RONALD R. PETERSON, Partner Full Bio Chicago Office Office: (312) 923-2981 Fax: (312) 840-7381 Email: rpeterson@jenner.com

Sixty-eight Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named Illinois Super Lawyers in its annual guide to the “top 5 percent of attorneys” in the state.

Published in the February 2010 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, the list recognizes attorneys through a comprehensive, peer-reviewed based evaluation process, which includes surveying thousands of attorneys and asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.

Partners E. Lynn Grayson, Ronald R. Peterson, Charles B. Sklarsky, Jerold S. Solovy, Thomas P. Sullivan, Howard S. Suskin and Anton R. Valukas are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2010,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and the blue ribbon review process. Mr. Valukas  is also listed in the magazine’s “The Top 10” attorneys overall.

Partners E. Lynn Grayson, Linda L. Listrom, Terri L. Mascherin and Catherine L. Steege are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2010” for the highest point totals.

Partners Gregory M. Boyle, John F. Cox, Jason J. Green, Suzanne J. Prysak, Joseph A. Saltiel, Sally K. Sears Coder, John R. Storino along with Associates Matthew R. Devine, Olivia T. Luk, Shana A. Shifrin, Marc D. Sokol and Staff Attorney Shyni R. Varghese were among the magazine’s “2010 Illinois Rising Stars,” which noted the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners recognized by Super Lawyers includes (listed by primary area of practice):

Antitrust Litigation
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.

Appellate
Barry Levenstam

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Vincent E. Lazar
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Robert L. Byman
Richard T. Franch
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
R. Douglas Rees
Eric A. Sacks
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Richard P. Steinken
Anton R. Valukas

Communications
John R. Harrington

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense
Chris C. Gair

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Gabriel A. Fuentes
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan

Employee Benefits/ERISA
Matthew J. Renaud
William L. Scogland

Employment & Labor
Carla J. Rozycki

Environmental
Robert L. Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman   

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment/Media/Advertising
David P. Sanders

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
David Jiménez-Ekman
John B. Simon
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
Christopher C. Dickinson
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property
Reginald J. Hill

Intellectual Property Litigation
Aaron A. Barlow
Richard J. Gray
Donald R. Harris
Harry J. Roper
Steven R. Trybus

Mergers & Acquisitions
Joseph P. Gromacki
Thaddeus J. Malik
Thomas A. Monson

Personal Injury Defense: Products
Philip L. Harris

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Securities Litigation
C. John Koch
Ronald L. Marmer
J. Kevin McCall
Howard S. Suskin

Tax
John J. Buttita
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball
Gail H. Morse

Thirty-three Jenner & Block Partners were recently selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  The Firm was also ranked #1 in Illinois and Chicago in the categories of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, and Education Law.   In addition, the Firm was ranked #1 in Chicago in the Collaborative Law and Family Law categories. 

This year’s The Best Lawyers in America list marks the 27th edition.  The list is compiled based on more than 2.8 million evaluations of lawyers by other leading attorneys from around the country in the same or a related practice area.

The 33 Jenner & Block partners selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition are:

Appellate Law
James T. Malysiak
Paul M. Smith

Antitrust Law
John F. Kinney

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Lee A Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative (Family Law)
James Feldman

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Education Law
Lisa T. Scruggs

Environmental Law
Bill S. Forcade
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
Christopher C. Dickinson
Matthew L. Jacobs
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.
Jerold Oshinsky

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

International Arbitration
Lawrence S. Schaner

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Thirty Jenner & Block attorneys, a record number for the Firm, were recently recognized in the 2009 edition of Chambers USA.

Chambers USA is a prestigious and widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who have demonstrated "technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment" and other qualities valued by clients, according to their research.  Chambers’ 2009 rankings are based on over 14,000 interviews with clients and other attorneys, and rely heavily on unprompted testimonials. 

The below links reference Chambers' commentary on Jenner & Block's practices and partners that were featured in the publication. Also, below is a list of the attorneys who were individually recognized in the publication.

National

• Appellate Law
• Government: Government Contracts
• International Arbitration
  

District of Columbia

• Insurance: Policy Holder
• Media & Entertainment
• Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory
  

Illinois

• Antitrust
• Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Communications
• Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
• Environment
• Insurance: Coverage Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation: General Commercial
• Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
• Media & Entertainment: Litigation
• Real Estate

The partners listed below were recognized by Chambers as among the leading practitioners in their practices areas: 

Andrew Bart - Media & Entertainment: Copyright & Contract Disputes (New York)

David Churchill  - Government: Government Contracts (National)

Jeffrey Colman  -  Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)

W. Jay DeVecchio - Government: Government Contracts (National)
 
Christopher Dickinson - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (Illinois) 
 
Bill Forcade - Environment: Litigation (Illinois)  
 
Lee Freeman - Antitrust (Illinois) 
 
Chris Gair - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)  
 
Robert Graham - Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois)  
 
E. Lynn Grayson  - Environment: Mainly Transactional (Illinois)
 
Joseph Gromacki - Corporate/M&A (Illinois)
 
John Harrington - Communications (Illinois)   
 
Matthew Jacobs - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (District of Columbia)
 
Vincent Lazar  - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois)  
 
Lorelie Masters - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (District of Columbia)
 
John Mathias  - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (Illinois)   
 
Daniel Murray - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) 

Jerold Oshinsky - Insurance Coverage Litigation: Policyholder (District of Columbia) (National)

Ronald Peterson  -  Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) 
 
Donald Resnick - Real Estate (Illinois) 
 
Harry Roper  - Intellectual Property (Illinois) 
 
David Sanders - Media & Entertainment (Illinois)
 
Lawrence Schaner - International Arbitration (National)   
   
Charles Sklarsky - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois)  
 
Paul Smith - Appellate Law (National); First Amendment Litigation (National); Media & Entertainment (District of Columbia)
 
Jerold Solovy - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois)  

Catherine Steege - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois) 

Thomas Sullivan - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); Trial Lawyers (National) 
 
Anton Valukas - Litigation: General Commercial (Illinois); Trial Lawyers (National); White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Illinois)
 
James Vroman - Environment: Litigation (Illinois) 

For over a decade, tens of thousands of homeowners, developers, and intermediaries who had purchased defective and potentially unsafe furnaces manufactured by the now bankrupt Consolidated Industries Corp. have been wondering whether they would ever receive funds from the company to recoup their repair and replacement expenses.

On Friday, those claimants, as well as other creditors, moved a step closer to receiving some of those funds because of a settlement that ends the long running dispute between the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee of Consolidated, Daniel Freeland, against Enodis Corporation.  Jenner & Block has represented Mr. Freeland since 2000 to assist him in prosecuting claims against the former owners of Consolidated, who had taken in excess of $38 million from the company, nearly all of its capital, in fraudulent transfers to Enodis at a time when Consolidated was insolvent and facing significant exposure for warranty, products liability and other claims.

Under the terms of the settlement, Enodis will pay the Trustee $69.5 million plus 5% interest on the settlement amount until it is paid and release claims against the bankruptcy estate that it asserted and that it bought from other creditors totaling over $20 million. The settlement is subject to approval by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana, which is hoped will occur by late March.

In May 2008, the court approved an over $50 million settlement of the 1998 class action lawsuit between the Trustee and a nation-wide class of consumers who had purchased defective Consolidated.  Some of the funds from Friday’s settlement should go toward the class action settlement.  Consolidated first filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 1998, and it was converted to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in August 2000.

In 2004, the Bankruptcy Court entered a judgment in favor of the Trustee on his fraudulent transfer claims, ruling that Consolidated Industries had made actual fraudulent transfers to Enodis Corporation.  The fraudulent transfers were conducted involving an unusual system of “dividend notes” that declared dividends in excess of the company’s value with high interest payments tied to the company’s centralized cash management system.

After multiple appeals by Enodis, in September 2008, the Seventh Circuit affirmed most of the bankruptcy court's judgment.  The appeals court also remanded the case for a number of issues, including a ruling on the Trustee’s alter ego claims, which he had lost on jurisdictional grounds in the Bankruptcy Court, but were reinstated by the Seventh Circuit.

In another appeal in 2005, Jenner & Block obtained a favorable ruling before the Seventh Circuit when it dismissed an appeal by Enodis Corporation that sought to force the Trustee to settle an $8 million personal injury suit in Alabama under terms that were objectionable to the Trustee and creditors.

The case was tried by Jenner & Block Partners Joel T. Pelz and Catherine L. Steege, with assistance from Partner Ronald R. Peterson and Associate Christie Childers.  Partner Barry Levenstam and Associate Andrew J. Olejnik assisted with the appeals.  Associates David H. Hixson and Landon S. Raiford have worked on the post-remand proceedings.  Partner Carter H. Klein assisted with documenting the settlement and the letters of credit that secured the original judgment and will pay most of the settlement amount.

Seventy-two Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named Illinois Super Lawyers in its annual guide to the “top 5 percent of attorneys” in the state.

Published in the February 2009 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, the list recognizes attorneys through a comprehensive, peer-reviewed based evaluation process, which includes surveying thousands of attorneys and asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.

Partners Joseph G. Bisceglia, Ronald R. Peterson, Charles Sklarsky, Jerold S. Solovy, Thomas P. Sullivan, Howard S. Suskin and Anton R. Valukas are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2009,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and the blue ribbon review process. Mr. Solovy is also listed in the magazine’s “The Top 10” attorneys overall.

Partners E. Lynn Grayson, Linda L. Listrom, Terri L. Mascherin and Catherine L. Steege are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2009” for the highest point totals.

Partners John F. Cox, Jeffrey A. Koppy, Anthony C. Porcelli, Suzanne J. Prysak, John R. Storino and Christopher P. Tompkins along with Associates Irina Y. Dmitrieva, Sean C. Herring, Olivia T. Luk, Shana A. Shifrin, Marc D. Sokol, Sara E. Tonnies and Shyni R. Varghese were among the magazine’s “2009 Illinois Rising Stars,” which noted the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners recognized by Super Lawyers includes (listed by primary area of practice):

Appellate
Barry Levenstam
Barry Sullivan

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Vincent E. Lazar
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Michael T. Brody
Patricia A. Bronte
Robert L. Byman
Richard T. Franch
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
Joel T. Pelz
Douglas R. Rees
Eric A. Sacks
David P. Sanders
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Richard P. Steinken
Anton R. Valukas

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Charles Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan

Employee Benefits/ERISA
Matthew J. Renaud
William L. Scogland

Environmental
Robert L. Graham 
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade
Gabrielle Sigel

Estate Planning & Probate
John J. Buttita

Family Law
James H. Feldman

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Daniel J. Hurtado
David E. Jimenez-Ekman
Thomas J. McCarthy
John B. Simon
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
Christopher C. Dickinson
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property
Reginald J. Hill

Intellectual Property Litigation
Aaron A. Barlow
Richard J. Gray
Donald R. Harris
Harry J. Roper
Steven R. Trybus

Mergers & Acquisitions
Joseph P. Gromacki
Thaddeus J. Malik
Thomas A. Monson

Personal Injury Defense: Products
Philip L. Harris
Lise T. Spacapan

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Litigation
Ronald L. Marmer
J. Kevin McCall
Howard S. Suskin

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Tax
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball
Gail H. Morse

Utilities
John R. Harrington

Thirty Jenner & Block Partners were recently designated for inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. The Firm was also recognized as the number one law firm in Chicago and the State of Illinois with the most attorneys featured in the categories of "Bet-the-Company Litigation,” “Education Law,” and “Collaborative Law: Family Law." In addition, the Firm was named top law firm in Chicago in the "White-Collar Criminal Defense" category.

Published annually, the 2009 edition marks the 26th year of The Best Lawyers in America listing.  This edition of Best Lawyers is based on over 1.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by leading attorneys throughout the country who were given the opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas.

The 30 Jenner & Block partners included in the 2009 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative Law: Family Law
James H. Feldman

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarksy
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Education Law
Lisa Scruggs

Environmental Law
Bill S. Forcade
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
Matthew L. Jacobs
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

In a major victory for Jenner & Block client Daniel Freeland, the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee of Consolidated Industries Corporation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit last week affirmed in substantial part a large judgment for the Trustee.  

The court found that Consolidated Industries had made actual fraudulent transfers to its former owner, Enodis Corporation, at a time when Consolidated Industries was insolvent and facing significant exposure for products liability and other claims arising out of defective furnaces it manufactured and sold.

The court affirmed over $40 million of the judgment, with the remainder remanded for additional findings. The court also vacated a judgment entered for the defendants on the Trustee's alter ego claims and remanded for further proceedings, which may allow the Trustee to obtain significant additional monies.

Partners Catherine L. Steege, Joel T. Pelz and Ronald R. Peterson, with assistance from Associate Christine L. Childers, successfully handled the trial court matters on behalf of the Trustee.  Partner Barry Levenstam and Associate David H. Hixson assisted with the appeals, and Partner Carter H. Klein helped secure the judgments by negotiating the terms of a letter of credit. 

Twenty-nine Jenner & Block partners and many of the Firm’s practice areas were recently featured in the 2008 edition of Chambers USA.

Chambers is a widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who according to their research have demonstrated “technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment” and other qualities valued by clients.  Chambers’ 2007 rankings are based on over 14,000 interviews with clients and other attorneys, and rely heavily on unprompted testimonials.

The below links reference Chambers’ commentary on Jenner & Block’s practices and partners that were featured in the publication. Also below is a list of the attorneys who were individually recognized in the publication, listed by practice area.

In March 2009, Chambers USA released the names of the Jenner & Block attorneys selected for the 2009 edition. Please click here for more information.

National

• Appellate Law
• Government Contracts

District of Columbia

• Insurance: Policy Holder
• Litigation: Appellate
• Media & Entertainment
• Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory

Illinois

• Antitrust
• Bankruptcy/Restructuring
• Communications
• Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
• Environment
• Insurance: Coverage Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation: General Commercial
• Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
• Media & Entertainment: Litigation
• Real Estate

New York

• Media & Entertainment: Theater, Film, Television & Music

The partners listed below were recognized by Chambers as among the leading practitioners in the following practice areas:

Antitrust: Lee A. Freeman, Jr.

Bankruptcy: Ronald R. Peterson, Catherine L. Steege

Corporate/M&A:  Joseph P. Gromacki

Environment: Bill S. Forcade, Robert L. Graham, E. Lynn Grayson, James A. Vroman

First Amendment Litigation: Paul M. Smith

Government Contracts: David A. Churchill, W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance: Christopher C. Dickinson, Matthew L. Jacobs, Lorelie S. Masters, John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property: Harry J. Roper

Litigation: Charles B. Sklarsky, Jeffrey D. Colman, Chris C. Gair, Paul M. Smith, Jerold S. Solovy, Barry Sullivan, Thomas P. Sullivan, Anton R. Valukas, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Media & Entertainment: David P. Sanders, Thomas J. Perrelli, Paul M. Smith

Real Estate: Donald I. Resnick

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite/Communications: John R. Harrington, Mark D. Schneider, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

White-Collar Criminal Defense & Government Investigations: Charles B. Sklarsky, Anton R. Valukas

Sixty-six Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named Illinois Super Lawyers in its fourth annual guide to the “top 5 percent of attorneys” in the state.

Published in the­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ January 2007 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, the list recognizes attorneys through a comprehensive, peer-review-based evaluation process, which includes surveying thousands of attorneys and asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.

Chairman of the Firm Anton R. Valukas, Chairman Emeritus of the Firm Jerold S. Solovy, and Partners Donald R. Harris, William D. Heinz, Charles B. Sklarsky, Thomas P. Sullivan, and Howard S. Suskin are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2008,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and the blue ribbon review process. Mr. Valukas is also listed in the magazine’s “The Top 10” attorneys overall. 

Partners Patricia A. Bronte, Linda L. Listrom, Terri L. Mascherin, and Catherine L. Steege are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2008” for the highest point totals.

Partners John F. Cox, Jeffrey A. Koppy, Anthony C. Porcelli, Suzanne J. Prysak and Michael T. Wolf along with Associate Shana A. Shifrin were among the magazine’s “2008 Illinois Rising Stars,” which noted the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state.

Additionally, this issue of Illinois Super Lawyers featured Partner Thomas P. Sullivan in a cover profile story honoring his “prolific legal career” and unfaltering commitment to fairness and justice. 

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners recognized by Super Lawyers includes (listed by primary area of practice):

Appellate
Barry Levenstam
Barry Sullivan

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Michael T. Brody
Patricia L. Bronte
Robert L. Byman
Richard T. Franch
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Edward F. Malone
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
James A. McKenna
David P. Sanders
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Anton R. Valukas

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan

Employee Benefits/ ERISA
William L. Scogland

Environmental
Robert L. Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
Gabrielle Sigel
James Vroman

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment/Media/Advertising
Debbie L. Berman

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Daniel J. Hurtado
Thomas J. McCarthy
John B. Simon
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
Christopher C. Dickinson
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property
Reginald J. Hill

Intellectual Property Litigation
Aaron A. Barlow
Donald R. Harris
Raymond N. Nimrod
Harry J. Roper
C. Steven Tomashefsky

Mergers & Acquisitions
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick
Everett S. Ward

Securities Litigation
Ronald L. Marmer
J. Kevin McCall
Thomas J. McCarthy
Howard S. Suskin

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Tax
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball

Rising Stars

Business Litigation
Jeffrey A. Koppy
Suzanne J. Prysak

General Litigation
Anthony C. Porcelli
Shana A. Shifrin

Mergers & Acquisitions
John F. Cox
Michael T. Wolf

Jenner & Block recently helped a client who had been erroneously assessed over $185,000 in taxes by the IRS as a result of her ex-husband’s business activities.

In 2001, the client’s then husband requested that she consent to having her social security number be associated with the husband’s sole proprietorship’s bank account and she agreed.  The husband continued to operate his business while the Firm’s client worked part time as a school bus driver earning less than $12,000 a year.

In 2004, the client’s husband was arrested and imprisoned on various charges and she divorced him.  The client then discovered that her husband had failed to file their income taxes for 2001-2003 and because the police had impounded her husband’s computer with all of their records, she had no way to accurately file the taxes.

According to the Firm’s team, when the IRS assessed the disputed claim against the client, they analyzed the husband’s business bank account which, in 2001, had become associated with the client’s social security number.

Jenner & Block Associate Kris Tina Carlston responded to the IRS arguing that because the amounts alleged to have been earned by the client were actually amounts paid to the husband’s business and deposited into the business’ bank account, the income should not be attributed to the client.  The IRS answered, stating that the client would only be required to file tax returns for the income she received from her bus driving job.

Partners Steven R. Meier and Ronald R. Peterson, along with Ms. Carlston, represented the client in this pro bono matter.

In a victory for Jenner & Block client First American Bank, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida summarily affirmed a bankruptcy court’s prior disallowance of an opponent creditor’s claim.  The district court decision cites the bankruptcy court’s “well reasoned” order and states that the "factual findings contained in the [bankruptcy court's] order were supported by the evidence.”

When Titan Cruise Lines filed for Chapter 11 relief in August 2005, First American Bank asserted a timely secured claim against the debtor’s estate.  Subsequently, the opponent filed an untimely unsecured claim for an alleged personal injury that was the subject of a state court lawsuit. 

In early 2006, the bankruptcy court permitted the opponent’s unsecured claim and also approved a sale of “substantially all” the debtor’s property.  As negotiated by the parties, the sale order provided that a portion of the sale proceeds would be carved out from the Bank’s lien for the estate’s unsecured creditors, while the remainder of the proceeds would be placed in an account for secured creditors. 

At issue in this dispute was a second claim filed by the opponent after the property transaction closed, which recharacterized his original unsecured claim as a secured lien “that took priority over the Bank’s ship mortgage and over the Bank’s interest in the account for secured creditors.”  According to the Firm’s brief, the claim was “not grounded in fact,” but was a “bait-and-switch” borne out of “cynical opportunism” that would prejudice both the Bank and the other parties involved in the debtor’s reorganization. 

Evaluating the opponent’s secured claim under factors set forth in United States v. International Horizons, Inc. (11th Cir. 1985), the bankruptcy court agreed that the Bank relied to its detriment on the unsecured status of the opponent’s claim and that the reliance was justified under the circumstances.  The bankruptcy court disallowed the claim and the federal court affirmed the ruling in favor of First American Bank. 

Partners Ronald R. Peterson and Terence G. Banich led the Jenner & Block team representing First American Bank in this matter.  According to Mr. Peterson, “this decision properly gives effect to the parties’ complex set of compromises that took place prior to the sale of the debtor’s vessels.”

“If bankruptcy courts allowed deals to be undone as casually as the opponent wanted, the collaborative, resolution-minded atmosphere of most successful reorganization cases would be irreparably chilled,” said Mr. Banich. 

Four Jenner & Block Partners were included in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers,” a list “encompassing lawyers at the top of the corporate worlds, from M&As and IPOs to project financings and real estate deals,” according to the magazine.

Partner Joseph P. Gromacki, Chair of the Firm’s Corporate Practice and member of the Firm’s Policy Committee, was recognized in the magazine for his representation of J.P Morgan Securities in its role as financial advisor to WPS Resources in connection to WPS Resources’ merger with Peoples Energy.  The magazine also noted his representation of the Chicago Board of Trade in its restructuring and demutualization into a stock, for-profit company in a transaction involving a public offering of securities to CBOT members.

Partner Thaddeus J. Malik, Co-Chair of the Firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice, was cited as being a “seasoned” attorney in handling mergers, joint ventures and strategic investments across Europe, Australia, and China such as his work for CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business, in its acquisition of tax software company, ATX/Kleinrock and its agreement to acquire TaxWise Corporation.

Partner Ronald R. Peterson, a member of the Firm’s Bankruptcy, Workout and Corporate Reorganization Practice, was recognized for his “crucial” work representing the creditors’ committees of Anicom Inc., Handy Andy Home Centers and Keystone Consolidated Industries.

Partner Donald I. Resnick, Chair of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Real Estate Securities Practice, was also recognized by the magazine for his significant experience in national and local real estate transactions, financing, development and construction, and corporate real estate services. Lawdragon also noted his “rock-solid advice” on Tax Increment Financing or tax-exempt bond financing matters.

According to Lawdragon, the list was created through a proprietary review process that incorporates CV analysis, client and peer evaluations and interviews.  The dealmakers represent 152 law firms and were nominated by their peers, clients or law firms, while others were found in interviews with practice leaders.

Lawdragon is an online and print legal-services information company headed by a group of renowned legal journalists and lawyers. In addition to its quarterly magazine, first published in October 2005, the company offers a searchable database of the nation’s lawyers and other interactive online services.

Over two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were recently designated for inclusion in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  The Firm was also recognized as ranking #1 in Chicago and the State of Illinois with the most attorneys featured for the "Bet-the-Company Litigation" and "White-Collar Criminal Defense" categories.

Published biennially, the 2008 edition marks the 25th year of The Best Lawyers in America listing.  This edition of Best Lawyers is based on over 1.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by leading attorneys throughout the country who were given the opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas.

The 28 Jenner & Block partners included in the 2008 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative Law: Family Law
James H. Feldman

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Lee A. Freeman, Jr.
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Environmental Law
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
Matthew L. Jacobs
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas


The Best Lawyers in America is copyrighted by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.

Twenty-nine Jenner & Block Partners and many of the Firm’s practice areas were recently featured in the 2007 edition of Chambers USA, a widely distributed directory that recognizes law firms and attorneys who according to their research have demonstrated “technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment” and other qualities valued by clients.  Chambers’ 2007 rankings are based on over 14,000 interviews with clients and other attorneys. 

Below is a summary of Chambers’ commentary on the Firm’s practices that were featured in the publication, including the geographic area in which Chambers chose to highlight that practice.  Also below is a list of the attorneys who were individually recognized in the publication, listed by practice area.

Antitrust (Illinois): Chambers praised Jenner & Block’s “significant” antitrust practice, reporting that clients have experienced the practice’s strengths in a number of areas.  It also noted efforts to “broaden” the practice – after Chambers went to press, for instance, Jenner & Block bolstered its antitrust practice with the addition of six attorneys who recently practiced as Freeman, Freeman & Salzman, an antitrust and complex litigation boutique Chambers praised as “superb.”

Appellate (National & Washington, DC):  Chambers reported that Jenner & Block’s Appellate & Supreme Court Practice is “seasoned” and “robust,” and is widely acknowledged for its “ubiquity,” with sources reporting that its attorneys are regularly seen “arguing cases up and down the country.” The practice’s attorneys “can really make a brief sing” the publication said.

The Firm’s appellate attorneys from its Washington, DC office were also recognized as “incredibly astute lawyers,” who are “very good at dealing with people” and “both understand and articulate the law in order to make incredibly compelling arguments.”

Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Illinois): The Firm’s Bankruptcy, Workouts and Corporate Restructuring Practice is known “as one of the stronger players in Illinois,” Chambers said.  The directory noted it’s a “top firm with a lot of credibility” in this area.

Communications & Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory (Illinois & Washington, DC):  The attorneys in the Firm’s Telecommunications Practice generate “high-quality work, are always efficient and have good client interaction skills,” Chambers said, adding that the practice continues to be highly rated for its “litigation expertise in particular, both in courts and regulatory agencies.”

Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Illinois):  Jenner & Block's Corporate, M&A and Private Equity Practices were recognized by Chambers as being among the best in Chicago. 

Environment (Illinois):  Jenner & Block’s Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law Practice was praised as being a “premier, top-drawer” practice that “is just spectacular in every regard” and “continues to develop in strength and size.”  Chambers also said the practice was singled out for its “strong ethics” and hailed for its “diverse workforce and pro bono work.”

Government Contracts (National): Chambers praised Jenner & Block’s “strong and growing” Government Contracts Practice, adding that it has been hired for “bet-the-company matters.”  “They treat us like their most important client, which very few firms do,” one commentator told Chambers.

Insurance Coverage Litigation (Illinois): The Firm’s “exceptional” Insurance Litigation & Counseling Practice is “clearly synonymous with excellence,” Chambers reported.  The directory added that commentators say “they are at the top of their game in the insurance field” both within Illinois and other jurisdictions.

Intellectual Property (Illinois): Chambers said Jenner & Block is a “go-to firm for patent litigation,” that regularly handles “bet-the-company” matters and added that the Firm’s “prosecution capabilities are becoming increasingly recognized.”

Litigation: General Commercial & White Collar Crime and Government Investigations  (Illinois):  Clients continued to praise the Firm’s “historically strong” Litigation Department, telling Chambers that “in a nut-crunching case, you know Jenner & Block will be there,” and meanwhile noted its  “universally admired pro bono practice.”  In addition, Chambers highlighted Jenner & Block’s White Collar Criminal Defense and Counseling Practice saying that it “more than holds its own.”

Media & Entertainment (Illinois & Washington, DC): Chambers reported that its research shows attorneys consider the Firm’s Media & First Amendment Practice in both its Chicago and Washington offices to have “creative problem solvers” who possess “a vast amount of knowledge and experience” in the media field.  Its attorneys, Chambers said, are “highly recommended, well-respected and high-quality,” and have “a hand in everything,” from First Amendment work to its “unique niche” in the video games arena.

Real Estate (Illinois):  Chambers noted that the Firm’s Real Estate Practice has “impressive local knowledge” that leads to a “significant amount of repeat business.”

Tax (Illinois): Jenner & Block's Tax and Tax Controversy Practices were recognized by Chambers as being among the best in Chicago, handling tax matters in M&A, spin-offs, financing and real estate transactions, as well as representing clients in audits and IRS appeals.

In addition, the partners listed below were ranked among the leading Chicago and DC practitioners in the following practice areas:

Antitrust
Lee Freeman

Bankruptcy
Ronald Peterson

Corporate/ M&A
Joseph Gromacki

Environment
Bill Forcade
Robert Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
James Vroman 

First Amendment Litigation
Paul Smith

Government Contracts
David Churchill
W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance
Christopher Dickinson
Matthew Jacobs
Lorelie Masters
John Mathias

Intellectual Property 
Harry Roper

Litigation
Charles Sklarsky
Paul Smith
Jerold Solovy 
Barry Sullivan
Thomas Sullivan
Anton Valukas
Donald Verrilli

Media & Entertainment
Debbie Berman
David Sanders
Thomas Perrelli
Paul Smith

Real Estate
Donald Resnick

Tax
Christian Kimball

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Michael DeSanctis
John Harrington
Mark Schneider
Donald Verrilli

White Collar Criminal Defense and Counseling
Charles Sklarsky
Anton Valukas

Following a six-day trial, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, ruled on January 10 that the former principals of Naperville-based Delta Phones, Inc. and EZ Talk Communications, LLC, who had each individually filed for bankruptcy protection, were not entitled to have their debts discharged under the federal Bankruptcy Code. 

Jenner & Block Partners Seth A. Travis and Terence G. Banich represented Firm Partner Ronald R. Peterson, who served as the Chapter 7 trustee of the bankruptcy estates of Delta Phones, Inc. and EZ Talk Communications, LLC.

In so finding, the Court agreed with Mr. Peterson that the former principals had committed various acts prohibited by the Bankruptcy Code.  For example, the Court found that the defendants had removed Delta Phones' computers and furniture from its Naperville offices with the specific intent of hiding those assets from Mr. Peterson, repeatedly lied under oath about their compensation and left the Delta Phones' offices and files in utter disarray. 

As a result of the ruling, the defendants’ creditors may still pursue them to make good on their pre-bankruptcy debts.  The judge also recommended that Mr. Peterson formally refer the former principals' conduct to the United States Attorney's Office for possible criminal prosecution. 

“This ruling sends a strong message to individual debtors who abscond with estate property, lie under oath regarding their bankruptcy proceedings and fail to keep their books and records adequately,” said Mr. Banich.

In addition to Messrs. Banich, Travis and Peterson, the Jenner & Block team on this matter included Associates Jeremy T. Stillings and Alison A. Dieterichs, Former Associate Donald S. Boyce, Paralegal Toi Hooker, Project Assistant Robert T. Gianneschi and Former Project Assistant Kathryn Schauer.

Mr. Peterson has been a member of the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, since 1987.  He presides over approximately 100 consumer bankruptcy cases per month.

Nearly 60 Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named “Illinois Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics in its third annual peer review guide to the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state.

Jenner & Block Partners Ronald R. Peterson, Jerold S. Solovy, Howard S. Suskin and Anton R. Valukas are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2007.” Mr. Valukas is also listed in “The Top 10” attorneys overall.  E. Lynn Grayson and Terri L. Mascherin are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2007” for the highest point totals.

Published in the January 2007 issue of Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, the list was compiled through a multi-step evaluation process, beginning with a general survey of 47,000 Illinois attorneys who have been licensed for five or more years, asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.  According to the publisher, nominees were scored based on the number of votes they received, with more weight given to votes from outside their own firm.

The nominees’ names were verified and reviewed, the publisher says, by a team of researchers at Law & Politics, the trade publisher and founder of the “Super Lawyers” guides.  Each candidate was assigned a point total based on a defined evaluation process of the attorneys’ credentials and good standing with the Supreme Court of Illinois.

The resulting nominees were grouped into more than 50 practice areas, and those with the most points in each area were invited to serve on the “blue ribbon panel.”  The panel members further reviewed and assigned points to the list of nominees in their practice area.  Candidates were then divided according to firm size, and the top attorneys were named Super Lawyers.  The list includes private practice attorneys, prosecutors, in-house counsel and public service lawyers.

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners to receive this distinction includes (listed by primary area of practice):

Appellate
Barry Levenstam
Barry Sullivan

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Michael T. Brody
Patricia A. Bronte
Robert L. Byman
Richard T. Franch
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
David P. Sanders
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Anton R. Valukas

Class Action/Mass Torts
Matthew M. Neumeier

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Charles B. Sklarsky

Employee Benefits/ ERISA
William L. Scogland

Environmental
Robert L. Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade

Family Law
James H. Feldman

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
John B. Simon
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
Christopher C. Dickinson
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.
Scott T. Schutte

Intellectual Property
Daniel J. Hurtado

Intellectual Property Litigation
Aaron A. Barlow
Richard J. Gray
Donald R. Harris
Kenneth A. Kroot
Raymond N. Nimrod
Harry J. Roper
C. Steven Tomashefsky

Mergers & Acquisitions
Joseph P. Gromacki

Personal Injury Defense: Products
Philip L. Harris
Stephanie A. Scharf

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick
Everett S. Ward

Securities Litigation
Ronald L. Marmer
Howard S. Suskin

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Tax
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball

Over two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were recently designated for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ® 2007 (Copyright 2006 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

Published biennially, the 2007 edition is the thirteenth edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 1983.  This edition of Best Lawyers is based on over 1.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by leading attorneys throughout the country who were given the opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas. Because lawyers are selected by their professional peers and are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a significant honor.

The 26 Jenner & Block partners included in the 2007 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith 
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Collaborative Law: Family Law
James H. Feldman

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chester T. Kamin
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Construction Law
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Corporate Law 
Jill Sugar Factor  

Environmental Law
E. Lynn Grayson

Equipment Finance Law
Carter H. Klein
Daniel R. Murray

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Chris C. Gair
Charles B. Sklarsky
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas
 

Twenty-eight Jenner & Block Partners recently were included in the 2006 edition of the Chambers USA directory, recognizing leadership and experience in a variety of practice areas.

Based upon over 10,000 interviews with attorneys and clients, the Chambers’ listing assesses, among other qualities, technical legal ability, client service and commitment.

The partners listed below have been ranked among the leading Chicago and DC practitioners in the following practice areas:

Bankruptcy       
Ronald R. Peterson

Corporate/ M&A     
Joseph P. Gromacki     
Robert S. Osborne

Environment      
Bill S. Forcade      
Robert L. Graham     
E. Lynn Grayson     
James A. Vroman

Government Contracts    
David A. Churchill     
W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance      
Christopher C. Dickinson    
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property     
Harry J. Roper

Litigation
Charles B. Sklarsky 
Paul M. Smith  
Jerold S. Solovy  
Barry Sullivan 
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Media & Entertainment
Debbie L. Berman
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Tax
Christian E. Kimball

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Michael B. DeSanctis
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Chester T. Kamin
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Jenner & Block Partner Ronald R. Peterson discussed the impact of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 on legal practitioners and consumers at a recent DePaul University College of Law symposium.  The panel session, entitled “BAPCPA: What Do We Know and When Did We Know It?” was held in conjunction with the Commercial Law League of America’s Annual Meeting. 

One “understated” aspect of the BAPCPA is its impact on commercial business attorneys, said Mr. Peterson.  For instance, one provision now puts the impetus on debtors’ attorneys to ensure that the debtors’ assets are accurately valued for the court.  Mr. Peterson noted that, while attorneys can never be “absolute guarantors,” at the minimum they should adopt “best business practices” to establish verification of the assets. 

The panelists also discussed the BAPCPA provision requiring individual consumers to receive credit counseling, and highlighted provisions of the act concerning key employee retention plans (KERPs), post-petition transfers, the use of either wholesale or retail price as “replacement value,” among other things. 

In addition to Mr. Peterson, the panel included Abraham E. Brustein, an attorney at Dimonte & Lizak, LLC; the Hon. Jack B. Schmetterer of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois; and Alan C. Hochheiser, attorney at Weltman, Weinberg & Reis.

Pictured: Mr. Peterson addresses the attendees at the symposium. 

Jenner & Block Partner Ronald R. Peterson recently outlined the elements of criminal activity in bankruptcy proceedings under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 as part of a new American Bar Association book, Attorney Liability in Bankruptcy.

According to Mr. Peterson, an attorney’s criminal liability for a bankruptcy crime begins with 18 U.S.C. § 152, which contains what he calls the “seven deadly sins of bankruptcy,” including concealment of estate property, false oaths and certifications, false claims, improper receipt of estate property, bribery, destruction or falsification of records, and withholding information from a trustee. 

Mr. Peterson added that the most critical portion of this statute is that the acts must be committed “knowingly and fraudulently,” but he explained that missteps can happen in the most common of circumstances. 

"Bankruptcy professionals cannot bury their heads in the sand, or divorce themselves from their client’s conduct, and sail blissfully through bankruptcy,” wrote Mr. Peterson.  “They must observe the new responsibilities under the Act scrupulously, and not assume that any penalty will be a civil one.” 

For instance, attorneys should be especially vigilant when engaging in activities related to debtor’s schedules, statement of affairs and reaffirmation agreements because these are two areas where criminal liability may increase under the new bankruptcy Act, said Mr. Peterson.  The Act states that bankruptcy attorneys should not submit a client’s schedule or statement of affairs to the court unless they have engaged in a “reasonable inquiry to verify that the information in the documents is well grounded in fact and warranted by existing law,” he explained. 

The Act also sets out detailed standards for reaffirmation agreements – where the debtor promises to repay a debt that would otherwise be discharged after the bankruptcy – to ensure that the agreement will not impose an undue hardship on the debtor. 

Please click here to view the chapter.

For more information about the book, please click here to view the ABA website.

More than 70 Jenner & Block attorneys were recently named Illinois Super Lawyers by Law & Politics in its second annual guide to the "top 5 percent of attorneys" in the state. 

Published in the February 2006 issue of Chicago Magazine, the list was compiled through a four-step procedure, beginning with a general survey of 47,000 Illinois attorneys who have been licensed for five or more years, asking them to nominate the best attorneys they had personally observed in action.  Nominees were scored based on the number of votes they received, with more weight given to votes from outside their own firm. 

The nominees’ names were then verified and reviewed by a team of researchers at Law & Politics, the trade publisher and founder of the Super Lawyers guides.  Each candidate was assigned a point total based on a defined evaluation process of the attorneys’ credentials and good standing with the Supreme Court of Illinois.

The resulting nominees were grouped into more than 50 practice areas, and those with the most points in each area were invited to serve on the “blue ribbon panel.”  The panel members further reviewed and assigned points to the list of nominees in their practice area.  Candidates were then divided according to firm size and geographic location, and the top attorneys were named Super Lawyers.  The list includes private practice attorneys, prosecutors, in-house counsel and public service lawyers. 

Jenner & Block Partners James H. Feldman, Chester T. Kamin, Jerold S. Solovy and Anton R. Valukas are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2006,” which consists of lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and blue ribbon review process.  In addition, Linda L. Listrom and Catherine L. Steege are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2006” for the highest point totals. 

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners to receive this distinction includes:

Listed by Primary Area of Practice

Antitrust Litigation
Shelley Smith

Appellate
Barry Levenstam
Barry Sullivan

Banking
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy
Vincent E. Lazar
Jeff J. Marwil
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege
Jerry L. Switzer, Jr.
Mark K. Thomas

Business Litigation
Debbie L. Berman
David J. Bradford
Michael T. Brody
Patricia A. Bronte
Robert L. Byman
Timothy J. Chorvat
Richard T. Franch
David M. Greenwald
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
David C. Layden
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Edward F. Malone
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
Matthew M. Neumeier
David P. Sanders
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Richard P. Steinken
Seth A. Travis
Anton R. Valukas

Business/Corporate
Jill Sugar Factor
Elmer W. Johnson
Robert Z. Slaughter

Civil Litigation Defense
Kevin B. Duckworth
Stephanie A. Scharf

Construction Litigation
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Charles B. Sklarsky

Employee Benefits/ERISA
William L. Scogland

Environmental Litigation
Bill S. Forcade

Environmental/Land Use
Robert L. Graham
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman

Family Law
James H. Feldman
Tanya J. Stanish

General Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
David Jimenez-Ekman
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
David M. Kroeger
John H. Mathias, Jr.
Scott T. Schutte

Intellectual Property
Ronald L. Wanke

Intellectual Property Litigation
Richard J. Gray
Donald R. Harris
Raymond N. Nimrod
Harry J. Roper
C. Steven Tomashefsky

Mergers & Acquisitions
Edward J. Neveril

Real Estate Transactions
Donald S. Horvath
Ronald I. Reicin
Donald I. Resnick

Securities & Corporate Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer
Robert S. Osborne

Securities Litigation
Ronald L. Marmer
Howard S. Suskin
J. Kevin McCall

Tax
Arnold S. Harrison
Christian E. Kimball

Nearly two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ® 2006 (Copyright 2005 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.).

The 2006 edition is the twelfth edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become regarded as a well-respected guide to legal excellence in the United States.  Because Best Lawyers is based on an in depth peer-review survey in which 18,000 leading attorneys throughout the country are given an opportunity to cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their respective practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a significant honor.

The Jenner & Block Partners included in the 2006 edition are:

Appellate Law
Paul M. Smith
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

Banking Law
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson

Bet-the-Company Litigation
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Commercial Litigation
Jeffrey D. Colman
John B. Simon
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

Communications Law
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin

Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
Robert S. Osborne

Environmental Law
E. Lynn Grayson

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment Law
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Insurance Law
John H. Mathias, Jr.

Intellectual Property Law
Harry J. Roper

Mergers & Acquisitions Law
Joseph P. Gromacki
Robert S. Osborne

Real Estate Law
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Law
Joseph P. Gromacki
Robert S. Osborne

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Jeffrey D. Colman
Charles B. Sklarsky
Jerold S. Solovy
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas

An Illinois Bankruptcy Court recently confirmed the liquidation plan of wire and cable maker Anicom Inc., moving the company one step closer to ending its Chapter 11 bankruptcy that began more than four years ago.  According to the liquidation plan offered by Jenner & Block on behalf of Anicom’s unsecured creditors committee, approximately $42.35 million of recoveries will be divided among the committee, Anicom’s lenders, and its shareholders. 

Nearly $17 million of the total recoveries will come from a separate joint recovery agreement between Anicom’s unsecured creditors committee, its lenders, and its largest shareholder – the State of Wisconsin Investment Board. 

Under that agreement, a former Anicom director and an officer jointly paid $12.4 million to the plan.  The remaining $4.5 million was collected from Anicom’s D&O insurer. 

In addition, Anicom’s auditor paid $21.5 million and $3.95 million was recovered from preference actions. 

Anicom had filed for bankruptcy in January 2001 after accounting irregularities triggered defaults on credit lines and securities litigation against several directors and officers. 

The Jenner & Block legal team representing Anicom’s unsecured creditors committee includes Partners Ronald R. Peterson, Catherine L. Steege, Jerry L. Switzer Jr. and Associate Brian H. Meldrum. 

Jenner & Block's Bankruptcy, Workout and Corporate Reorganization (BWCR) practice recently participated as a sponsor in the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) 23rd Annual Spring Meeting held on April 28 to May 1, 2005 in Washington, DC.  BWCR Chair Daniel R. Murray participated in an educational session entitled "A Wing and a Prayer - Churches and Nonprofits in Chapter 11" on Saturday April 30, 2005.  The Honorable Ronald B. King, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, San Antonio, Texas and Professor Marci A. Hamilton, Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York were among the panelists.

Attending the 23rd Annual Spring Meeting from Jenner & Block were Mr. Murray, Ronald DeKoven, David A. Handzo, Jeff J. Marwil, Brian I. Swett and Michael S. Terrien.  Jenner & Block was also featured in a full-page advertisement in the May 2005 issue of the ABI Journal, the ABI's member publication.

Jenner & Block Partner Ronald R. Peterson will speak at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s 12th Annual Central States Bankruptcy Workshop held June 16-19 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City, Michigan.  Mr. Peterson will serve as a panelist at a session on June 17 and 18 entitled, “The Ten Evidence and Procedure Rules You Don’t Know About But Should.”

Jenner & Block will also participate in the Southwest Bankruptcy Conference (Including Financial Advisors/Investment Bankers Program) that will take place on September 8–11, 2005 at the The Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas as a co-sponsor of the  "Friday Networking Reception" on September 9, 2005.  Other co-sponsors of the event will be JP Morgan Chase, Kibel Green and Vinson & Elkins.

With 10,000 members, the American Bankruptcy Institute is the largest multi-disciplinary, non-partisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. Founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues, ABI is the premier professional organization in the field. Members span the entire spectrum of professionals and include attorneys, accountants, auctioneers, judges, lenders, academics, turnaround specialists, credit professionals and many others.

Pictured (top): Mr. Murray addressing the audience at the ABI Annual Spring Meeting.

Pictured (middle): Judge King and other panelists at “A Wing and a Prayer,” including: Ford Elsaesser, Elsaesser, Jarzabek, Anderson, Marks, Elliott & McHugh, Chtd.; Susan G. Boswell, Quarles & Brady LLP; Mr. Murray; and Dillon E. Jackson, Foster Pepper & Shefelman, PLLC. 

Pictured (bottom): The panelists speaking at the “A Wing and a Prayer” session.   

Jenner & Block will partner with the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) to present a series of educational seminars this year on issues involving business reorganization, ethics and crisis management.

“These sessions will be a great opportunity for CPAs to learn the latest developments in their field,” said Partner Daniel R. Murray, who is spearheading the Firm’s partnership with ICPAS.

As part of the “Reorganization Institute,” Partners Ronald R. Peterson, Jerry L. Switzer, Jr., Mark K. Thomas, Brian I. Swett, Michael S. Terrien, Vincent E. Lazar, Catherine L. Steege and Paul V. Possinger, all members of the Firm’s Bankruptcy, Workout and Corporate Reorganization Practice, will discuss corporate reorganization and issues of financial stability in a series of four executive breakfast briefings beginning in September.  The sessions will be moderated by Mr. Murray, Chair of the Bankruptcy, Workout and Corporate Reorganization Practice, and Jeff J. Marwil.  Among the topics to be discussed are the “zone of insolvency,” mergers and acquisitions of distressed companies, business administration for a company in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the reorganization and restructuring process.

Partner Ross B. Bricker and Associate Sally K. Sears Coder organized a December webcast seminar on December 9, 2004  as part of the partnership in which Partner John F. Ward, Jr. and Associates Matthew R. Devine and Ross M. Rosenberg addressed ethics-based issues facing accounting and finance professionals.

Partner Christian E. Kimball led another webcast seminar on December 15, 2004 on the range of tax issues introduced by The American Jobs Creation Act, such as nonqualified deferred compensation, domestic production deduction and charitable contributions.

ICPAS is one of the largest CPA Societies in the nation, providing educational programs and informational resources to its 24,000 members.  The organization also leads the Center for Corporate Financial Leadership (CCFL), a consortium of state CPA Societies across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, whose members will also have access to these events.
   

Law & Politics included 57 Jenner & Block attorneys in its “Illinois Super Lawyers 2005,” the trade publisher’s first annual guide to the top attorneys in the state.  In doing so, Jenner & Block was thereby singled out as one of the top three firms with the most lawyers to receive this distinction.

The list, published in the May 2005 issue of Chicago Magazine, includes only 5% of Illinois attorneys, and was compiled through a four-step procedure which included a general survey, research process, panel review and final selection process.  Ballots were sent to 47,000 Illinois attorneys who have been licensed for five or more years, asking them to name the best lawyers they had personally observed in action.  Nominees were scored based on the number of votes they received, with additional points given for nominations from attorneys outside their own firms.

Names on the submitted ballots were then verified and reviewed by a team of researchers at Law & Politics, the founding publisher of the “Super Lawyers” guides.  The research team assigned points to nominees based on a defined evaluation process of the attorneys’ credentials and good standing with the Supreme Court of Illinois.

The resulting list of nominees was divided into 65 areas of practice.  The attorneys with the most points in each practice area formed a “blue ribbon panel,” whose 104 members further reviewed and assigned points to the list of nominees in their areas of practice.  Candidates were grouped according to firm size and the research team named the top attorneys from each group as Super Lawyers.  The list includes private practice attorneys, prosecutors, in-house counsel, and public service lawyers.

Jenner & Block Partners Joseph G. Bisceglia, Donald R. Harris, Chester T. Kamin and Linda L. Listrom are listed among “The Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers 2005,” which consists of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the balloting, research and blue ribbon review process.  In addition, Ms. Listrom, Catherine L. Steege and Barbara S. Steiner are among “The Top 50 Female Illinois Super Lawyers 2005” for the highest point totals.  Mr. Bisceglia is listed in the “The Top 10” attorneys overall.

The complete list of Jenner & Block Partners to receive this distinction includes:

Listed by Primary Area of Practice

Antitrust Litigation
Eric A. Sacks

Appellate
Barry I. Levenstam
Barry Sullivan

Banking & Financial 
Carter H. Klein

Bankruptcy & Workout
Jeff J. Marwil
Daniel R. Murray
Ronald R. Peterson
Catherine L. Steege

Business, General
Jill Sugar Factor

Business Litigation
David J. Bradford
Ross B. Bricker
Robert L. Byman
Timothy J. Chorvat
Richard T. Franch
David M. Greenwald
Phillip L. Harris
William D. Heinz
Norman M. Hirsch
Chester T. Kamin
Susan C. Levy
Linda L. Listrom
Edward F. Malone
Robert T. Markowski
Craig C. Martin
Terri L. Mascherin
Matthew M. Neumeier
R. Douglas Rees
Lawrence S. Schaner
Barbara S. Steiner
Anton R. Valukas

Class Action/Mass Torts
Stephanie A. Scharf

Construction
Joseph G. Bisceglia

Criminal Defense: White Collar
Charles B. Sklarsky

Environmental/Land Use
Bill S. Forcade
Robert L. Graham

Family Law
James H. Feldman

First Amendment/Media
Debbie L. Berman
David P. Sanders

General Litigation
Michael T. Brody
Jeffrey D. Colman
Jerold S. Solovy

Insurance Coverage
John H. Mathias
Scott T. Schutte

Intellectual Property Law
Richard J. Gray
Raymond N. Nimrod

Intellectual Property Litigation
Donald R. Harris
Harry J. Roper
C. Steven Tomashefsky

Publicly Held Companies
Joseph P. Gromacki
Robert S. Osborne

Real Estate
Ronald I. Reicin
Donald I. Resnick

Securities Litigation
Ronald L. Marmer
Avidan J. Stern
J. Kevin McCall

Securities & Venture Finance
Jerry J. Burgdoerfer

Tax
Arnold S. Harrison

Over two dozen Jenner & Block Partners were included in the 2005 Chambers USA directory, which recognizes the country’s leading attorneys based, among other things, on their outstanding accomplishments as well as over 7,000 interviews with corporate clients about their outside counsels’ service and results.

The Jenner & Block Partners recognized in the renowned professional directory, which attempts to present a “consistent market view of which firms and attorneys are considered leaders in their field,” are:

Bankruptcy
Ronald R. Peterson

Corporate / M&A
Joseph P. Gromacki
Robert S. Osborne

Environment
Bill S. Forcade
E. Lynn Grayson
James A. Vroman

Government Contracts
David A. Churchill
W. Jay DeVecchio

Insurance
Christopher C. Dickinson
Lorelie S. Masters
John H. Mathias Jr.

Intellectual Property
Harry J. Roper

Litigation
Ross B. Bricker
Charles B. Sklarsky
Paul M. Smith
Jerold S. Solovy
Barry Sullivan
Thomas P. Sullivan
Anton R. Valukas
Donald B. Verrilli Jr.

Media & Entertainment
David P. Sanders
Paul M. Smith

Real Estate
Donald I. Resnick

Tax
Christian E. Kimball

Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Michael B. DeSanctis
John J. Hamill
John R. Harrington
Terri L. Mascherin
Donald B. Verrilli Jr.

In the last ten days, four key Jenner & Block partners played key roles in two well-attended conferences that focused on cutting edge bankruptcy law.

At the end of April, Partners Timothy W. Burns, John H. Mathias, Jr., Ronald R. Peterson, and Anton R. Valukas all spoke last week at the conference “Helping Institutional Investors Increase Recoveries in Corporate Fraud Litigation” at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center.

And on May 11, Mr. Peterson was a panelist at the bankruptcy break-out session at the annual meeting of the 7th Circuit Bar Association.  The title of the panel at the InterContinental Chicago was “Is the 7th Circuit a Good Place for Bankruptcy Petitions?”  With Mr. Peterson were Deborah I. Thorne of Barnes & Thornburg (moderator), Hon. Basil H. Lorch, Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the Southern District of Indiana, Hon. Margaret Dee McGarity, Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Hon. Eugene R. Wedoff, Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the Northern District of Illinois.  Mr. Wedoff was also a former attorney at Jenner & Block.

Much of the discussion Tuesday centered around real estate issues and payment of critical vendors in bankruptcy cases.  Mr. Peterson, a co-chair of the Firm’s bankruptcy/corporate re-structuring practice, spoke on first-day orders.

At the earlier conference, held at the University of Chicago, Mr. Peterson spoke along with three others in “Coordinating with bankruptcy courts/joint prosecution agreements.”  Messrs. Mathias and Burns spoke on “Preserving Directors’ & Officers’ (D&O) insurance money while litigation is underway.”  Mr. Valukas, a former U.S. attorney and Chair of the Firm’s white-collar crime practice group, presented on “Coordinating with government prosecutors.”

Mr. Burns is Co-chair of the ABA’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee.  Mr. Mathias is the Chairman of the Insurance Coverage Litigation & Counseling Group at Jenner & Block.

Pictured above:  Ronald R. Peterson (right), alongside Hon. Eugene R. Wedoff at the InterContinental Chicago during "Is the 7th Circuit a Good Place for Bankruptcy Petitions?"

Over a dozen Jenner & Block Partners were included in the influential Chambers USA directory, recognizing leadership and experience in a variety of practice areas.

“Inclusion in this special directory is especially gratifying because one of the key criteria focused on by the editors was client recommendations based upon service and results,” said Managing Partner Robert L. Graham.

The 2004 directory was compiled in part by interviewing 4,500 buyers of legal services.

The Jenner & Block Partners included in the directory are listed below with the representative practice they were singled out for:

DC Office
Paul M.  Smith - Appellate, Media & Entertainment
Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. - Appellate
 
Chicago Office
Ross B. Bricker - Litigation
Bill S. Forcade - Environment
Joseph P. Gromacki - Corporate / M&A
E. Lynn Grayson - Environment
John J. Hamill - Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
John R. Harrington - Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
John H. Mathias, Jr. - Insurance
Terri L. Mascherin - Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite
Robert S. Osborne - Corporate / M&A
Ronald R. Peterson - Insolvency
Donald I. Resnick - Real Estate
David P. Sanders - Media & Entertainment
Charles B. Sklarsky - Litigation
Jerold S. Solovy - Litigation
Thomas P. Sullivan - Litigation
Anton R. Valukas - Litigation

After several months of jockeying between Advanced Lighting Technologies and its creditors, a final reorganization plan was approved at a December 8 hearing before Judge A. Benjamin Golgar in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in Chicago.  The transactions provided under the plan closed on December 10, transferring control of Advanced Lighting to Saratoga Partners IV II.

Jenner & Block Partners Jeff J. Marwil and Jerry L. Switzer, Jr. had filed a motion on October 27 detailing the creditors’ support for this most recent version of the reorganization plan, which has been contested over the past several months by several of the company’s creditors.  However, now that a consensual plan is in place, Advanced Lighting plans to repay all its creditors in full.

The flurry of activity in Advanced Lighting’s reorganization is emblematic of an overall active year by Jenner & Block’s Bankruptcy Practice, which is currently involved in over a dozen large bankruptcy matters in a variety of roles, from lead debtor counsel, as in the Advanced Lighting reorganization, to serving as attorneys for a creditor’s committee.  Most recently, the Firm became lead counsel for the secured lenders in the closely-watched Gingiss International, Inc. bankruptcy action in Delaware.

“We’ve been tremendously pleased at the variety of corporate restructuring and bankruptcy litigation work our practice has seen in 2003,” said Bankruptcy Practice Co-Chair Ronald R. Peterson.  “Obviously, we’re looking forward to building on this foundation and expect another strong year of expansion in 2004.”

Other high profile bankruptcies in which the Firm is actively engaged include Covanta Energy (Lead Debtors’ Counsel), Babcock & Wilcox (National Counsel), Conseco (Counsel to TOPRs Committee), Level Propane Gas (Lead Counsel for banking interests), Anicom, Inc. (Lead Counsel for Creditors’ Committee), WorldCom (Special Counsel for Regulatory and Litigation Matters) and United Airlines (Lead Counsel for Creditor GE Aircraft Services).

Helping to fuel the growth in the Firm’s bankruptcy practice is the rise of Chicago’s bankruptcy court as a destination for some of the nation’s most complex corporate bankruptcy filings.  Earlier this year in Legal Week Global, Daniel R. Murray, Co-Chair of Jenner & Block’s Bankruptcy Practice, accounted for the Chicago bankruptcy court’s newfound popularity in terms of its growing experience in managing mega-bankruptcy cases and its willingness to expedite the docket when time is of the essence to avoid liquidation.

Jenner & Block recently obtained an $8.6 million summary judgment award for its client, Daniel Freeland, Trustee of the bankruptcy estate of Consolidated Industries Corporation.  On behalf of the Trustee, the Firm argued that certain monies had been transferred improperly from Consolidated to its then corporate parent (Welbilt Corporation) in the year preceding the bankruptcy filing.

On December 9, Judge Allen Sharp of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana ruled that, as a matter of law, the transfers were avoidable, the Trustee had proven each element of his case, and the defenses lacked merit.  Partners Ronald R. Peterson, Catherine L. Steege and Joel T. Pelz, assisted by Associates Jacob I. Corré, Jeffrey L. Gansberg and Peter A. Siddiqui, represented the Trustee. 

The federal court of appeals in Chicago has overturned a preliminary injunction that had been entered against Reuters, the well-known global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions.

Plaintiff FutureSource contracted with a company called Bridge to be supplied with streaming financial news and data, which FutureSource then re-sold to its customers.  When Bridge declared bankruptcy in 2001, Reuters purchased a majority of Bridge's assets and later reached a separate agreement with FutureSource to supply the same data stream for six months.  Shortly before that agreement expired, FutureSource sought an injunction and other relief in federal court in Chicago, arguing that Reuters did not have the right to turn off the data stream.  Reuters counterclaimed for nonpayment.  After the district court entered a preliminary injunction, Reuters filed an interlocutory appeal and successfully sought a stay of the order pending briefing and argument.  On November 27, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in FutureSource LLC v. Reuters Limited, reversing the injunction and stating that "a preliminary injunction should not be entered if the plaintiff has no claim; and FutureSource has none."  The matter was remanded for further proceedings in the district court.

Reuters was represented by Richard A. Rothman of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in New York, working closely with a team of Jenner & Block partners led by Avidan J. Stern that included Partners Jerold S. Solovy, Donald R. Harris, Barry Levenstam and Ronald R. Peterson, assisted by Associate Matthew G. Borgula.

Seven Jenner & Block Partners have been selected by their peers to be included in the 2003-2004 edition of The Best Lawyers in America:

James H. Feldman in Family Law, Daniel R. Murray and Ronald R. Peterson in Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, David P. Sanders in First Amendment Law, Jerold S. Solovy and Thomas P. Sullivan in Business Litigation, and Anton R. Valukas in Business Litigation and Criminal Defense. 

Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which 15,000 leading attorneys across the country assess the legal abilities of other lawyers in their areas of concentration.  In the 20 years since its first edition, it has come to be widely regarded as a definitive guide to identifying outstanding lawyers in their fields.

• James H. Feldman for Family Law
• Ronald R. Peterson for Bankruptcy Law
• David P. Sanders for First Amendment Law
• Jerold S. Solovy for Business Litigation
• Thomas P. Sullivan for Business Litigation
• Anton R. Valukas for both Business Litigation and Criminal Defense