Leo Sokolov graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 2012, and in 2015 he graduated from The John Marshall Law School now known as University of Illinois Chicago Law School with a J.D. in 2015. He received his LLM degree at John Marshall Law School concentrating in Tax in 2018. While in the Juris Doctor program at John Marshall, he also worked as a teaching assistant to Professor Julie M. Spanbauer and earned a CALI award in Constitutional Law. Prior to passing the bar, Leo gained nearly two years of experience working as a clerk for the Law Office of Michael P. Doman from January, 2014 through November, 2015. He then transitioned to an attorney with the firm and was sworn in as an Illinois Attorney in November, 2015. Leo is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association. He is fluent in Russian.

For over 35 years, the experienced legal team at Mitchell S. Sexner & Associates LLC has helped our clients achieve successful conclusions during difficult times. Our compassionate and knowledgeable attorneys are ready to assist you 24 hours a day. Call us know to discuss your situation free of charge.

As owner and Managing Director, Julie Aponte has successfully built and managed our business immigration firm for more than 20 years. Her successful practice includes representing employers of varying sizes, including a multinational employer with 145,000 employees. Julie provides strategic legal counsel for complex immigration matters for global multi-billion-dollar corporations and their professional and executive-level employees. Her extensive experience includes managing the high pace, high volume environment for business immigration services for multinational corporations with hundreds of immigration matters. Julie has had the honor of representing one multinational corporation with 70,000 employees for more than 26 years. Julie has mainly built her immigration law practice through networking and referrals. Julie leads hundreds of clients in successfully securing nonimmigrant work visas, including H-1B, E-1/E-2, L-1, TN visa classifications and navigating the complexities of employment-sponsored permanent residence processes. Julie also directs clients in ensuring compliance with U.S. regulations pertaining to business immigration laws, including prevailing wage requirements, Public Access File compliance, Audit File compliance as well as assisting clients in establishing corporate-wide processes and policies. In addition, Julie’s experience includes creating a firm-wide process for conducting an unprecedented audit project for the firm thousands of Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification documents to ensure corporate compliance and mitigate possible government sanctions. Her proactive strategies assist clients in achieving their goals of operational efficiencies and economic growth. Specifically, she prides herself in representing entrepreneurs in investing in U.S. start-ups through the E-2 Treaty Investor visa program. She has represented numerous business investors in obtaining E-2 Treaty Investor visas to develop their business ventures and start-ups in the U.S. As business immigration law touches a variety of industries, Julie has experience representing clients involved in the engineering, financial services, retail, telecommunications, manufacturing, IT consulting, and health care industries. Julie also represents hospitals with their employment-based sponsorship petitions for foreign graduate physicians and nurses. She assists them in achieving work authorization and permanent residence in the U.S. thereby directly benefiting industry shortage needs. Early in her career, she gained experience with Fragomen Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP; Paul Hastings LLP (previously Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP); and Squire Patton Boggs (previously, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP).

Chris is a Senior Attorney at J. Aponte & Associates, LLC and has been working in the area of business immigration law since 2013. Since 2013 and from the time he joined our firm in June 2021, Chris has gained extensive experience representing multinational corporations with hundreds of immigration matters. He creates detailed corporate policies and develops strategies for high volume immigration projects, including L-1 Blanket, H-1B, E-1/E-2, EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 petition processes, and PERM applications. He advises corporate clients on developing compliance policies and processes for maintenance of Public Access Files and for PERM Audit files, completion of Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification), and creates proactive employment-based immigration strategies for their employees. He has written complex immigration petitions and audit responses for filing with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, US Department of Labor, and US Department of State resulting in a high rate of successful applications. Chris provides clients with detailed, hands-on guidance in navigating the complexities of immigration law.

Brian Morris is a personal injury and a trial lawyer. He has practiced law and represented individuals, government agencies, and corporations for over twenty-five years. Brian has demonstrated skill in successfully resolving disputes in multiple judicial forums around the world, and is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Texas, and The District of Columbia (DC). He is adept at evaluating cases and provides principled counsel to his clients. Brian has extensive experience in litigation and has participated in over 150 arbitrations, mediations, and trials on behalf of his clients during his career. Prior to becoming a personal injury attorney, Brian served as an officer in the United States Army rising to the rank of Major. He served in various roles as a Judge Advocate throughout the world including multiple combat tours after 9/11. He also served as a legal advisor for several high-profile and complex investigations involving criminal offenses, personal injury, and property damage for the United States Army. Brian was awarded The Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq as a principal legal advisor to a four-star command. A native of Tampa, Florida, Brian and his family reside in Highland Park, Illinois where they are members of Temple Solel and actively involved in the community.

Carol A. Nolan has been a frequent speaker on Elder Law, estate planning, probate and trust administration for the Illinois State Bar Association, National Business Institute, and the DuPage County Bar Association.Carol also has expertise in preparing revocable living trusts, wills, and other estate planning tools. This includes plans for special needs children, disabled adults, clients with minor children, second marriages, and non citizen spouses.Call us at 630-668-6600, or submit a form online for a consultation.

Josh's civil litigation practice spans a broad range of areas, with a particular focus on insurance coverage and defense involving residential and commercial properties, automobile incidents, construction, trucking, and business losses, including bad faith claims. Additionally, he handles disputes related to contracts, property, businesses, and estates. Josh is committed to delivering positive and efficient outcomes for his clients. He exercises diligence in reviewing each case, identifying available options, and adapting to evolving circumstances to best serve his clients' interests. The practice areas that Josh works in involves: insurance coverage, bad faith, insurance defense, uninsured motorist, underinsured motorist, civil litigation, and arbitration. Josh met his wife, Jessica, during law school. They now live in Geneva, Illinois.

Attorney Kendall D. Hartsfield is a graduate of Western Illinois University, Governors State University, and Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Master of Arts in Political and Justice Studies, and Juris Doctorate, respectively. Mr. Hartsfield’s diverse background ranges from experience representing indigent defendants for the Will County Public Defenders Office to experience as an educator for the City Colleges of Chicago, for which he taught courses to pre-trial detainees at the Cook County Department of Corrections. Attorney Kendall D. Hartsfield is admitted to practice throughout the State of Illinois, and he is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Hartsfield is also a member of the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. To schedule a free consultation with Attorney Hartsfield, visit his website, or call 312-345-1700.

Joseph Seligmann is a practicing lawyer in the state of Illinois. Attorney Seligmann received his J.D. from John Marshall Law School in 1991.

Mark M. Berardi is an attorney licensed in Illinois, Indiana, and Florida. He advises business owners, investors, and property owners on asset-focused legal strategy, including estate and wealth planning, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, and entity and ownership structuring. His work is also informed by experience in securities regulation, including an internship with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement. Mark’s practice is built around protecting ownership, value, and privacy. He helps clients lawfully reduce public visibility into asset ownership, protect identity, and safeguard reputation through discreet planning and transaction design, including for high-net-worth and public individuals. He also represents Florida property owners in major-loss insurance recovery matters, including claims arising from Hurricane Ian, and he works with co-counsel on automotive defect and warranty litigation against major manufacturers, including actions involving FCA-branded vehicles. In Illinois, Mark and his firm regularly represent condominium and homeowners associations on governance, enforcement, and property-related matters, offering practical, full-spectrum counsel for owners and operators of residential, commercial, and investment assets. Under Mark’s leadership, his firm has developed one of Illinois’s most prominent real estate practices, providing comprehensive counsel that blends precision, discretion, and practical judgment.