Gary R. Lietz, partner, is a 1973 graduate of Denison University with a degree in Economics; Lietz received his J.D. from John Marshall School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, in 1976. Mr. Lietz is significantly involved in employment law from the corporate/management perspective. He handles major cases involving employment discrimination and employee termination. He serves as a member on the Employment and Labor Law Section Counsel of the Illinois State Bar Association. From 1993 until October 1999, Mr. Lietz was a partner in the Champaign office of Hinshaw & Culbertson. Prior to that he was engaged in general practice with the Champaign firm of Franklin, Flynn & Palmer (later as Flynn, Palmer, Tague & Lietz). He is admitted to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of Illinois as well as the Seventh Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. Mr. Lietz is a member of the American Bar Association Litigation Section. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and served as past Chairman of the Economics Section Council and a past member of the Health Law Section Council. He is a member of the Champaign County Bar Association, elected twice (1985-87) as its President. In addition to employment and general litigation practice, Mr. Lietz has significant experience in defense of defending cases of alleged lender liability, asbestos abatement, and construction liability. Mr. Lietz has a substantial practice before the Illinois Court of Claims by virtue of representation of the University of Illinois and significant experience in both corporate law and litigation.

Areas of Practice: employment law, general trial practice, including appeals before the Fourth District Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court, business civil litigation, worker's compensation, products liability, construction, scaffold and asbestos litigation, lender liability, and defense of the University of Illinoi#000;#000; before the Illinois Court of Claims.