John L. Barger is a Member of Craig and Craig LLC, in Mattoon, where he practices in the areas of agricultural law, real estate, civil litigation, municipal law, drainage law, and estate planning and administration. Barger is a member of the American and Illinois State Bar Associations, the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, the Bar Association for the Federal District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) School of Law and his B.A. from Eastern Illinois University.
Patrick K. Bond a Member of Bond, Dickson & Associates, P.C., in Wheaton. Bond is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association. He received degrees from DePaul University College of Law and Marquette University.
Kathleen Elliott is Of Counsel with Robbins Schwartz, in Lisle, and focuses her practice on local government law. Elliott has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Law Bulletin Publishing Company and a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters. She is Past Chair of the Home Rule Attorneys Committee of the Illinois Municipal League and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association. She received her undergraduate degree from Drake University and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Honorable John T. Elsner is General Counsel for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, in Wheaton. Judge Elsner served as a judge in the 18th Judicial Court from 2000 until his retirement in 2014. He was unanimously elected by his fellow circuit judges as Chief Judge in 2011. Judge Elsner received his J.D. from Northern Illinois University School of Law.
Shawn P. Flaherty is a Senior Partner at Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd., in Naperville, and concentrates his practice in public safety, local government, and labor and employment issues. Flaherty was a recipient of the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts Appreciation Award in 2016 and is licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin. He received his B.A. from Illinois State University and his J.D. from the Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he was Editor in Chief of the NIU Law Review, Volume 16.
Marlene S. Fuentes is an associate in Tressler LLP’s Government Practice Group, in Chicago. Fuentes focuses on day-to-day operations and administrative proceedings for government clients, particularly educational institutions and municipalities. She previously was Senior Assistant General Counsel for the Board of Education of the City of Chicago and served as lead legal counsel for Chicago Public Schools and Chicago-area charter schools.
James J. Hess is Senior Counsel with Tressler LLP, in Bolingbrook, where he concentrates his practice in local government and municipal representation and litigation law. Hess was recognized as a Super Lawyer in 2022 and 2021 and is an annual presenter at the Illinois Municipal League Conference and the Illinois Association of Park Districts Conference. He received his B.A. at Butler University and his J.D. from Northern Illinois University College of Law.
Brian F. Johnson is Executive Director of the Greater Peoria Sanitary District. Johnson is a member of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies, and the Illinois State Bar Association. He received his B.S. from Bradley University and his J.D. cum laude from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Phillip B. Lenzini is Of Counsel at Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C., in Peoria, where he focuses his practice in local government. Lenzini is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and has been the Illinois Library Association’s Library Luminary Honoree. He received his B.A. magna cum laude from Southern Illinois University and his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law. His law school later named Lenzini Alumni of the Year and gave him its Alumni Achievement Award.
Deanna S. Mool is the Chief Legal Officer at Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, in Boone, N.C., where she concentrates her practice in healthcare law. Mool is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys, and is licensed to practice in Illinois, North Carolina, and Indiana. She received her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law and her B.S. from the University of Illinois.
John M. O’Driscoll is a Partner at Tressler LLP in Bolingbrook, where he concentrates his practice on local government law. He has been selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers every year since 2012 and serves on the Illinois Municipal League’s Home Rule Committee. He has received the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel President’s Award and Meritorious Service Award. Mr. O’Driscoll received his B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
John M. O’Driscoll is a Partner based out of Tressler LLP’s Bolingbrook and Chicago offices. His practice includes representing companies and individuals in business disagreements and providing general counsel services to local governmental bodies such as municipalities, school districts, library districts, and park districts. He has been selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers for 2012 – 2014 and in Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars from 2008 – 2011. He has also been recognized as a Leading Lawyer by the Leading Lawyers Network. He has received the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel’s President’s Award and also the Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding service as co-chair of the IDC Commercial Litigation Committee. He is the Chair of the IDC’s Local Governmental Law Committee.
Andrew S. Paine is a Partner in Tressler LLP’s local government law practice in Chicago. Paine focuses his practice on the representation of Illinois park districts, municipalities, and other governmental entities in transactional- and litigation-related matters. Paine has been selected as an emerging lawyer by Illinois Leading Lawyers from 2015 to 2023. He earned his B.A. cum laude from Beloit College and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.
Ann R. Pieper is an attorney at Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C., in Peoria, and concentrates her practice in municipal law, litigation, mediation, and guardian ad litem work. Pieper is a member of the Illinois State, Peoria County, and Tazewell County Bar Associations. She received her J.D. from Northern Illinois University, her M.A. from Loyola University, and her B.A. from Knox College.
James S. Sinclair is a Principal at Stobbs, Sinclair & Livingstone, Ltd., in Alton, and focuses his practice on local government law and general civil practice. Sinclair is counsel to the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts and is licensed in Illinois and Missouri. He received his J.D. from Washington University, his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin, and his B.A. from the University of Illinois.
M. Neal Smith is a Partner at Robbins Schwartz in Lisle and Rockford, where he concentrates his practice on commercial law, construction law, litigation, municipal law, real estate development, zoning and planning, and land use. He is a member of the American, Chicago, and Illinois Bar Associations. Mr. Smith received his B.A. from Hampden-Sydney College and his J.D. cum laude from Northern Illinois University College of Law.
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