* Inappropriately salaried employees violations * Meal break violations * Pre- and post-shift work violations * Minimum wage violations * Recovering back pay and compensation for undocumented workers * Independent contractor exemption violations

Lema Khorshid is one of the founding partners at Fuksa Khorshid, LLC. Lema handles a wide range of corporate legal and real estate matters for small- to mid-sized, closely held businesses in Chicago and New York. For the past several years, she has also been lead legal counsel on matters that have taken her business clients all over the globe. Lema’s transactional practice also encompasses a variety of commercial real estate matters across a comprehensive array of asset classes, including office, industrial, multi-family, and hospitality/retail. She represents private equity funds and real estate developers in the acquisition and development of real estate and has serviced the leasing, acquisition and development deals for many of her clients. Lema also handles zoning changes and liquor licensing matters for her local restaurant and hospitality clients. She has advised clients on debt/equity structures for real estate acquisition and mergers. She has extensive experience advising on and negotiating commercial deals. Lema is frequently invited to guest speak at Small Business Centers all over Chicago, where she teaches workshops to entrepreneurs on how to be proactive about a myriad of legal and business issues that may affect their businesses. For the last few years, she has taught a workshop called Something Negotiated™ whereby she teaches business owners key negotiation techniques that help them succeed in business and in life. In 2009, Lema was honored by the Business Ledger for being one of the twenty-two influential women in business in Chicago. In 2013, she earned a feature article in Chicago Social Magazine for her dedication and support to helping women entrepreneurs succeed. In 2018, she was featured for as a notable lawyer in Crain’s Chicago Business. Lema sits on the Advisory Board for the Women’s Business Development Center. She recently joined the Women’s Board of Partners in Health, which delivers health care to the world’s impoverished and supports women in underprivileged communities have access to quality healthcare. She has chaired several large-scale fundraisers to support arts and cultural initiatives in underprivileged communities; brought awareness to Chicago’s fashion and arts scene; and, raised thousands of dollars to support educational initiatives for entrepreneurs. Since 2006, she founded and chaired BizOver™, a large-scale marketing and networking platform for women business owners that has been sponsored by Neiman Marcus. Prior to being a partner at Fuksa Khorshid, LLC, Lema spent over six years consulting several prominent retail, hospitality and entertainment clients on their branding and public relations strategies in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Lema received two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in Finance and Marketing, with a concentration in International Business and Italian (2000). She received her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in Chicago (2004). She is proficient in Arabic, French, and Italian. In her time away from the office, Lema loves international travel, is a self-proclaimed foodie, and has a penchant for fashion and film.

Darren VanPuymbrouck is a trial lawyer with an active nationwide trial practice. As first-chair, he has successfully tried dozens of high-profile, bet-the-company cases involving myriad issues before juries in state and federal courts around the country. Most of his cases involve complex engineering, science, medical, and financial issues and he has successfully deposed and cross-examined thousands of expert witnesses. Recently, he successfully completed a month-long jury trial as first-chair in Ocean County, New Jersey involving construction defect and professional liability issues resulting in one of the largest verdicts in that county. In the fall of 2014, he successfully tried a high-profile product-liability case that resulted in a $22 Million jury verdict, among the top 100 verdicts nationally. Mr. VanPuymbrouck recently won the dismissal of a RICO class action in the Northern District of Illinois that has been the subject of national press coverage. Mr. VanPuymbrouck has also successfully briefed and argued appeals in state and federal courts around the country, including in the Missouri Supreme Court and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. VanPuymbrouck has litigated and tried cases for well-known companies in the consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical supply, financial services, construction, professional services, electronics, food, gas and electric public utilities, chemical, and many other industries. In addition to trials, those cases have included the defense of nationwide class actions, including MDL proceedings, national litigation strategy, and the trial of bell weather case, arbitrations, and mediations. Utilizing his trial experience, Mr. VanPuymbrouck also advises and conducts investigations for domestic and international clients on risk avoidance, regulatory compliance, and litigation strategy. Mr. VanPuymbrouck is also an internationally recognized leader in the investigation and litigation of catastrophic fire and explosion matters about which he is a frequent nation-wide speaker. He also conducts emergency response exercises for clients in the petroleum, natural gas, electric generation and transmission, and transportation industries. He has specialized expertise in the defense of claims involving lithium-ion and polymer batteries.

Ava Gehringer is a trial attorney at Kaveny Sarmas Injury Lawyers who represents individuals and families devastated by medical negligence and catastrophic injury. She practices in all areas of personal injury, with a particular focus on complex medical malpractice, wrongful death, and serious injury cases. Ava works relentlessly to uncover critical failures in care, expose systemic breakdowns, and secure meaningful justice for her clients. Ava earned her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she received three CALI Excellence for the Future Awards for legal writing and litigation. A Chicago-area native, Ava grew up in Evanston and spent her young adult years traveling the globe as a rhythmic gymnast, representing the United States. She retired as a National Champion and member of the U.S. World Team, later serving as an athlete representative to the USA National Team, where she acted as a liaison between youth athletes and national leadership. “Serving as a voice between young athletes and those in positions of authority taught me the importance of speaking up when others cannot,” Ava says. “That experience ignited my passion for advocacy and ultimately led me to the law.” Ava prepares every case as though it will be tried before a jury. Her background as a former elite athlete shapes her approach to litigation—disciplined, strategic, and unyielding in high-pressure environments—and her background as an athlete representative shapes her commitment to consistent and open communication with her clients at every step. She understands that behind every case is a family whose life has been permanently changed, and she treats that responsibility with the seriousness it demands.

Michael Fradin is a practicing attorney in the state of Illinois. He graduated from DePaul University College of Law with his J.D. in 2006. He currently works at Michael L. Fradin, Attorney at Law, his private firm in which he focuses on Accident and Injury law.

Teri Robins is an experienced Illinois assisted reproductive technology lawyer who can provide excellent representation across multiple states, whether you are an intended parent, surrogate, or gamete donor. Schedule a meeting to discuss your legal needs concerning ART contracts. Teri received her BBA from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, her MBA from Columbia Business School, in New York, and her law degree from University of Cincinnati in 2001. She is licensed to practice in IL, MA, MI, OH, and RI. When she’s not working, she likes to spend time with her family, including her husband, 2 almost grown and flown kids, and her dogs, reading, and needle pointing.