, from Jenner & Block.

To Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart: Thomas E. Deer, shareholder, labor and employment, from Locke Reynolds in Indianapolis; new associate Steven R. Schinderle, benefits; and of counsel Logan A. Hollobaugh, construction law.

To Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney: associates Natacha D. Von Will, commercial, construction, and environmental, from Stone & Moore; and Troy S. Radunsky, commercial, construction, and insurance, from SmithAmundsen.

To McGuireWoods: associates Adrienne L. Walker Porter, tax and employee benefits, from the Center for Conflict Resolution; and Jason S. Greis, health care, from Seyfarth Shaw.

To Loeb & Loeb: partners Jeremy D. Margolis and Robert M. Andalman, litigation, from Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal.

To Chuhak & Tecson: partner Bruce W. Craig, banking law, creditors’ rights, and commercial real estate, from Banco Popular North America, where he was in-house counsel.

To Schiff Hardin: associate Kathryn McCullough Long, environmental, from Balber Pickard Maldonado & Van Der Tuin, in New York City.

To Anderson, Rasor & Partners: partner Karie J. Valentino, medical malpractice defense, from Bollinger, Ruberry & Garvey.

To Drinker Biddle & Reath: counsel Charles D. Katz, tax, from Duane Morris.

To Kirkland & Ellis: partners Bruce L. Gelman, real estate and tax planning; Thomas A. Geraghty, corporate tax; and Joshua P. Hanna, real estate; all are from Mayer Brown.

To Greenberg Traurig: shareholders Miriam G. Bahcall and Steven M. Malina, and associate Beth A. Black, all in litigation, and all are from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; and of counsel Chad D. Striker, corporate and securities.

To Reed Smith: partner Arnold E. Grant, tax, benefits, and wealth planning, from McGuireWoods.

To Perkins Coie: associates Brian A. Audette and Eric E. Walker, both in bankruptcy and workouts, and both from DLA Piper.

To Arnstein & Lehr: partner Justin L. Weisberg and associate W. Matthew Bryant, both in construction, and both from BryceDowney.

To Chapman and Cutler: partner Jeffrey I. Langer, banking, from Dreher Langer & Tomkies (Columbus, Ohio).

To Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen: of counsel William J. Charnock, civil rights and commercial litigation, from the Office of Kanawha County (W. Va.) Prosecuting Attorney, where he was the elected prosecuting attorney; and John P. Heil Jr., complex civil litigation, from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office; and new associates Jesse A. Placher, general tort litigation (Peoria); Christopher T. Polillo, civil litigation (Springfield); Brian M. Smith, civil litigation (Urbana); and Gary C. Pinter, general tort litigation (Edwardsville).

To Handler, Thayer & Duggan: senior counsel Gloria L. Materre, commercial practice, from Materre & Associates; associate Brian P. Tsu, tax, from PricewaterhouseCoopers; and new associates Izabela Czajkowska, tax; and Alexander I. Hock, commercial practice.

To Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal: partner Corinne Pavlis Carr, insurance regulatory, from Duane Morris.

To Shefsky & Froelich: shareholder Mark J. Nora, real estate, from Holland & Knight.

To Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell: partners Robert M. Stephenson, white-collar practice, from Foley & Lardner; and David W. Wirt, bankruptcy, from Winston & Strawn.

To Levin & Schreder: partner William R. Franzen, private client and estate planning, from McDermott Will & Emery; and associate Rick Y. Gelboim, private client practice, from Jenner & Block.

To Stahl Cowen Crowley Addis: associate Jeremy P. Kreger, litigation.

To Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus: shareholder Fredric J. Entin, health care, from Foley & Lardner.

To Leydig, Voit & Mayer: new associates Alice C. Su, patent litigation in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals; and Elias P. Soupos, prosecution of patents in the mechanical, electromechanical, and software arts.

To Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione: scientific advisor Liuchun Yang, chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology arts, from SynChem, Inc., where she was a project coordinator.

To Welsh & Katz: principal Edward J. Chalfie, patent and trademark protection, from Ladas & Parry.

To Karbal, Cohen, Economou, Silk & Dunne: partner Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne, commercial and construction litigation, from Crisham & Kubes.

> Changes

Ralph E. Brown, a Chicago attorney who most recently was a shareholder and of counsel at Schuyler Roche, died in April, at age 79.

Walter Durley Boyle, a Hennepin attorney who was still practicing last year at age 94 as of counsel at Boyle & Bolin, died April 13.

Thomas F. Carmody, presiding judge, 5th Municipal District in Bridgeview, died of an apparent heart attack April 22, at age 56.