Gerald J. Brooks (1937-2007).
MEMBERS OF FIRM
Steven B. Adams (Member) born Omaha, Nebraska, October 13, 1959; admitted to bar, 1984, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Education: Indiana University (B.A., 1981; J.D., 1984). Elected 84th Precinct Committeeman, Lisle Township Republican Organization, 1994-2004. Board of Directors, Naperville Chamber of Commerce, 1995-1999. Chairman, Legislative Committee, Naperville Chamber of Commerce 1993-1996. Member, Illinois Fire and Police Commissioner's Association. Appointed, Naperville Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, 1997-2003. Member: DuPage County (Member, Local Government Law Committee), Illinois State and American Bar Associations; Illinois Institute of Local Government Law. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Local Government Law; School Law; Eminent Domain; Zoning and Development Law; Construction Law.Email: Steven B. Adams
Richard J. Tarulis (Member) born Chicago, Illinois, July 27, 1958; admitted to bar, 1987, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; 2007, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Southern Illinois University (B.S., 1983); Northern Illinois University (J.D., 1987). Phi Alpha Delta (Treasurer, 1985-1987). Member, Moot Court. Local Counsel, Cantigny War Museum, 1988. Treasurer, Naperville Veterans Memorial Wall Committee, 1989. Extended Member, DuPage County Board of Review, 1990-1991. Member, Finance Committee, Illinois Senator Chris Lauzen, 1993. Elected Lisle Township Republican Precinct Committeeman, 1994. Treasurer, Illinois Rep. Cowlishaw Campaign Committee, 1995. Parliamentarian, Lisle Township Republican Organization, 1996. Trustee, Lisle Township, 2000-2002. Lisle Township Clerk, 2002. President, Township Officials of DuPage County, 2007. Member: DuPage County (Member: Local Government Committee, 1988, Chairman, 1995-1996; Probate Law Committee, 1989-1992, Secretary, 1990), Illinois State and American (Member, Land Use Committee, State and Local Tax Committee) Bar Associations; Illinois Township Attorneys Association. [Sgt., USMC, 1976-1983]. Reported Cases: Allegis Realty Investors v. Naperville, Township Road District, 223 Ill.2d 318 (Ill. 2006); City of Warrenville v. John Lotus Novak and Naperville Community Unit School Dist. 203, 355 Ill.App.3d 714 (2nd Dist. 2005); Allegis Realty Investors v. Naperville Township Road District, 356 Ill.App.3d 887 (2nd Dist. 2005); Estate of Smida v. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, 353 Ill.App.3d 551 (2nd Dist. 2004); Ceres One Corp. v. Naperville Township Road District, 343 Ill.App.3d 382 (2nd Dist. 2003); ABN Ambro Services, Inc. v. Naperville Park District, 325 Ill.App.3d 7 (2nd Dist. 2001); Board of Library Trustees of the Village of Westmont v. Cinco Construction, 276 Ill.App.3d 417 (1st Dist. 1995); Forest Preserve District of DuPage County v. Department of Revenue, 266 Ill.App.3d 264 (2nd Dist. 1994). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Local Government Law; Land Use; Real Estate; Estate Planning; Probate Law.Email: Richard J. Tarulis
David N. Schaffer (Member) born Chicago, Illinois; admitted to bar, 1984, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; 1995, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Illinois, Urbana (B.A., 1981); Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington (J.D., 1984). Listed as Super Lawyer 2008-2010. Recipient, Award of Merit, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, January 2007. Appointed to Illinois General Assembly's Family Law Study Committee, 2008. Author: "Review of Bankruptcy Reform Act as Applicable to Matrimonial Law," Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Nov 11, 1994 and Briefcase (ABA General Practice Section Newsletter, Vole 5 No. 1); "An Analysis of the Legitimacy of 750 ILCS 5/505(a)(5)" (percentage child support orders), Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, January 23, 1995 and Illinois Family Law Report, March 1995; "Amended Supreme Court Discovery Rules as Seen Through the Eyes of a Matrimonial Lawyer," Illinois Family Law Report, November 1995; "Child, Spousal Support Laws Work in Tandem (Most of the Time)" (URFA and UREA compared), Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, October 23, 1996; "The Use of Revenue Rulings in Marital Appraisals," DuPage County Bar Association Brief Magazine, November 1996; "State Law on Grandparent Visitation Needs Revision," Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, June 20, 2000; "Expert Testimony in Child Custody Cases," Family Law Up-date, Aspen Publishers, 2001; "Trowel and Lula-Two High Courts Speak on Grandparent Visitation Rights," Illinois Bar Journal, Vol. 89, #2, February 2001, "When DCFS Knocks: Representing a Client Accused of Child Abuse or Neglect," Illinois Bar Journal, Vol. 92, #1, Jan 2004; "The New Supreme Court Rules Governing Child Custody Cases," A Summary and review, Illinois Bar Journal, Vol. 94, #7. Cited in four "Dear Abby" advice columns and two "All that Zazz" advice columns. Lecturer: Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Updates: "The New Supreme Court Discovery Rules, Chicago," Winter 1995; "Presenting an Effective Pre-trial," Chicago, Fall 1996; "Handling Custody Cases When the Expert Sides Against You," St. Louis MO, Summer 1998; "Grandparent Visitation Rights After Troxel and Lulay," Chicago, Winter, 2000; "Caselaw Update- Grandparent Visitation Rights," Lake Geneva WI, Summer, 2002; "DCFS is at the Door, What to Do- Advising Clients from Start to Appeal," Chicago, Winter 2002; "Grandparent Rights: Visitation, No; Guardianship, Maybe," Las Vegas NV, Winter 2003; "Removal of Children From the State," Chicago, Spring 2004; "The Nuts and Bolts of Contempt Proceedings," Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Summer 2004; "Client Relations and Ethical Issues in Fully Representing Your Client," Las Vegas Nevada, Winter, 2006. Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education: "The 'Shrinking' of Child Custody Cases: The Use of Mental Health Experts- Experts and Preparing for Trial," 1996; "Business Valuation, Financial and Tax Issues Affecting Divorce";, 2006, 2008 and 2009 "Attorney Fees"; 2007 "Case Update on Financial Issues";. Noted cases: "Appellate Court Will Not Second Guess Close Custody Case," Illinois Family Law Report, June 1996; "Mother's Credibility Evaporates, Unstable Environment Disqualified Her As Custodian," Illinois Trial Court Divorce Digest May 1995; "Support Tripled," Illinois Trial Court Divorce Digest, January 1994. Public Office: Trustee, Village of Lombard (DuPage County) Board of Trustees, 1997-2001, Award of Merit, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Member: Du Page County (Family Law Committee), Will County (Family Law Committee), Illinois State (Assembly, Agenda Committee, 1998-2001; Past-Chair, Family Law Section Council, 2004-2005; Newsletter Editor, Illinois Bar Journal Editorial Board) and American (Family Law Section; Operation Standby) Bar Associations. Fellow: American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Vice President and CLE Chair - IL Chapter); International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; Federalist Society, Chicago Chapter. (Also practicing individually). Practice Areas: Family Law; Complex Domestic Relations Issues; Divorce/Dissolution of Marriage; Child Custody and Visitation; Spousal Support; Alimony; Maintenance; Matrimonial Law; Matrimonial Litigation; Marital Settlement Agreements; Property Rights; Financial Discovery and Analysis Related to Divorce; Tax Considerations Related to Divorce.Email: David N. Schaffer
ASSOCIATES
Nicole L. Karas (Associate) born Paoli, Pennsylvania, October 7, 1970; admitted to bar, 2004, Illinois; 2005, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Education: Valparaiso University (B.A., cum laude, International Relations, 1992); DePaul University College of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2004). Dean's List; Order of the Coif. Recipient: Excellence for Future Award in Advanced Legal Research and Constitutional Law II, Computer Assisted Learning Institute; "Top Scholar" Scholarship, 2002. Associate Editor of Articles, Notes and Comments, DePaul Law Review, 2003-2004. Author: "EEOC v. Luce & the Mandatory Arbitration Agreement," 53 DePaul L. Rev. 67, 2003. Member: Chicago, Du Page County and Illinois State Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Business Law; Corporate Law; Local Government Law; Real Estate.Email: Nicole L. Karas
Andrew S. Paine (Associate) born Evanston, Illinois, May 16, 1979; admitted to bar, 2007, Illinois. Education: Beloit College (B.A., English, cum laude, 2003); John Marshall Law School (J.D., 2007). Dean's list. Recipient, Computer Assisted Legal Institute Award Winner, Payment Systems Law, 2007. Staff Editor, The John Marshall Journal of Computer and Information Law, 2005-2006. Member: DuPage County, Chicago, Illinois State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Local Government; Civil Litigation.Email: Andrew S. Paine
OF COUNSEL
Douglas C. Tibble (Of Counsel) born Joliet, Illinois, May 26, 1952; admitted to bar, 1977, Illinois. Education: DePaul University (B.A., with honors, 1974); Syracuse University (J.D., summa cum laude, 1977). Order of the Coif. President, Justinian Honor Society, 1976-1977. Member, Syracuse Law Review, 1975-1976. Member: Chicago, DuPage County, Illinois State and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Commercial Law; Real Estate; Business Law; Corporate Law; Appellate Practice; Mediation; Arbitration; Construction Law.Email: Douglas C. Tibble
David G. Wentz (Of Counsel) born Elmhurst, Illinois, February 4, 1963; admitted to bar, 1989, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern and Central Districts of Illinois. Education: Augustana College (B.A., 1985); University of Illinois (J.D., 1989). Recipient: American Jurisprudence Award, International Law and World Politics, 1988; DuPage County Bar Association Scholarship, 1986. Elected Naperville Township Trustee. Elected State President, Lincolnland Exchange Club, 2007-2008. Elected Naperville Exchange Club Secretary, 1996-1997, Board of Directors, 1996 and President, 2001-2003. Member, National Exchange Club Jurisprudence and Laws Committee, 2003-2004, 2006-2007. Member, DuPage County Workforce Development Board, (Chairman, Membership Committee, 1999). Appointed Special Appellate Public Defender, 1995. Naperville Chamber of Commerce (Chairman, Legislative Committee 1997-1999). Member: DuPage County Bar Association (Member, Civil Practice, Business Law, Children's Rights, and Appellate Law Committees; Arbitrator Mandatory Arbitration Program, 1993) and Illinois State Bar Association (Member, Commercial Litigation and General Practice Committees). Reported Cases: Galvin v. Olysaw, 212 Ill.App.3d 399 (5th Dist 1991); Illinois Municipal League Risk Management Associaton v. Seibert, 223 Ill.App.3d 864, (4th Dist. 1992). Practice Areas: Personal Injury; Civil Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Real Estate Litigation; Consumer Fraud; Employment Law; Condemnation and Eminent Domain; Insurance Defense; Insurance Coverage; Collections; Business/Corporate Law; Real Estate; Adoptions; Professional Malpractice; Appeals.Email: David G. Wentz