RSHC news

Patricia Brown Holmes made history when she was elected RSHC’s first Managing Partner in April 2018. She is the first and currently the only African-American woman to head a national law firm that is not women- or minority-owned. RSHC is a top ranked firm for gender and racial diversity.

Since its founding, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP has developed the firm to put clients first. Our compensation structure reflects this goal by recognizing the contributions of all team members in making compensation decisions. RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes shared that in addition to benefiting our clients, we believe all attorneys and staff benefit from the structure. Because we share the compensation pie more equitably, it becomes a larger pie to share.

RSHC Managing Partner and U of I Urbana double alumna Patricia Brown Holmes was reappointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to the University of Illinois Systems Board of Trustees. She received both her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana and is extremely proud and excited to rejoin the board at a time when innovation, diversity and new millennial educational challenges will be a focus of the University.

RSHC Partners Taylor Corbitt and Steve Hankins explain how to manage legal department transitions in their recent article, “Five Questions Every Change Champion Should Ask,” published by Corporate Counsel on November 27, 2018. Corbitt and Hankins guide in-house legal departments in transition to help identify quality-critical metrics, search out waste, align internal resources, prioritize predictable outcomes, and ensure sustainability.

RSHC’s Patricia Brown Holmes leads a group of new Am Law 200 Leaders heading into 2019 per LAW.COM—Patricia Brown Holmes was elected RSHC’s first Managing Partner in April 2018. She is the first and currently the only African-American women to head a national law firm that is not minority- or women-owned.

Congratulations to RSHC Partners, Nick Kahlon, Josh Lee, and Merili Seale, on their recognition by Crain’s Chicago Business as 2018 Chicago’s Notable Minority Lawyers. They are problem solvers who think outside the box, and who advance the causes of justice and equality through their practices and pro bono work.

RSHC Managing Partner, Patricia Brown Holmes, closed out the November 1-2, 2018 HOW Forum sharing stories about her family and career, while tying in lessons learned throughout the Forum. She spoke about how the qualities of resilience, strength, and determination allow women to lead change in their personal lives and in their organizations. Her keynote concluded with a champagne toast, after audience members were noticeably moved by her speech.

Crisis management at the top of the Executive Branch. RSHC attorney Jack Theis moderated a panel with his former colleagues from the White House Counsel’s office who explained how they handled legal, policy, and political risk during the Obama Administration. RSHC co-sponsored the November 16 event with the American Constitution Society.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (RSHC) welcomes leading animal law practitioner Bruce Wagman, as Of Counsel to its San Francisco office. A former partner at an AmLaw200 firm, Bruce has dedicated his 26 year legal career to defending and improving animal lives.

It’s all about a company’s culture! A first-time entry, RSHC was awarded 5th place out of 65 small companies recognized at the Chicago Tribune 9th Annual Top Workplaces 2018 Awards Celebration held November 1. Top workplaces believe in collaboration, opportunities for growth, and diversity. Congratulations to everyone at RSHC who makes a difference!

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP has been ranked in the 2019 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" list nationally in 2 practice areas and regionally in 8 practice areas for our professional excellence, quality of law practice, and breadth of legal expertise.

Eddie Arruza from Chicago Tonight interviewed Ron Safer, RSHC Partner and former U.S. Attorneys’ Office Chief of the Criminal Division, Cara Hendrickson, Illinois Attorney General’s Public Interest Division Chief, and Brendan Shiller, a plaintiff’s attorney, on how the proposed Chicago Police Consent Decree might proceed after this week’s hearings. Ron commented, “You cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It is a major step forward. It does not hamper the police, it helps the police.”

The Chicago consent decree is progress toward creating a mutual respect and restoring the broken trust between the police and Chicago neighborhoods. When a community that witnesses crime feels victimized by the system, its residents are not apt to cooperate with the police. Ron Safer shares his comments on the facts about why criminals remain on the street.

RSHC’s Product Liability and Mass Tort Litigation Group has been named to BTI Consulting’s 2019 Honor Roll. Firms named to the Honor Roll are among the top law firms serving large clients. Published annually, the BTI Litigation Outlook guide relies 100% on individual interviews with general counsel, chief audit officers, chief financial officers, and other C-level executives and buyers of professional services. The attorneys in RSHC’s Product Liability and Mass Tort Litigation group have over 200 years of collective experience defending clients against claims across the country in both state and federal courts.

RSHC Partner, Jacob Kahn, will be leading the afternoon micro session, “What’s Current in Cryptocurrency?,” on November 1 at the 10th Annual Conference on Futures and Derivatives at Chicago-Kent College of Law. The conference will provide regulatory updates and information on recent trends in enforcement targeted to attorneys, compliance professionals, accountants in the commodities industry, fraud examiners and regulatory professionals.