For over 20 years, Bill has been engaged in the successful placement of partners, practice groups, in-house counsel and associates as well as consultation with respect to law firm mergers. Bill works with prominent international, regional and local law firms and corporations in the Midwest and nationwide. He has a particular emphasis in Chicago as well as New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas. Prior to founding Astor Professional Search, Bill had extensive legal and business development experience, including a business development executive role with Thompson Financial (now Thomson Reuters), working as corporate in-house counsel with Aon Corporation, and practicing law with a prominent national litigation boutique. Bill’s transactional, litigation and business development background, combined with his extensive attorney relationships and experience in a variety of professional environments, has given Astor distinct advantages in the legal recruiting marketplace nationwide. After spending nearly two years as a Principal with another legal search firm, Bill founded Astor Professional Search. Bill’s prime motivation for the genesis of Astor, and the cornerstone of its strategic philosophy, is one concept: The highest degree of personalized attention. While it may sound simple, this personalized approach, which inherently embraces a consultative, interactive and comprehensive strategy, has fueled a significantly higher level of consistently successful legal placements year after year. It also remains one of the key factors separating Astor from the vast majority of “numbers-focused” legal search firms in the marketplace. Bill lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with his wife, Nicole, and their two children. In his spare time, Bill enjoys live music, tennis, international travel and Chicago’s world-class restaurants. Additionally, he spends considerable time at Wrigley Field as a life-long (and tortured) Cubs fan, with such suffering lifted in 2016, courtesy of a 1st World Series championship in 108 years.

Vivian R. Khalaf is a founding partner of Khalaf & Abuzir, LLC, and its affiliate office in Ramallah, Palestine, “Agility Services”. Ms. Khalaf has over 20 years of immigration law experience and practices both family and business immigration. She is also well-versed in family law, with an emphasis on Islamic matrimonial issues. Born in Jerusalem, Vivian R. Khalaf obtained her B.A. degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1987 and her J.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1991. Ms. Khalaf is fluent in the Arabic language and represents a multitude of individuals and corporate clients from various regions in the Middle East. She has resided in both Palestine and Jordan and travels to the region on a regular basis. Ms. Khalaf is a member of the Illinois bar and the United States District Court–Northern District of Illinois.

James Nicodemus proudly serves Glenview, IL and the neighboring communities in the areas of divorce & family law, as well as real estate law.

Andrew L. Spivack has represented hundreds of clients in divorce, custody, spousal support, child support, arrearages and retro support, visitation, paternity and other family law cases. Mr. Spivack believes every person should have an experienced and knowledgeable attorney to help advise and guide them through the difficult and important decisions that they face with the goal of achieving the best outcome possible. Your satisfaction with the ultimate outcome of the family-related concern you face demands both experience and an aggressive advocate.

Herb Elesh is a Immigration Lawyer Practicing in all of Chicagoland. He is active and in good standing within the Illinois State Bar Association. Questionnaire: Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. On a Provisional Waiver case I-601 we were able to have USCIS Chicago District Office approve the extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse which led to an approval for the greencard for a husband who entered on a false passport. His name was misrepresented on his passport and USCIS demanded a waiver of the misrepresentation. Based on the wifes medical records and detailed affidavits from myself and my paralegal and affifavits from the Petitioner and beneficiary he was approved for the I-601 and greencard. How did you build a successful practice? mostly word of mouth from satisfied families and clients; What should clients look for in a lawyer? honest, experienced and professional. should be updating himself/herself on laws/regulations/ changes to courts and USCIS and embassies How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? not as important as new laws and regulations at embassies and USCIS and NVC What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? potential forms of relief such as work permits or green cards or U visa for crime victims or waivers What information do you need in a free phone consultation? potential forms of relief such as work permits or green cards or U visa for crime victims or waivers What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? value-driven law office with almost 20 years of experience but fees as more affordable given the same level of experience and professionalism of the more expensive downtown law offices What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? having approvals which reunite families here in the US and enable them to build their lives here without fear of deportation. What are your other interests in addition to law? social justice for immigrants in USA including voting and participating in our democracy and helping those new citizens learn English and vote Are you involved in your community? offering pro bono help in the community for U.S. citizen applicants

Jim and Caroleann founded Coogan Gallagher in 2022 after working together at the Dwyer & Coogan firm. After these many years of experience, Jim understands that being injured does not make you a victim, but it can leave you feeling vulnerable, anxious, and uncertain about what to do next. Jim is an experienced trial lawyer who is dedicated to understanding the details of your losses and working to secure your peace of mind once again. It is what fuels his enthusiasm for the hard work it takes to see a case through to securing a jury’s verdict–the ultimate statement of truth in the civil justice system. Jim practices in Chicago and throughout the State of Illinois on behalf of his clients.

Established in 1972, our knowledgeable legal team can advise you on your rights and options for negotiating a viable solution to your credit woes. We're not afraid to stand up for our clients.

Joshua M Feagans is a founding partner of Feagans Law Group and heads the firm’s litigation and business practice. Josh concentrates in complex civil litigation involving injury and business disputes and acts as outside general counsel to national and regional companies in an array of industries that include building supplies, construction, commercial real estate, healthcare, automotive and manufacturing, among others. As a trial attorney, Josh has litigated thousands of cases throughout the United States in federal and state courts, in arbitrations with AAA, JAMS and BBB and in administrative hearings before a variety of agencies, including the EEOC, NLRB, IHRC, IDFPR and IDOL. Adept at understanding the bigger picture in any dispute, Josh guides his clients through lawsuits by utilizing a keen understanding of business practices and personal motivations to achieve targeted results, Business disputes are another area where Joshua M Feagans is known to be a fierce litigator and to get results for his clients. These involve contracts, shareholders/members/partners of closely held entities, unfair competition (i.e. trademark, trade secret), and real estate. As outside general counsel, Josh takes his experience from the courtroom into the boardroom. With a unique understanding of how disputes arise, Josh guides his clients through the daily pitfalls of operating a business by obtaining a global understanding of his clients’ operations and making himself available 24/7 to resolve issues as they arise (and before they become larger problems). Josh advises clients on best practices, corporate governance, acquisitions, employment, transactions, contracts, real estate, leasing, risk management and litigation. Josh’s counseling practice focuses on providing creative solutions and pragmatic guidance to help senior leadership achieve success. Josh is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Kane County Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. Josh serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, and as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Kane County Bar Association. Having grown up in central Illinois in a family that claims seven generations that have called Illinois home, Josh prides himself on his family and his work ethic. He graduated Western Illinois University with a B.A. in History along with an admission into the Phi Alpha Theta National Honorary Society and later graduated cum laude from the University of Illinois at Chicago John Marshall Law School. After working for a Chicago law firm, Josh became a partner at a regional law firm in the Tri-Cities, where he helped grow the firm to a regional power. Since its founding and with Josh and his wife - Feagans co-founder Katie - at the helm - Feagans Law Group has grown into a regional power with national reach. The firm recovered $19M on behalf of clients throughout Chicagoland, Illinois, and the Midwest in 2022 alone. Josh's representative case results include a $12M wrong death judgment, an $8.5M construction injury settlement, a $1.75M automobile injury settlement, a $1.3M workers compensation settlement, and many more. When Josh is not Guiding Your Path to Justice, he enjoys spending time with his family (including coaching his son's Little League team!), golfing, watching reruns of Seinfeld and the occasional cocktail!

Joel E. Brown is a skilled Peoria attorney and founder of Joel E. Brown, P.C.. At the firm, he assists clients with complex personal injury and criminal defense cases, including wrongful death, motor vehicle and commercial vehicle accidents, product liability, workers’ compensation, white collar crimes, and more. Attorney Brown believes that consistent communication and realistic expectations are the keys to sound attorney-client relationships. He offers his clients a personal approach and dedicated, focused representation that takes into account their needs and goals. Most of all, he prides himself on his level of responsiveness and attentiveness in all matters. Attorney Brown is a tireless advocate of his clients’ rights and futures.

Robert P. Kramer began his legal journey while earning his law degree by serving as front-end supervisor at Builder’s Square — a position he held to underwrite his education. He received his Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1993. Upon passing the bar, he joined a regional attorney whose practice provided commercial real estate counsel for restaurant franchises throughout the Midwest. Robert then moved to a general-practice litigation firm in Hinsdale, Illinois, where he handled matters in divorce and family law, real estate transactions, and personal injury claims. In 1997, he struck out on his own and opened his first office in Plainfield — an enterprise that laid the foundation for his growing practice. Nearly two decades later, in 2016, he expanded by launching a second office in Lombard. For anyone dealing with divorce, family law, estate planning matters or real estate, call us today at 630-785-2400 or complete our contact form for a free consultation.