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Mr. Tuck has more than 50 years of experience in the materials testing and construction inspection industry. He has been a code influencer. In the early 1990’s, he published a 47-page Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) monograph entitled BOCA Special Inspection Services as a learning and teaching tool for testing agencies, architects, engineers, municipalities, and building officials, etc. This document became the foundation for the original Chesterfield County, Virginia, special inspection program which today is known to be one of the best special inspection programs in the region. This CSI monograph impacted and assisted the development of special inspection programs of many other Virginia jurisdictions during the early days of BOCA and IBC. Today, Mr. Tuck is the building code “go to” guy when architects, engineers, contractors and building officials across the Mid-Atlantic have special inspection questions about their ongoing projects.

Mr. Tuck started his career with Froehling & Robertson in 1964 as a materials technician and fulfilled many duties including senior field technician, radiographic assistant, drill rig operator, laboratory technician, and structural steel inspector, quickly being promoted to branch manager of the Roanoke office in 1966. Over the next few decades, Mr. Tuck also managed F&R’s operations in Norfolk, Lynchburg, and Chesapeake, Virginia. During this time, he was designated as the company-wide manager of construction materials testing services, working in F&R’s Richmond headquarters. In the late 1990’s, Mr. Tuck took on company business development. His success in this realm led to Mr. Tuck being elevated to the role of vice president of business development. His responsibilities in this role included hiring, training, and supervising business development managers throughout the company’s Mid-Atlantic footprint. F&R was established in 1881 and is one of the oldest consulting engineering firms and testing agencies in the United States.

Mr. Tuck developed training courses related to special inspection requirements of the International Building Code (IBC) and the various statewide building codes in jurisdictions where F&R maintains operations, including Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia and the Carolinas. He cultivated and expanded inter-company special inspections code training courses for F&R’s technicians, special inspectors and engineers. These technical code training courses formed the basis of F&R’s Continuing Education Program and Lunch & Learn Series which are comprised of building code training courses regarding soils, geotechnical engineering, concrete, masonry, sprayed fire-resistant materials, structural steel and many other disciplines. These courses are now offered to the entire Mid-Atlantic community of architects, engineers, construction professionals as well as associations, municipalities, school systems and a host of other market sectors. As F&R’s very first executive director of code compliance and training, Mr. Tuck has provided special inspections training and code training to hundreds of firms and thousands of professionals over the past decade and has dedicated this phase of his professional career to the study and instruction of the various building code changes throughout the different code cycles. He also is well versed in the major code changes of the “enforcer” codes such as AWS (welding), AISC (steel), ACI 318 (concrete), ACI 530 (masonry), in addition to the latest revisions of the International Building Code (IBC) and statewide codes within F&R’s geographical region.

Principal attorney of Kasan Law

Mr. Hasan represents individuals, families, and corporations in transactional and civil litigation matters, including real estate sales and purchases, plaintiff’s personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, nursing home negligence, and general injury matters. Mr. Hasan earned his juris doctorate degree from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. As a law student, he completed an externship for the Honorable Judge Michael R. Panter (Ret.) in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Law Division. Before starting Kasan Law, Mr. Hasan practiced in the areas of personal injury, civil rights, police brutality, and civil litigation. As a trial lawyer, he gained diverse legal and litigation experience in both Illinois state and federal court. Mr. Hasan has written multiple publications, in the Illinois Bar Journal, regarding the use of social media evidence in the courtroom and its impact on litigation. He frequently presents on the topics of using social media and electronic evidence at trial, obtaining social media and electronic evidence during discovery, and the impact of social media evidence on litigation.

Partner at Stamos & Trucco LLP

Mr. Klimek is a 2003 graduate of DePaul University College of Law. Mr. Klimek earned his undergraduate degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Upon graduation from law school he joined the law firm Baker & Enright where he defended doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice actions. He has also represented insurance companies in coverage and coverage litigation matters. Mr. Klimek has served as counsel for numerous insurers and has litigated numerous commercial and contract matters. He also served as general counsel for multiple small and mid-sized businesses in Illinois. Mr. Klimek joined Stamos & Trucco LLP in 2012 where he devotes his efforts to defending medical malpractice actions, while continuing his general civil litigation and commercial law practice. Mr. Klimek is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Owner and staff attorney of Lane Legal Services, Ltd.

Ms. Lane operates a general law practice with a primary interest in civil, criminal defense, and immigration matters. She has successfully represented clients in various complex state and federal matters by providing clients with positive results for over 13 years. Ms. Lane graduated from Friedrich-List Schule in Ulm Germany with a degree in business and from Texas State University, where she studied Psychology and Modern Language German. She earned her J.D. degree from Michigan State University. Ms. Lane is admitted to the Michigan, Illinois, and Texas state bars.

Partner at Grunyk Family Law

Ms. Setzen’s practice focuses exclusively in family law matters, including custody, divorce, adoptions, civil unions, guardianships, mediation and appeals in DuPage, Will, Kane, Kendall and Cook counties. Throughout her career, Ms. Setzen has gained extensive civil and criminal trial experience and has tried more than 100 jury and bench trials. She also educates other family lawyers and members of the community by serving as a presenter to local advocacy and support groups, bar associations, professional organizations and law students.

Kogut & Wilson, LLC

As a partner in the firm, Ms. Tang represents individuals in all aspects of family and matrimonial law proceedings. She strives to provide personalized attention to all of her clients and walk them through each step of the litigation or settlement process. Her effective communication and organizational skills help clients feel comfortable and prepared through one of the most stressful times of their lives. As a certified mediator and Fellow with Collaborative Divorce Illinois, Ms. Tang is able to offer clients alternative processes to resolve their divorce outside of the courtroom. She is also a Certified Financial Litigator with the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators, uniquely positioning herself to assist clients with complex financial issues.

Nicole Castillo is a partner at Neal & Leroy, LLC. She concentrates her practice in the areas of eminent domain, commercial litigation, real estate transactions, construction disputes and mechanics’ lien litigation. Ms. Castillo represents various governmental agencies in all matters associated with property development including site selection due diligence, property designation, property acquisition, and construction-related disputes. She was counsel to the City of Chicago and Chicago Park District for the Bloomingdale Trail Project: The 606, which dedicated railroad right of way into a public park. Ms. Castillo has also been counsel to numerous property owners in eminent domain matters against the Illinois Department of Transportation. She currently serves as co-chair on the CBA Civil Practice Committee.

Carl A. Gigante is a partner at Figliulo & Silverman, P.C. His legal expertise in the field of eminent domain in the Chicago area spans three decades and eight Illinois counties as well as the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He has been recognized by his peers as one of the leading lawyers in eminent domain in Illinois. His clients include large corporations, small business owners, commercial tenants, public bodies and homeowners. Mr. Gigante also has represented large and small commercial tenants who have lost all or a portion of their leased premises. He has been involved in litigation on the loss or infringement of air rights, sub-surface rights and access rights. Mr. Gigante has lectured and written for the American Business Institute and the American College of Real Estate Appraisers.

Mr. Helfrich has been principal land surveyor with Craig R. Knoche & Associates, P.C. and its successor Koru Group PLLC in the Chicago area for the last 30 years. Mr. Helfrich first picked up a plumb bob in 1971 for Webster & Associates. From tape-and-transit to GPS, mortgage surveys to shopping centers, he has his seal on billions of dollars of commercial, residential and institutional developments and transactions in 23 counties in Illinois together with consulting and managing projects in 15 other states. Mr. Helfrich has enjoyed working with countless prominent developers, attorneys and other professionals in the field and the office. His specialties include real estate law, boundaries and boundary law, easements, rights-of-way and other encumbrances and servitudes, statutory and common-law plats, ALTA surveys, topography, building and site layout, construction- and project-management as well as land development consulting. He has presented classes and co-written manuals with the Illinois Institute For Continuing Legal Education along with classes at the University of Illinois and HalfMoon Education. Mr. Helfrich is a member of the National Society of Professional Surveyors and the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association.

Mr. Lynch, owner of the Law Office of Bryan P. Lynch, P.C., concentrates his practice on representing owners of commercial, industrial, residential, and agricultural property affected by the power of eminent domain and the condemnation legal process. In his role protecting property owners’ rights, Mr. Lynch routinely opposes state, county and municipal taking agencies, such as IDOT, the Illinois Tollway, CTA, City of Chicago, and Public Building Commission of Chicago. In addition to being a leading Illinois eminent domain attorney, Mr. Lynch has presented seminars for organizations such as the Chicago Farmers workshop and National Business Institute and was appointed by several presidents of the Illinois State Bar Association to serve on its Real Estate Section Council. He has been interviewed by the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Business Journal regarding eminent domain and has written articles published in such periodicals as the Chicago Law Bulletin.

Daniel C. Shapiro, founder of Shapiro & Associates Law, has 30 years of experience in the areas of land use, zoning, governmental relations, municipal law, and civil litigation. He has represented a wide variety of clients including: developers, businesses as well as governmental entities and closely advises his clients on complex matters including, securing zoning entitlements before plan commissions, zoning boards, village, towns, and critics. In litigation matters, Mr. Shapiro has also represented his clients at all judicial levels in Illinois and Federal courts. Mr. Shapiro has been a frequent lecturer on issues such as of land use, public/private partnerships, zoning, and local government relations. He is currently the mayor of the Village of Deerfield, Illinois, and was previously a village trustee. He has served as an adjunct professor at Chicago Kent College of Law where he taught land use to 2nd and 3rd year law students.

Partner at Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C.
Mr. Kokal has wide-ranging experience in professional liability, products liability, commercial litigation, and intellectual property. He is licensed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is a certified information privacy professional (CIPP/US). Mr. Kokal is chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice and Cyber Security and Data Privacy Practice. He has presented for the Illinois CPA Society and Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education on topics such as blockchains, e-discovery, social media, cyber security, and smart contracts. He has also authored various articles published in the Missouri Law Review (where he was managing editor), Springfield Business Journal and InterBusiness Issues. Mr. Kokal received his bachelor of science degree in electrical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and he worked as an electrical engineer at Ralston Purina in St. Louis prior to attending law school. He received his J.D. degree (Order of the Coif) from the University of Missouri School of Law.

Member at Karball, Cohen, Economou, Silk & Dunne, LLC
Mr. Marshall has a diverse litigation practice representing design professionals, condominium associations, real estate and insurance brokers, attorneys, and other licensed professionals in contract, tort, compliance, and fraud-based litigation. Mr. Marshall represents a variety of design professionals, including architects, professional and structural engineers, land surveyors, and design-builders. His representation of those professionals includes the areas of breach of contract, construction delay, professional negligence, pre-suit resolution, and arbitrations. Mr. Marshall has tried numerous bench and jury cases and arbitrations and has negotiated hundreds of settlements through formal mediation and informal negotiation. He also drafts and negotiates design and construction contracts for his clients.Mr. Marshall often lectures to real estate, construction, design, and condominium associations and their members on contract negotiation, litigation techniques, risk management, and professional liability.

Tina Paries is an income member at Bryce Downey & Lenkov LLC. She focuses her practice on all aspects of construction law, representing a wide variety of clients in connection with both public and private projects. She drafts and negotiates construction contracts and joint venture agreements. Ms. Paries also handles disputes related to mechanic’s liens, construction defect claims, acceleration and delay claims, contract claims and insurance coverage issues. She has also authored a number of construction-related publications and is a branding committee member of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys. 

Scott W.  Smilie is a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group of the firm. Mr. Smilie’s experience includes the prosecution, licensing, and litigation of patents, trademarks and copyrights.  As a member of the Patent Bar, he has prepared and prosecuted patents before the Patent and Trademark Office concerning diverse technologies including GPS-related systems, business methods, electrical connectors, coupler members for heavy-duty machinery, mechanical tools, and medical devices.  Mr. Smilie was admitted to the Illinois State Bar and the Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1997, and he is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago.

Matthew A. Walker is an associate attorney at Lathrop GPM whose practice includes all areas of environmental law, including litigation, regulatory compliance, and due diligence in corporate transactions. Prior to joining Lathrop, he served as an assistant attorney general with the Environmental Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Walker graduated from the joint degree program at the University of Illinois earning his J.D. and M.S. degrees in Natural Resources and Environmental Science.