Ransomware attacks continue to plague companies, universities, and government agencies. In their recent whitepaper for Best Lawyers, RSHC Partners Georgia Alexakis, Patricia Brown Holmes, Abigail Peluso, and Jack Theis provide a primer on the federal government’s response to the crisis, and the next steps organizations must take to protect consumers, ensure operational continuity, and avoid reputational damage.

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.

Twenty-seven years to the day that he was convicted of and soon thereafter sentenced to life in prison for crimes he did not commit, RSHC won complete and total vindication for Eddie Bolden. On Friday, October 29, 2021, a Chicago jury resoundingly rejected the defendants attempts to, yet again, deprive Eddie of justice. Twenty-eight times, once for every count against every defendant, the jury proclaimed Eddie’s innocence and the complicity of those who framed him. The jury awarded $25 million in compensatory damages, as well as $100,000 in punitive damages against each of the living defendants.

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.

Shalem Massey and Jennifer Steeve are speaking at the October 28-29 ABA Cleared for Takeoff: Aviation Litigation in a Post-Pandemic World conference in Washington, DC. Shalem is moderating the “Elimination of Bias/Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Profession” panel.

We are pleased to announce that our partner, Kate Stimeling, was recently elected into the membership of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC). The FDCC is comprised of U.S. and international civil defense litigators, senior corporate counsel, and insurance claims executives.

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.

In "Neutral Shift," published in the second annual Best Lawyers in the Midwest edition, Patricia Brown Holmes and Rachel Sifuentes explain why diversifying the pool of neutrals is the first step toward improving inclusion in the alternative dispute resolution process.

RSHC Partner Dave Resnicoff discussed challenges and best practices for monitorships as part of civil and criminal law enforcement resolutions on the American Health Law Association’s (AHLA) September podcast “Speaking of Health Law” with co-presenter Rob Cepielik of BRG. Dave and Rob discussed the potential risks and value of monitorships, and tips for successful implementation, such as the importance of developing a “partnership” and alignment with all stakeholders; the key components of any work plan; differences when the monitor is an accountant or an attorney; the challenges of a dual reporting relationship; and responses to discovery of potential new violations of law.

Patricia Brown Holmes will be speaking at the September 22-24 Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Corporate Social Conscience virtual event. Prominent speakers who help shape the current legal markets will discuss corporate and securities law including M&A, corporate governance, and SEC updates.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (RSHC) welcomes new partner Abigail Peluso to our Government Enforcement, Investigations & White Collar Criminal Defense practice. Peluso joins the firm following eleven years with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, where she served in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions, most recently as a Deputy Chief in the General Crimes Section, where she trained and supervised new federal prosecutors.

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.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP is excited to host our inaugural Autonomous Vehicles Spring Symposium, “Future Technologies; Present Challenges,” on April 22, 2022. This three-hour conference offers valuable information for industry leaders in ground, aerial, and maritime autonomous vehicle development and all associated industries. The symposium will feature influential keynote speakers and informative cross-disciplinary panels, enabling participants to wrestle through some of the most challenging issues facing autonomous vehicle industries.

In "How Should U.S. Companies Guard Against the Growing Threat of Ransomware?" Jack Theis outlines the scope of the growing ransomware threat, and reviews new federal recommendations companies should incorporate into their compliance and regulatory programs to defend against attacks.

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.