RSHC news

RSHC Partner, Patricia Brown Holmes, will be a panelist for the “Managing Partners” session at the April 12 “May it Please the Court: Symposium on Women Lawyers in the Courtroom.” The United States District Court and Chicago Bar Association in conjunction with the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois and the Black Women Lawyers’ Association are sponsoring this complimentary half-day program to discuss and promote strategies and best practices to empower women lawyers as lead counsel and trial counsel in litigation. Patricia will also be presenting the Closing along with the Honorable Amy J. St. Eve.

RSHC Partner, Drahcir Marie Smith, will be a panelist at the April 17th Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law panel event, “Navigating the Gray Area in the World of #MeToo,” to be held at Katten Muchin Rosenman, in Chicago. The event is designed to foster an open discussion about sexual harassment in the workplace. The in-person event is free and also available to be watched via livestream. RSHC Associate and moderator, Stephanie Jones, will guide the panel to focus on the “what now?” in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Panelists from diverse employment backgrounds will share their insights from the perspective of counsel, advisor, employee, employer, journalist, investigator, and even victim.

RSHC Partner and 1998 alumni, Joseph Q. McCoy, will be the keynote speaker for the April 12 Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Black Law Students Association’s (BLSA) Annual Graduating Students Recognition and Alumni Banquet, “Lifting As We Climb.” This celebration recognizes the achievements of predecessors, current students, and the next generation.

RSHC Partner Joseph Q. McCoy will be a panelist on the February 27 “Black History Month – Authentic Leadership Panel” to be held at Cushman & Wakefield in Chicago. The inspirational six-person panel will share personal insights on leadership and their experience.

Patricia Brown Holmes will moderate the March 13 Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (BWLA) 2018 Spring Fundraiser, “Power in the Boardroom, Strategies to Achieve Diversity on Corporate Boards,” to be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Joseph Q. McCoy decided to try his hand at something brand new at RSHC and bring a complementary practice to an outstanding group of lawyers. Not afraid to go where few others have gone, he embraced the opportunity because he wanted to make a difference and influence outcomes.

RSHC Partner Ron Safer will be a co-panelist along with the Hon. Christopher Plourd discussing “The Need for Forensic Science Reform and How to Get There” at the March 16 Center on Wrongful Convictions (CWC) Spring CLE Symposium to be held at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. False forensic science is a leading factor contributing to the wrongful conviction of women. Mr. Safer worked with the Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions to exonerate Julie Rea Harper and Kristine Bunch, both of whom were victims of wrongful convictions based on junk science.

Joseph McCoy will be a speaker at the February 8-11 18th Annual Charting Your Own Career (CYOC) Conference to be held at The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, in Orlando, Florida.

On Tuesday, January 9, in honor of Dr. King’s legacy, Patricia Brown Holmes and co-panelists, Gerald Chertavian, Steve Urrutia, and Karna Crawford, will discuss the importance of cultural intelligence in the workplace to help employees relate and work effectively across cultures. BOLD (Black Organization of Leadership Development) Illinois is a Business Resource Group of JPMorgan Chase and Co.

Congratulations to RSHC Partners, Joseph McCoy and Patricia Brown Holmes, on their recognition in Crain’s Chicago Business inaugural edition of Chicago’s Most Influential Minority Lawyers. They are among 45 female and male lawyers recognized for their impressive achievements and dedication to diversity initiatives.

RSHC proudly recognizes Cory and Joe Cancila, long-time supporters of All Stars Project of Chicago and one of the first 50 families and businesses, who are generously supporting the Founding 50 Challenge campaign. The $500,000 Challenge Fund will help establish a Center for Afterschool Development in the Chicago Loop by 2020.

In the last 30 years, Patricia Brown Holmes has lived a professional career that most attorneys never come close to experiencing. From youngest African-American woman serving as an associate judge in 1999 to special prosecutor in the Laquan McDonald case in 2017, she assesses the circumstances quickly and accurately and then takes appropriate action – skills that also helped her survive cancer.

The City of Chicago has filed a federal lawsuit to prevent President Donald Trump's Justice Department from making a federal crime prevention grant that is critical to public safety efforts conditional on unrelated and unlawful immigration enforcement actions. Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila and WilmerHale are providing their services to the City of Chicago pro bono to assist in this important effort.

RSHC has hired 11 new attorneys, including Joseph Q. McCoy, the former managing partner of the Chicago office of Bryan Cave LLP, and seven other Bryan Cave attorneys who bring significant business and transactional experience to the firm’s core strength in litigation. The firm has also hired new partner Gregory L. Curtner, formerly head of the antitrust and trade regulation and sports practices at Schiff Hardin LLP, together with a former Schiff Hardin associate, to join the rapidly growing firm. Greg is leading the antitrust and competition practice.

RSHC Partner, Patricia Brown Holmes, will be speaking at The Executive Leadership Council's Yield No More 2017 Women’s Leadership Forum on July 19, 2017 held at Venue SIX10 in Chicago.