RSHC news

Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes was recently honored with the “Beyond in Big Law” Award, given by the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (BWLA). This award recognizes an attorney who has made an impact on the legal profession by blazing a new trail. Patricia is the first African American woman to manage and have her name on the door of a major law firm that is not women- or minority-owned. She has dedicated her career to mentoring and creating opportunities for up-and-coming lawyers.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (RSHC) is proud to announce that the firm has been recognized for delivering superior client service. BTI Consulting Group recently published its list of Midsize Client Service Masters, naming RSHC as among 50 midsize firms noted by business clients for delivering an outstanding personal and customized client experience.

RSHC proudly congratulates Joe Cancila on his two-time selection as a BTI Client Service All-Star 2022 (MVP), a high honor that can only be given by a client. In 2020 and 2022, Joe has been singled out and recognized for delivering exceptional client service.

We are proud to announce 11 RSHC attorneys have been selected to the 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers and 2022 Illinois Rising Stars lists. RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes has received the Top 10 Illinois Super Lawyers distinction. For more than decade, Patricia Brown Holmes has been ranked a Top 50 Women Super Lawyer. Both Ron Safer and Patricia Brown Holmes have been recognized as Top 100 Illinois Super Lawyers.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes and Labor & Employment Practice Chair Alan King are among the prominent business and community leaders honored by Crain’s Chicago Business this week as Notable Black Leaders and Executives. Crain’s editors selected 71 Chicagoans who have not only reached prominent places in their own professions but have, this year, “seized the moment” of reckoning over systemic racism following the murder of George Floyd and redoubled their efforts to contribute to the Black community through service and philanthropy.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila has been ranked in the 2022 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list nationally in three practice areas and regionally in nine practice areas for our professional excellence, quality of legal practice, and breadth of legal expertise.

RSHC was a named a 2022 Litigation Leader in three different practice areas: Class Actions, Complex Commercial Litigation, and Product Liability by the legal industry consultant BTI Consulting Group. The annual recognition evaluates law firms from across the country for their prowess in handling these key areas litigation and their excellence in client service.

At the November 11 Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firm’s Annual Meeting, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila will receive the 2021 Commitment & Investment Award recognizing the firm’s accomplishments in diverse attorney recruitment and retention.

Litigation associate Sarah Finch has been selected Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization’s 5 Under 40 honoree for her dedication to the advancement of diversity in the legal field. Sarah will be recognized at the October 14 JTB “Light the Spark” Celebration and Annual Fundraiser.

Recognizing leaders who are excellent "business strategists, complex problem-solvers and, of course, great lawyers," the WIPL awards also spotlight women who are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal industry.

RSHC is proud to share Eli Litoff and Brian Watson’s inclusion in the inaugural class of Crain’s Notable Rising Stars in Law. Eli and Brian serve as leaders within and outside the firm and have made notable impacts in the field of law.

RSHC is honored to be named to Exelon’s 2021 DEI Honor Roll and recognized as a legal business partner advancing shared values and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes is being honored as a “Managing Partner of the Year” by the Corporate Counsel’s annual Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards program. These awards honor general counsel, in-house leaders and law firm partners who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law. In recognizing Judge Holmes, the WIPL selection committee noted her role in shaping RSHC’s culture and designing explicit policies that ensure accountability on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Under her leadership, the firm has been recognized by Chambers as “a true diversity and inclusion pioneer for the profession” and was recently noted in Law360’s Diversity Snapshot Report for having one of industry’s the most diverse equity partnerships.

Congratulations to 14 RSHC attorneys selected for inclusion in the 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, recognizing associates and other lawyers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice.

Congratulations to 13 RSHC partners recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America© in 11 areas of practice and in three geographic regions. The Best Lawyers list was first published in 1983 and is universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.