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  • December 4, 2017 | People
    James Scott 1965-2017

    Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing James Scott will be forever saddened to learn of his passing on Saturday, November 11, 2017.

    James loved, and lived, this life, like few others. James loved nothing in Heaven or on Earth so much as he loved his beautiful high school sweetheart and wife of 29 years, Shari Moenster Scott and their perfect daughter, Emma Mary Scott. It is to them that he would commend our prayers and invite our fellowship.

    Until June of this year James served as Juneau District Attorney in the State of Alaska Department of Law. 

    James was born in Decatur, IL, on September 21, 1965. He attended the public schools at Highland, IL, where he excelled at literature, history, and good humor. He competed in high school football, cross-country, and track and field, and served as Class President of the Highland High School Class of 1983. James received a Bachelor's Degree with Honors in Political Science from Illinois State University and his law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law, where he graduated at the top of his class and served as an Editor of the Law Review. Prior to his appointment as Juneau District Attorney James served for 14 years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Ketchikan District Attorney's Office and prior to that in private practice in Belleville, IL, Donovan Rose Nester P.C., and as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for St. Clair County Illinois.

  • December 4, 2017 | People
    Jack Leiby Sr. 1942-2017

    Jack L. Leiby, Sr., 75, of Rock Island, passed away on Friday, November 10, 2017 at his home. Jack was born on August 2, 1942 in Peoria, a son of Albert and Lucille (Reuter) Leiby. He married Charlotte L. Bennett in March of 1974, she passed away June 14, 1990.  Jack later married Jody Wendland on November 16, 1991 in Rock Island. 

    Jack earned his bachelor and J.D. degrees from the University of Illinois and was a private practice attorney from 1994-2011.  He also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Black Hawk College from 1982-2012. Jack had served as vice president and trust officer of the Rock Island Bank and trust and senior vice president and trust officer of First National Bank, Moline. 

    Jack was also civically involved as a member of the Rock Island/Milan School Board. He served as president of the Rock Island Public Library Board, Easter Seals and the Rock Island Noon Lions Club. He was also a member of the Iowa Boy Scout Trust Council, the Rock Island Rotary Club and Friends of the Rock Island Public Library. 

    Jack also enjoyed membership in several area, state and nationwide associations including the Quad City Stamp Club, American Philatelic Association, Rock Island County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association and the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness.  He was also a longtime member of Trinity Anglican Church, Rock Island, where he served as Chancellor for many years. Jack was a U.S. Air Force veteran.

  • December 4, 2017 | People
    Charles Garnati 1952-2017

    Charles R. “Chuck” Garnati, 65, passed away peacefully at 2:10 a.m. Nov. 14, 2017, surrounded by his loving family in St. Louis University Hospital. Chuck was born Oct. 21, 1952, in Herrin, to Sam and Helen (Hemlock) Garnati.

    He received a B.A. in history and pre-law at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIUC). He also attended University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. He completed his law degree at SIUC.

    He was first elected as Williamson County state’s attorney in 1984 and continued to serve eight consecutive four-year terms. Chuck was the longest continuous serving state's attorney in the State of Illinois. He retired Sept. 8, 2014, having served 30 consecutive years. Chuck built his career being tough on crime. He tried 30 murder cases in 30 years as the county’s top prosecutor, gaining first-degree murder convictions in 29 of them and manslaughter in the other.

    Chuck also initiated programs such as a domestic violence program which provided assistance and advocacy for both adults and juveniles. He also started a bad check program which collected thousands of dollars for the county and businesses.

    Advocating for and supporting children was one of the primary goals for his office. He was a man who gave his life to public service. That service helped him to support two groups he helped create. The Williamson County Child Advocacy Center and CASA, a court appointed advocacy for children who are abused and neglected. Garnati’s Annual Golf Day Tournament raised large amounts of money for these programs to continue helping children. Brandon Zanotti has continued that tradition with the amount raised approaching a half million dollars.

  • December 4, 2017 | People
    Four ISBA Lawyers Named to Super Lawyers

    Four of Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C.'s partners made the list of Illinois' top attorneys, as evaluated by Super Lawyers, a national ratings service for the legal profession. Receiving this distinguished honor are attorneys Patrick Kinnally, Patrick Flaherty, Paul Krentz and Mark Masur. Selection to this list signifies that the attorneys named have been rated by their peers as among the top five percent of all Illinois lawyers in their respective fields.

  • November 29, 2017 | People
    ISBA Members Designated Super Lawyers

    Two ISBA members with Rathje & Woodward, LLC have been recognized as Super Lawyers for 2017. Super Lawyers is a lawyer rating service that names “Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars” annually, based on peer evaluations and independent research. Among all the attorneys that are considered each year, only five percent are designated Super Lawyers, and only 2.5 percent are designated Rising Stars. 

    Attorney Timothy D. Elliott was selected as a Super Lawyer for the fifth-consecutive year. Based out of Rathje & Woodward’s Wheaton, Illinois, office, Elliott focuses on general litigation and appellate law. He has worked at Rathje & Woodward since 2005 and was named one of Super Lawyer’s Rising Stars from 2008 to 2011. 
      
    Attorney Emily A. Shupe was named a Rising Star for the fourth-consecutive year. The Rising Star designation is available to attorneys who are 40 years and younger or have been practicing for 10 years or less. Shupe has been with Rathje & Woodward since 2006 and is also based out of the Wheaton office. She concentrates on commercial litigation, employment law and insurance disputes. 

  • November 27, 2017 | People
    Hon. Michael C. Close 1934-2017

    Honorable Michael C. Close, retired Cook County Judge, U.S. Navy, age 83, passed away November 22, 2017.  Husband of Virginia (née Leyden) father of Letitia, Michael (Emily), Mary Ellen and Deirdre (Tim) Conway. Grandfather of Patrick, Mary, Michael, Katie and Nora Close and Maeve, Fiona and Quinn Conway. Son of the late Sylvester and the late Catherine (née Hernon). Fond brother  of  Leo (the late Mary Ann),  Sr. Letitia, the late  William (Kathleen), Fr. James and Sheila (Frank) Shea.  Beloved uncle, grand uncle and cousin to many in Chicago and Ireland.  Visitation at Cooney Funeral Home, 625 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, Monday, November 27th from 1:00p.m. to 9:00p.m; Funeral Mass Tuesday, November 28th, 11:30a.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 1775 Grove Street, Glenview. Interment All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Gift of Hope, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls or Misericordia. For information contact Cooney Funeral Home (847)685-1002.

  • November 21, 2017 | Practice News | People
    Hon. Jeffrey MacKay Appointed Circuit Judge

    The Hon. Jeffrey S. MacKay, associate judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, has been appointed circuit judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, at Large, by the Illinois Supreme Court. The appointment will be effective Dec. 1 following the retirement of Hon. Kathryn E. Creswell. 

    Hon. MacKay is a graduate of Kent College of Law, Chicago, 1992, and was admitted to the practice of law in Illinois in 1993.  Judge MacKay is currently an associate judge in the Misdemeanor Division of the 18th Judicial Circuit, having been appointed to the bench in April of 2013. He was in private practice for 12 years with the law firm of Ekl, Williams and Provenzale (2001-2013), and also served as an assistant DuPage County state’s attorney (1993-2001).  Judge MacKay is an active member of the DuPage County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. 

  • November 20, 2017 | People
    Gregory Paul Erthal 1962-2017

    Gregory Paul Erthal passed away at 55-years-old at 12:52 AM on Monday, November 13, 2017 at Alton Memorial Hospital. He was born in Alton on January 14, 1962 the son of the late Paul and Mary (Abbott) Erthal. After his parents passed he was then raised by his aunt and uncle Bonnie and Dick Peipert. Greg was a 1980 graduate from Marquette Catholic High School and then went on to graduate cum laude with his B.A. from Bradley University in Peoria, where he was nominated for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship and on the Dean’s List. He earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 1987. Greg was an attorney for over 25 years and joined the Simmons firm in 2005. He has extensive trial experience prosecuting both felonies and misdemeanors as an assistant state’s attorney in Madison and Jackson counties. In addition, Greg served as the city attorney for Alton. On October 11, 2014 he married the former Michelle (Puckett) in Las Vegas and she survives. Also surviving are one step daughter; Leslie Gossard of Bethalto, a step grandson; Noah Gossard and two cousins that are like brothers; Rich Peipert of Godfrey and Scott Peipert of Charlotte, NC.

  • November 17, 2017 | People
    Elisha Deen Joins SI Elder Law

    Elisha S. Deen has joined SI Elder Law, LLC as an associate Elder Law Attorney.

    Deen is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in accounting. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University School of Law with a certificate in Business and Transactional Law. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri.

    Deen has extensive experience in estate planning, probate, personal injury, worker's compensation, wrongful death, business litigation and real estate litigation. She is the Secretary of the Williamson County Bar Association, member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Missouri Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

  • November 17, 2017 | People
    Don R. Lucas 1935-2017

    Don R. Lucas passed away Nov. 6, 2017. Born, raised, provided, prospered, and now passed, Don Lucas’s life story began, thrived, and ended in West Frankfort. A loving patriarch to his family, a devoted friend and attorney to his community, and a passionate defender of small town governance and the sheer joy in the natural bounty of Southern Illinois.

    Don was a gifted athlete and multiple sports fueled his youth at F.C.H.S. achieving honorable mention to the 1952 Illinois All State Basketball Team. He attended SIU on a track scholarship where academic pursuits led him to both bachelor of science and master of science degrees while teaching government at SIU on a resident teaching fellowship.

    After graduating from SIU in 1959, he taught history and coached basketball at Murphysboro and West Frankfort High Schools. Don’s only extended leave from Southern Illinois was to pursue a law degree and teach legal writing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating with a Juris Doctor of Law in 1963.