Jake J. Bennett is an associateat Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd., in Chicago, where he focuses his practice in the areas of corporate, finance, and acquisitions; commercial, competition, and trade; and data privacy and security. Bennett is a member of the American Bar Association and the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He has also received his CIPP/US certification. Bennett received his B.A. from the University of Colorado and his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Tori Campbell is an associate atDLA Piper LLP (US), in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in the areas of commercial real estate investment, leasing, financing, acquisitions and dispositions, the real estate aspects of mergers and acquisitions, real property development, and general real estate due diligence. Campbell is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and received her B.A. from Grinnell College and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
Ronald S. Cope is a Partner at Schain, Banks, Kenny & Schwartz, Ltd., in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on land use, municipal law, and litigation. He has been recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” since 2008, authored THE ZONING AND LAND USE HANDBOOK published by the American Bar Association, and taught business law courses at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business for 18 years. He is a member of the American, Illinois State, and Chicago Bar Associations. Cope received both his B.A. and his J.D. from the University of Chicago.
Steven M. Elrod is a Managing Partner at Elrod Friedman LLP, in Chicago, where he focuses on land use and local government law. He is a Past President of the Chicago Bar Association, a Founding Member of the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, and an adjunct professor at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where he was named Adjunct Professor of the Year (2012 – 2013). Elrod received his B.S. from Tulane University and his J.D. from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Keith W. Groebe is a Principal at Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd., in Chicago, where he focuses on real estate. He is a member of the American and Chicago Bar Associations and rated by Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent in Real Property Law. Groebe received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Illinois and his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.
Timothy J. Hammersmith, Jr., is a Principal at Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd., in Chicago, where his primary areas of practice include a broad spectrum of real estate disciplines and commercial matters. He is a frequent author on real estate issues such as taxation, site selection and real estate development incentives, and landlord/tenant matters. For two years, he also served as an adjunct professor for the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. He has served on the Illinois State Bar Association’s State and Local Taxation Section Council. Hammersmith earned his B.S. from the University of South Florida and his J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, where he was a member of the law review.
James A. Hochman is a Partner at Schain, Banks, Kenny & Schwartz, Ltd., in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on real estate transactions, real estate brokerage law, commercial litigation, and civil defense litigation. He represents many commercial real estate brokerage firms, landlords, tenants, and commercial real estate investors, assisting in all phases of commercial and residential real estate. Hochman also actively supports license portability legislation for commercial real estate brokers, and he is the architect and drafter of statutes in several states on this issue. He sponsored (and coauthored) the Illinois Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act. Hochman is also a licensed real estate managing broker and serves as a faculty member for the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), teaching a course in commercial real estate leases and lease negotiations. Hochman received his B.A. cum laude from Brown University and his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Eugene S. Kraus is a Partner at Scott & Kraus, LLC, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on banking, commercial, and real estate litigation. He has tried bench and jury cases to verdict in both state and federal courts and is a member of the American, Illinois State, and Chicago Bar Associations. He received his B.A. from Lake Forest College and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Haley J. Mulherin is an associate with Scott & Kraus, LLC, in Chicago, where she focuses on corporate litigation. Mulherin is a member of the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations and was a judicial intern for Justice Michael B. Hyman in the First Appellate District. She earned her B.B.A. in Marketing from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Stacy A. Osmond is a Partner at DLA Piper LLP (US), in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice on real estate. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2019 – 2024). Osmond received her B.A. summa cum laude from University of Missouri-St. Louis and her J.D. summa cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law, where she was valedictorian and Managing Editor of the Saint Louis University Law Journal.
Mitchell Pollard is an associate at Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd., in Chicago, where he focuses on commercial real estate. Pollard received his B.S. magna cum laude from the University of Dayton, his M.B.A. from the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics, and his J.D. from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, where he was an Articles Editor for the University of Memphis Law Review and served as a research assistant to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Jason R. Sleezer is a Partner with Scott & Kraus, LLC, in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice in commercial litigation. He earned his B.A. from North Central College, where he was a Richter Fellow, and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, where he was a Sullivan Fellow.
Robert J. Taylor is a Partner with Gould & Ratner LLP, in Chicago, where he has a diverse real estate, finance, and corporate practice, representing both institutional and entrepreneurial clients in a wide range of matters. Taylor is a member of the Chicago and American Bar Associations and has been recognized by Best Lawyers (2024 – 2025). He earned his B.S. from the University of Illinois and his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
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