Category: 1990s

Juan R. Thomas, of Counsel at Clifford Law Offices, has been recognized in Crain’s Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law 2026. A respected litigator and former founder of The Thomas Law Group, Juan has spent decades advocating for clients and advancing the legal profession. His successful defense of a Naperville, IL student in a widely watched school-ticketing case helped spur legislative reform in Illinois. This year Juan became President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents and President of the Illinois Bar Foundation. Juan is believed to be among the first lawyers to serve as President of two major legal organizations during the same bar year.

Andy Reisman joined the Emory University School of Law as an Assistant Teaching Professor, where in 2026–27 he will teach Evidence, Business Associations, and Depositions and Discovery. His article, “The Unbearable Lightness of Data: Ephemeral Messages and Evolving Ethical Duties,” is forthcoming in the Spring 2027 issue of the University of Richmond Law Review.

Earlier this year, Brian Shaw was named by the American College of Bankruptcy as Chair of its Board of Regents. In May, Shaw was also named the recipient of a pro bono award from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

Judge Federico M. Rodriguez was recently elected 2nd Vice-President of the Illinois Latino Judges Association.

Prabha Parameswaran was recently honored with the 2026 ALSA Distinguished Alumni Award. She was also included in the 2026 cohort of World Contracting & Commerce Foundation’s Inspiring Women, which recognizes remarkable leaders who are shaping the future of commerce through their leadership, innovation, and commitment to positive change.  

After more than 18 years as a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Hon. Patrick Sherlock retired in August 2025. Shortly after my retirement, he joined ADR Systems, LLC. as a mediator.

On November 26, 2025, Laura Kotelman was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners by the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

David Horwitch co-founded National Apartment Partners LLC, a private real estate investment firm focused on acquiring strategic value-add multifamily assets in growth markets with diverse economies throughout the southeast, south, and Midwest regions of the United States. Specifically, the company purchases multifamily assets at a discount, implements significant renovations to add value, and forces appreciation to maximize returns for its investors while providing residents with safe, affordable, and modern housing in strategic markets with strong population growth. National Apartment Partners LLC currently owns and operates over 3,000 rental units, mostly in Tennessee. He has also served as President of the Chicago Real Estate Council.

Robert Brunner has joined the Chicago office of Kilpatrick as Litigation of Counsel, joining its Complex Commercial Litigation Team. Brunner previously was a part of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. A seasoned litigator with extensive expertise in state and federal courts across the country, his nationwide practice includes counseling clients on a wide variety of commercial and insurance coverage disputes as well as financial services litigation.

Chambers USA recognized Adam H. Fleischer ’94 as among the top 18 insurance coverage attorneys in the United States and named him to the highest ranking for Insurance: Dispute Resolution in the state of Illinois for its 2025 report. Adam is also a fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel and has been previously honored as a top insurance coverage attorney by Best Lawyers of America, Leading Lawyers, Crain’s Chicago Business, Who’s Who Legal and Illinois Super Lawyers.

Adam’s team at BatesCarey is ranked by Chambers USA in the top band of insurance coverage firms in Illinois, powered by University of Illinois College of Law alumni Samuel J. Head ‘22 and Justin K. Seigler ‘12, recently named to Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Gustavo A. Otalvora ‘09 and R. Patrick Bedell ‘04, a former recipient of Chicago Lawyer 40 Under Forty and Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star, as well as this summer’s clerks Parker C. Mee (J.D. 2026) and Rebekah L. Follis (J.D. 2026).