Top best E Lawyers in Lake Forest | 183 available

I am a true advocate for my clients, their families and their businesses. I help them achieve their goals and I tirelessly pursue and offer solutions that give them peace of mind now...and for the future. I help them plan for LIFE and LEGACY.. With over 21 years of experience, I take seriously my role not only as an Attorney, but as a Counselor at Law. I LISTEN intently to my clients---noting their wishes, goals and dreams. It is only at this point that I then guide clients through a myriad of financial and legal decisions to enable them to effectively plan for their families and reach their goals. I assist clients with estate planning, including family protection, wealth preservation, charitable gift planning and values-based planning, as well as planning strategies for unmarried couples and divorced individuals. In addition, as a business owner myself, I also combine my legal expertise and acute business acumen to assist my clients in planning for the creation, growth and success of their businesses and nonprofits.

I am a husband and father of five daughters and one son. I have lived in South Orange County since 1991. My hobbies are reading, fitness, golf and spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy practicing family law as I find it very rewarding to help people in times of difficulty. Most of all I like winning. It never gets old.. I am very proud of the excellent staff I have. Each of them are caring people who desire to win your case.

Heather Whitmore is a partner in Berger Kahn’s South Orange County office.. Heather joined Berger Kahn after graduating from Loyola Law School in 1998. She provided coverage analysis for commercial lines and personal policy insurers. She also represented insurers in coverage and “bad faith” lawsuits, and successfully resolved many cases by summary judgment for her clients. Early in her career, a second-year lawyer, she was co-counsel in the Barratt American, Inc. v. Transcontinental Ins. Co., 102 848 (2002) trial, where the Court of Appeal clarified the scope of recoverable defense costs under California law.. Heather later joined Palmieri Tyler’s business litigation department. At Palmieri Tyler, Heather represented clients in a variety of business and insurance disputes. Heather’s clients ranged from large corporations to small, family-owned businesses, where she successfully resolved their business litigation disputes spanning a wide range of subject (contracts, bankruptcy, employment, and trusts). She successfully arbitrated and tried cases in both federal and state courts.. With over 20 years of practice, Heather continues to focus on insurance coverage and litigation.

Fredric Bryan Lesser has been continuously engaged in the private practice of law in Chicago and Lake Forest for 40 years as both a litigator and estate planner, representing individuals and families, and counseling owners and principals of privately held businesses. Over the years, he has developed a proficiency in drafting effective and efficient estate and trust documents. He also has a mastery of relevant tax issues, yielding real benefits and tangible results for his clients. A wealth of practical experience representing real people in the real world helps him to create a well-tailored plan for each client. He believes that estate planning should be practical and cost-efficient. "When we are working with a client to create a plan, we encourage them to keep the plan simple yet flexible enough to allow for unexpected developments. People need individual plans that suit their lives and their legacy." Rick is also licensed to practice law in Wisconsin.

Evan is a principal at Reda & Des Jardins, LLC and director of the real estate and business teams.  Evan’s clients include small to large domestic and foreign businesses, real estate developers and investors, REITs, and lenders. Evan represents clients in complex real estate transactions with an emphasis on acquisitions and dispositions of office, retail, industrial, and multi-unit apartment buildings throughout the United States.. Evan represents lenders and borrowers in real estate finance matters as well as loan workouts and distressed asset transactions. Evan also counsels corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and other legal entities on business formation and ongoing matters involved with running a successful company.. Prior to joining R&D, Evan was an attorney at a Chicago boutique law firm focusing on real estate and commercial litigation. Evan learned first-hand what happens when contracts and agreements are not drafted correctly: costly and lengthy lawsuits. This experience provided Evan with the ability to identify and resolve potential legal problems before they occur, minimizing legal issues for his clients down the road.. Evan is not your typical attorney. Evan treats all of his clients as partners and prides himself on being able to work well with anyone. He works closely with his clients and truly understands the importance of listening, learning their businesses, and understanding their short term and long term goals. Whether it is a small family-owned business or a Fortune 500 company, Evan provides each client with the same amount of attention and responsiveness.

Erin Mindoro Ezra is the managing partner of Berger Kahn’s South Orange County office. She focuses her practice on insurance coverage and labor and employment.. Erin has successfully represented clients in wage and hour disputes, sexual harassment, discrimination, accommodation, retaliation, and other employment disputes.. In addition to litigation, Erin also works with business owners, managers, and human resource departments to help ensure sound practices that prevent employment litigation and minimize workplace disputes. She has also worked with employment contracts and developing personnel policies to ensure legal compliance.. With both a JD and MBA degree, Erin excels in dealing with the complex legal issues juxtaposed against the practical realities today’s California businesses face.. Erin has garnered recognition from Super Lawyers Rising Stars to the lists of “Up-and-Coming 25: Orange County Rising Stars,” “Up-and-Coming 100: Southern California Rising Stars,” and “Up-and-Coming 50: Women Southern California Rising Stars.” In addition, Erin has been selected to the Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” from 2013-present, “Top Women Attorneys in Southern California” in 2013-present, and is an Avvo Clients’ Choice awardee in 2014 for her glowing client reviews and a perfect “10” rating.. Before joining Berger Kahn, Erin was an associate at O’Connell and Aronowitz in the firm’s Plattsburgh, New York office, where her practice concentrated on litigation.. In her practice, Erin has successfully handled appeals, including published opinions in Bourdeau Bros., Inc. v. Bennett, 74 A.D.3d 1542 (3rd Dep’t 2010), McCormick v. Bechtol, 68 A.D.3d 1376 (3rd Dep’t 2009), and Klotz v. Warick, 53 A.D.3d 976 (3rd Dep’t 2008).. Known for her insightful legal commentary, Erin is frequently published in top legal publications, including Law360, the Daily Journal, O.C. Lawyer and other leading legal and HR publications. Some of Erin’s employment publications include:. “Job Applicant Background Check Basics for Employers”Women on Business – November 23, 2015. “Simplifying Background ChecksHRM America – November 11, 2015. “4 C’s to Correctly Classifying Independent Contractors”Women on Business – August 3, 2015. “Are Nail Salons Lousy with the Law?Daily Journal – June 20, 2015. “Taking a Pregnant Pause: Potential Pitfalls in Applying the Business Judgment Rule and the Mixed Motive Defense in Employment Cases”O.C. Lawyer – October 1, 2014. “Don’t Get Hit by an Employment Lawsuit”Nails Magazine – August 2014. “Thinking Outside the Checked Box: Six Legal Tips to Get More Out of Your Employment Application”You The Entrepreneur – August 7, 2014. “Mixed Emotions on the Mixed Motive Defense”Law360 – May 18, 2014. “Nailing Down Independent Contractor Status”HG Legal Resources. Erin is committed to excellence in the legal profession and community service, frequently serving the Orange County legal community through her nonprofit board memberships and volunteer service.

Edward Alberola obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in 2005 he obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University. During his second year in law school he was an editor for the Santa Clara Journal of International Law and finalist in the Concours-Pictet International Moot Court Competition. During his third year of law school he was an extern for the honorable A. James Robertson II and later a Research Assistant for the San Francisco Superior Court.. After graduating, Edward Alberola studied at the Sorbonne for a Master’s in Business Law and worked at the Paris offices of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and Cabinet Franklin while specializing in securities litigation and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Since returning to California in the beginning of 2008, he has focused on construction litigation and personal injury cases.. His publications include Making it Easier to Serve 20-Day Preliminary Notices; Force Framing, Inc. v. Chinatrust Bank, 187 1368 (2010) (so long as the information provided in a Preliminary 20-day Notice is obtained from a sufficiently reliable source, such as from the owner, a contractor need not investigate extraneous sources to verify said information); and Paveco Construction, Inc. v. East West Bank, B223912 (unpublished decision).. Mr. Alberola is admitted to practice law in all the courts of the State of California as well as in the Central District and Southern District of the United States District Courts of California.

David M. Lutrey is the managing partner of the Lake Forest law firm of Lesser Lutrey Pasquesi & Howe, LLP.  For the past 20 years, Mr. Lutrey has counseled individuals and corporate fiduciaries as a seasoned litigation attorney in the areas of trusts, estates, probate and guardianships.  He assists individuals in the creation of wills, trusts and other estate planning documents that preserve and transfer meaningful legacies.. In addition to representing individuals and corporate fiduciaries in their capacities as trustee, executor, guardian or agent, Lutrey also represents financial institutions in their own right with regard to the creation and implementation of trust and estate policy manuals, risk management strategies and employee training.. David Lutrey is a powerful and effective litigator and has chaired numerous trials in Lake, Cook and McHenry Counties as well as appearing in Federal District Court involving complex trust and estate issues.  His trial successes include a recent $1,000,000 undue influence award in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in Lake in the estate of Augusta Gershman, deceased.  He has also been involved in numerous appeals addressing or creating new law, including the published decisions of the Estate of Helen Weiland, Deceased, and the Estate of Walsh, Deceased.. Lutrey is a respected and frequent speaker and writer on estate planning, administration and litigation issues. He served on the legal education and outreach committees of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s Estate Planning Short Course from 2009-2016.  He is a member of the ISBA’s Trusts and Estates Section Council and the Chicago Estate Planning Council.  He is a Past President of the Lake County Estate Planning Council and recently completed his fifth consecutive term as Chair of the Lake County Bar Association’s Trusts and Estates Committee.. Lutrey is a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”) and Litigation Counsel of America (“LCA”), and was an adjunct trust and estate professor at Loyola Law School in Chicago from 2012 – 2015.  In 2015, Lutrey drafted portions of the Illinois trust legislation allowing distributions of trust in further trust (“decanting”).. David Lutrey is well known and respected by his peers. He was rated “AV” by both the bar and judiciary according to Martindale Hubbell; he was selected by Thompson Reuters as a “Super Lawyer” for the years 2014 through the present; and selected by the Law Bulletin Publishing Group as a “Leading Lawyer” for the years 2016 through the present.

CrossCourt Law was founded in Lake Forest by Michaël Fischer (pronounced Mikel) to better handle companies' and institutions' day-to-day legal needs.. Michaël was born and raised in France, graduated summa cum laude from undergraduate school, and earned his law degree from the University of Southern California.. Before founding CrossCourt Law, Michaël worked at several leading legal institutions including the global law firm of K&L Gates LLP. Michaël has been admitted to practice before all California state trial courts as well as the Federal Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California, and also before U.S. Bankruptcy Courts and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.. Since 2004, Michaël has been teaching courses at the University of California, Irvine, focusing on Contracts and Employment Law. In 2012, he was awarded the University's Distinguished Instructor Award. He is on the University's advisory board for the Paralegal Program. His teaching website is located at. Michaël volunteers as both a high school Mock Trial head coach and a youth soccer coach. His charitable efforts have been recognized with commendations by the State of California as well as the City of Los Angeles.. Michaël has lived in Orange County since 2003. He has a wife, two sons, three cats and one obnoxious golden retriever. When he isn't practicing law, he can usually be found on a local tennis court.

Christian Conrad is a committed Lake Forest divorce attorney who is deeply passionate about helping clients navigate the family law challenges that matter most to them. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Collective Behavior from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1992, then went on to graduate from the University of San Diego with his Juris Doctorate in 1995. Since then, he has lent his considerable skill and experience to those needing assistance in divorce, property division, child support, and parental rights. He is an accomplished attorney with a commitment to respect and integrity. Call today for a free consultation!

Chair, Intellectual Property Practice | Omnus LawRegistered Patent Attorney – Lake Forest, IL. Steven Shape is a highly accomplished attorney and the Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice at Omnus Law. Based in Lake Forest, IL, Steven brings over 40 years of experience in intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and IP litigation. A Registered Patent Attorney with the USPTO, Steven has successfully guided clients through complex IP matters across diverse industries and international jurisdictions.. Steven’s practice focuses on patent prosecution, trademark registration, IP portfolio management, and intellectual property litigation. He has represented clients in high-stakes proceedings before U.S. federal courts, the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), as well as global forums including the European Patent Office and Japanese Patent Office.. From AI and software to blockchain, fintech, medical devices, chemical processes, and advanced manufacturing, Steven offers strategic counsel on protecting innovations and enforcing IP rights. His clients range from startups to Fortune 500 companies, and he has deep expertise in negotiating licensing agreements and technology transfers on a global scale.. Steven also advises on the intellectual property dimensions of mergers and acquisitions, helping businesses secure and monetize their intangible assets. A published author and frequent speaker on topics like AI-driven patent strategies and global IP enforcement, Steven is a recognized thought leader in the field.. When not practicing law, Steven enjoys flying as a private pilot, refereeing ice hockey games, and working hands-on with computer systems and audio/video technologies.. Whether you're seeking to protect your innovations, resolve an IP dispute, or navigate a complex licensing deal, Steven Shape offers the experience and insight to help you succeed.. Practice Areas:

Brian earned his Bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Michigan in 1997, where he also became fluent in Spanish.  He then attended law school at the University of Illinois College of Law.  He graduated in 1997 and became licensed to practice law that same year.. Brian began working at a prominent defense firm in Chicago where he focused on mass tort and medical malpractice cases.  Those included asbestos, latex glove and Fen-Phen cases.. Brian then joined a Plantiff’s law firm in 1999 where he quickly rose to partner. He spent more than sixteen years at that firm where his practice was devoted solely to the areas of medical malpractice, nursing home and catastrophic personal injury matters. During that time, Brian was instrumental in obtaining several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients. Those included a $17.3 million settlement for a woman hit by a bus, a $17 million settlement for a person hit by a car in her driveway, a $7 million settlement for a newborn baby who was given an overdose of medication in the hospital, a $4.8 million verdict for a woman whose surgeon committed medical malpractice, a $4.25 million settlement for a baby due to medical negligence, a $1.75 million settlement for a man who was dropped in a hopsital and suffered a mild brain injury, and a $1.2 million settlement/verdict for a seventy-three year old man whose doctors committed malpractice.. Brian is an active member of the Lake County Bar Association. He is currently the Second Vice President of the organization and will take over as President in 2018.  In 2012 he was first elected to the Board of Directors and in 2015 he was elected to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. He is the chairman of the Civil Trial and Appeals Committee for the Bar Association and frequently gives presentations on trial topics and issues.. Brian is nationally recognized for his high-tech approach to streamlining trials with technology and was featured in the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Journal for his technologically-advanced trial work. Brian regularly gives presentations to lawyers, paralegals, and law students.. Brian is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association where he serves on the Board of Advocates. He is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and American Association for Justice.

Attorney Donald G. Olsen is the owner and founder of Waypoint Estate and Business Planning and the Law Offices of Donald G. Olsen P.C.  Since 1989, Don has helped a wide range of clients confidently navigate complex estate and business planning issues. Don closely collaborates with other attorneys, financial planners, accountants, and insurance professionals in order to achieve the specialized planning goals of each and every client, one client at a time.. Don has extensive experience in all phases of estate planning, probate and trust administration, and estate and gift tax issues.  A particular focus of Don’s practice is devoted to helping families which have children or other family members with disabilities and special needs.. As a member of the American Academy of Special Needs Planners and other national organizations, Don is keenly aware of the legal issues which every special needs family must address in order to provide a secure future for their loved ones. Working as a team with social workers, benefit consultants, care managers and other advocates, Don can give the special needs family the peace of mind of knowing that they have put in place the legal foundation and support network needed to ensure that their vulnerable loved ones can lead a happy and productive life.. Don knows first-hand the challenges facing the special needs family. He and wife Maura are the proud parents of two sons. Cody and his younger brother Nicholas, who was diagnosed with autism in 1996, at the age of three. Nicholas is a happy young adult and continues to enjoy his many long time hobbies, with computer video games and drawing being at the top of his list. Nicholas currently enjoys working at the Great Lake Naval Base in a position with Goodwill Industries... Don received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois in 1985, and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, Washington in 1988. Don is licensed to practice in the state of Illinois (1991), state of WIsconsin (2021) and before the U.S. Tax Court (1993).. Memberships

Attorney Amy Handler Kasallis founded the Law Office of Amy Handler Kasallis in 2006 to serve families with unique needs.. Amy has been practicing law for nearly 30 years, the majority of which she has concentrated her practice in the areas of guardianship and special needs-focused estate planning. As a mother of a young adult son with Autism, she brings both extensive personal and professional experience to her practice.. Amy provides clients with legal assistance from a place of understanding and compassion. She knows that when parents have a child with a disability, decisions about planning for the future can be complicated and emotional. She helps her clients to understand options, navigate complexities, and find the right tools to help on their unique journeys.. Amy is frequently appointed by the court to act as Guardian ad Litem in adult disabled guardianship matters. She has served as the committee chair for the Trusts & Estates Committee for Lake County Bar Association. She is also a frequent presenter on the topics of adult disabled guardianship, guardianship alternatives, and special needs planning for both parents' groups and her fellow attorneys.

As Partner of Trowbridge Sidoti,LLP I am please to work with my law partner Jillian Sidoti.  Collectively we have written securities offerings for approximately $1Billion in debt and equit.

As an accomplished Matrimonial and Family Law practitioner, Ms. McAlister understands that her clients are real people facing emotionally challenging decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. She is an experienced litigator known for her tenacity in the courtroom, yet she is accessible and sensitive to her clients throughout case proceedings.. Ms. McAlister is skilled in handling divorces involving substantial assets and complex estates, including the identification and valuation of real estate, securities, business interests, retirement funds, pension plans, tax shelters, overseas accounts, stock options, trusts, and other sources of wealth.. Ms. McAlister has over 10 years of experience representing clients in all areas of family law, dispute resolution, and litigation. Areas of expertise include divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time/child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, prenuptial/postnuptial agreements, equitable distribution, and separation and settlement agreements. We also handle complex financial issues, matters involving corporate valuations, non-marital tracing, asset protection, and grandparent visitation.

Andrew C. Carlton's professional roots are tied to the construction and real-estate industries. Though Mr. Carlton began his construction experience in 1977, he obtained a real estate license in the mid 1980s and specialized in commercial properties in downtown Los Angeles. In 1989, he obtained his contractor’s license and formed, owned and operated a design/build firm for six years.. Mr. Carlton attended President Nixon's alma mater, Whittier College, where he received L.A. Philanthropic Foundation and Haynes Foundation scholarships, a Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Graduate in Major, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in History. Mr. Carlton also attended Whittier Law School where he received his Juris Doctorate in 2000. While there, he was a Roy Newsom and Merit Scholarship recipient and received the CALI Excellence For The Future Award for Professional Responsibility and Third-Year Writing.. His Appellate publications include: BFGC Architects Planners, Inc. v. Forcum/Mackey Construction, Inc. et al. (2004) 119 Cal. App. 4th 848; 14 Cal. Rptr. 3d 721 - no right for architect to pursue claim for equitable indemnity against general contractor where no basis for tort liability exists against the proposed general contractor/indemnitor; Force Framing, Inc. v. Chinatrust Bank et al. (2010) 187 Cal. App. 4th 1368 - so long as the information provided in a Preliminary 20-day Notice is obtained from a sufficiently reliable source, such as from the owner, a contractor need not investigate extraneous sources to verify said information; Mepco Services, Inc., v. Saddleback Valley Unified School District, et (2010) 189 Cal. App. 4th 1027 - a contractor may recover attorneys' fees under an attorneys' fees clause contained in a performance bond, despite the absence of an attorney's fees clause in the parties' contract.. Mr. Carlton has lectured on various construction related subjects including "Change Orders in California" (Lorman Education Services), and was published in Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, "The Tools Available to Contractors for Recovery of Attorney's Fees", in January 2012. He has also authored and published "The ABCs To CYA: Subcontractors (and Material and Equipment Providers) on Private Works" and "The ABCs To CYA: Subcontractors (and Material and Equipment Providers) on Public Works", which are self-help guides for subcontractors and material and equipment providers in California. He has lectured and/or written on various other construction related subjects, as well. Mr. Carlton was voted Affiliate of the Year by the Engineering Contractors Association, in 2011, served on the Engineering Contractors Association's Board of Directors in 2016 and 2017, and was the chairman of the Southern California Contractors Association's Legal Committee in 2014 and 2015.. Mr. Carlton is admitted to practice before all the courts of the State of California, the United States District Court, Central District, the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and also before the Supreme Court of the United States.

"It is my goal that each client be well informed and educated about all the retirement plans involved in a case before deciding whether and how to divide the retirement plans as part of an equitable resolution of the entire case.". Retirement plans are often one of the most valuable assets in a divorce. There are many different types of retirement plans, and the rules and regulations regarding division of the plans are complex.  I concentrates my practice exclusively on the evaluation and analysis of retirement plans in association with the litigation of complex family law matters.  My mastery on the subject allows me to educate clients about their retirement plans, explain the options available for dividing the plans, and maximize the assets. Not only do I have a J.D., I earned, with honors, an L.L.M in Employee Benefits from the John Marshall Law School.  I am uniquely qualified to prepare Qualified Domestic Relations Orders and other orders dividing retirement plans.  Ms. Voigt strongly believes that time spent analyzing retirement plans while the divorce is pending will save the client time and money.