Education

University of Illinois Chicago Law School – 1994

Bar Admissions

• State Court Admissions:
  • Illinois and Wisconsin


• Federal Appellate Court Admissions:
  • United States Court of Appeals: 7th Circuit; 9th Circuit


• Federal District Court Admissions:
  • Northern District of Illinois
  • Central District of Illinois
  • Southern District of Illinois
  • Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • Western District of Wisconsin
  • Eastern District of Missouri

Legal Experience:

Richard has nearly 30 years of experience in both State and Federal Court, has litigated cases through trial and subsequent appeals, and has argued before a multitude of courts, including the Judicial  Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. He has extensive experience with consumer protection, employment, and civil rights statutes and particularly enjoys helping present and prospective homeowners with credit issues, real estate matters and estate planning.

Clients:

Richard’s client list ranges from individuals with wrongful discharge claims to families with estate planning needs to representing thousands of consumers in class action lawsuits in which he has been the Court-appointed class counsel on dozens of occasions.

Negotiation, Arbitration, and Mediation:

Richard also has extensive negotiation, arbitration, and mediation experience. He is often brought in by small business clients to negotiate sensitive contracts including issues relating to licensing, distribution of product and public appearances. He has arbitrated numerous cases, including one against a major telecommunications company that was ultimately resolved in a settlement valued at over $12,000,000.00. Richard has mediated dozens of cases with values ranging from $10,000 to over $10,000,000 and enjoys helping clients (including other attorneys) achieve successful outcomes in both arbitration and mediation.

Commitment to the Public Interest:

Richard has a demonstrated commitment to advancing the public interest through legal action, including having been an Environmental Law Intern at Business and Professional People for the Public Interest in 1993, and an intern and housing discrimination “tester” with the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities (founded by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968) in 1992. He also serves with notable business, educational and governmental leaders on the Northern Illinois University College of Political Science Advisory Board.

Giving Back:

Richard is responsible for the creation of a scholarship at the University of Illinois Chicago Law School for students seeking education in the area of Fair Housing. He also worked with the Circuit Court of Cook County Judiciary and The Chicago Bar Foundation to establish a summer internship program in which pre-law students at Northern Illinois University work with unrepresented litigants at the Richard J. Daley Center court complex.

Public Speaking and Writings:

Richard’s public speaking includes expert witness testimony before the Illinois State House of Representatives Committee on Consumer Issues, acting as a guest lecturer on consumer law issues at DePaul University Law School and as a guest lecturer at the Northern Illinois University College of Political Science on careers in the legal profession. Writings include “Historical Rhetoric and the Images of Law: Legal Fundamentalism as Ideology” in the Journal of Crime and Justice, 11(1):77-100.IU