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.

Congratulations to RSHC Partner Greg Curtner on his selection to the 2018 Michigan Super Lawyers list for the 13th year in a row. Super Lawyers recognizes only five percent of attorneys in each state who exhibit excellence in their practice and have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

RSHC Partner Bob Riley was recently the subject of a Leading Lawyers Profile. The article recounts some seminal moments in his career to date and more importantly, he would argue, discusses the founding principles of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila and their ongoing importance to those we serve.

RSHC Partner Brian Watson explains “sole proximate cause” and the impact of the Appellate Court’s recent decision in the August 2018 Illinois State Bar Association Bench & Bar.

RSHC is pleased to announce that name partner Bob Riley has been awarded the highest overall rating by his peers and named Best Lawyers’ 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation-Defendants in the Chicago area. This is the third time that Bob has been honored as Lawyer of the Year, having been recognized in 2017 for this same honor and in 2016 as Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants.

Nine RSHC partners have been recognized by their peers for inclusion in the 2019 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in nine areas of selection and in three geographic regions. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

According to a soon-to-be released survey of 3,000 lawyers by Joan Williams, University of California at Hastings law professor, there is a double standard for women lawyers expressing anger at work or in the courtroom when it’s justified. About to begin a six-to-eight-week federal trial, RSHC Managing Partner, former judge, and prosecutor, Patricia Brown Holmes shared, “… earn the trust of the judge and jury and show them that their stereotypes are wrong. One way that I do that is authenticity.”

RSHC Partner Ron Safer has been selected from hundreds of nominations as one of the 2018 “20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans” by StreetWise because of his extraordinary dedication to pro bono work. Since 2000, Ron has led the charge for seven wrongfully convicted people to be exonerated who would have otherwise spent their lives in prison. The StreetWise Board of Directors and affiliated partners created this new award and annual celebration to recognize and honor courageous unsung-heroes who make Chicago a better place to live and work and inspire others to make a positive impact in our community.

On Friday, July 27, Judge Leinenweber of the Northern District of Illinois entered a permanent injunction against the Trump Administration’s attempts to force the City of Chicago’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts as a condition of receiving federal grant funding. The Court’s injunction invalidates three conditions that the Administration imposed on Byrne JAG funding, and will allow Chicago to receive and use these critical funds for local law enforcement efforts.

Breaking boundaries, leading by example, and committed to making a difference, RSHC Partners Heidi Dalenberg, Patricia Brown Holmes, and Kelly Warner were selected as three of Chicago’s Notable Women Lawyers 2018 by Crain’s Chicago Business. Crain’s recognized 150 legal industry leaders who have served with distinction for decades, demonstrate the power to effect change, and serve as role models and mentors to others. Join us in congratulating Heidi, Patricia, and Kelly, and thanking them for their leadership and dedication to our clients and RSHC.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes has been named to Savoy Magazine’s 2018 Most Influential Black Lawyers list, the “best of the best” of Black lawyers within leading national law firms and corporate and general counsel from Fortune 1000 corporations. Join us in congratulating Patricia and all those selected for their professionalism, protection of rights, and community service.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes shares her opinions and experience with volunteering in nonprofits in Best Lawyers “Women in the Law” Summer Edition 2018 editorial article, “The Profit in Nonprofits.” Volunteer organizations are the lifeblood of the legal profession. Lawyers must participate in nonprofits to help shape the future.

On July 1, RSHC Partner Steve Hankins (’85) begins a four-year term as President of the Alumnae/i Association of Vassar College. He is also serving a second term on the college’s Board of Trustees. Steve says, “We’ll be supporting a new president [Elizabeth Bradley] who has some bold new visions, things every Vassar alum can rally around. We need to ensure that all of our alums feel that they belong. With the right alums engaging our students as mentors, ‘Vassar for a lifetime’ should be clear from day one on campus.”

To be a first and a female role model. The Cook County Bar Association awarded RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes the Historic Ida B. Platt Award at their June 22 104th Annual Installation and Awards Banquet held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

We are proud to announce that the Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyers has named 19 of RSHC’s Illinois attorneys as Leading Lawyers and seven as Emerging Lawyers. RSHC adds two new names this year, as Valarie Hays and Tal Chaiken were named a 2018 Illinois Leading Lawyer and Emerging Lawyer, respectively.

The NCAA’s ‘Year in Residence” Rule permits Division I football student athletes to apply to transfer to different schools and to play at their new school after a year in academic residence. The rule operates to prevent trading from year to year like professional athletes. On June 25 the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected antitrust claims stating the NCAA’s eligibility rules define the status of student athletes and preserve the amateur character of college athletics. Congratulations to the NCAA and Greg Curtner on this victory.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes was featured in the June 21 American Lawyer story, “Data Shows Female Lawyers Are Moving Up Faster in #MeToo Era.” "Sexism and racism in the law industry is real,” said Holmes. “The world overall is changing and the law business eventually will catch up.” She expressed, “We are moving in the right direction.”

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP ranked a top ten firm in Law360’s annual 400 survey as a firm outpacing its peers on attracting and retaining women of color. With women of color making up 19.1% of its workforce, RSHC ranked ninth in the survey. Visibility, community, a voice at the table, and a balanced ladder are hurdles women of color face, and RSHC proactively tries to create an environment at the firm that “engages everyone and creates a camaraderie,” said Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes.

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP ranked sixth in Law360’s Glass Ceiling Report for best law firms for minority attorneys with 20-149 attorneys. At RSHC we believe the power of diversity is the power of collective wisdom. We are proud of our start, but it is just the beginning.

RSHC Managing Partner Patricia Brown Holmes will be awarded Rainbow Push Coalition's (RPC) Business Leadership Award at their 47th Annual International Convention, "Make America Fair and Equal: The 2018 Global Agenda," on Thursday, June 14, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.