Mr. Donahue has authored numerous articles on criminal practice and lectured in various areas of criminal defense, including drug cases, sexual abuse, DUI's, DNA evidence, eavesdropping, and defenses in homicide cases. He has been selected to draft legal briefs on behalf of the Illinois State Bar Association in two important cases before the Illinois Supreme Court: People v. James, and King v. Secretary of State Ryan. The Bar's position was upheld by the Supreme Court in both cases.
In the past several years, in addition to numerous acquittals in drunk-driving cases, he has obtained favorable jury verdicts in several well-publicized sex abuse cases, reckless homicides, other serious felony cases, including the last known acquittal in Illinois in the defense of attempted murder based upon organic brain syndrome.
In June of 2000, Mr. Donahue was recognized by his peers as Lawyer of the Year.
Mr. Sowa was a special Agent in the Illinois Bureau of Investigation, the State Police agency responsible for investigating narcotics, organized crime, and terrorism. He later became an Assistant State's Attorney in DuPage County and joined the firm in 1985. Prominently active in the Kane County Bar, he is a member of its Criminal Law Committee, Courhouse Design Committee, a lecturer on ethics for the Criminal Law Committee Seminar, People's Law School, and for the last 16 years has tutored the Geneva High School Law Day Moot Court team.
Mr. Sowa has extensive experience in he defense of felonies and misdemeanors, including murder, armed robbery, aggravated criminal sexual assault, controlled substances, DUI, and other offenses. He was chosen by the United Auto Worker's Union to represent its members at the Montgomery, Illinois, facility and has won acquittals on many prominent cases. He was appointed as a special conflict public defender (1987-1989) and has recently accepted appointment on death penalty cases in Kane County.
Mr. Bugos was an Assistant State's Attorney in Dupage County (1982-1986) before joining the firm. He received Special Commendation for Outstanding Service Award for his trial work with the Major Crime Bureau of the Felony Division where he prosecuted murder, drugs, residential burglary and Class-X felony cases. He is a past chairman and current member of the DuPage County Criminal Law Committee, and was previously appointed as a member of the DuPage County Judiciary Committee.
His extensive trial experience includes acquittals in murder, arson, drug, burglary, sexual assault and numerous other felony charges as well as hundreds of DUI cases. Mr. Bugos also practices at the appellate level and has obtained reversals of criminal convictions in the appellate courts. As a recognized expert in criminal defense, he has lectured and published several articles on various criminal law issues such a search and seizure and trial strategies.
