Jeffrey S. McDonald brings to Robbins DiMonte his background not only as a lawyer, but as a CPA with a masters in Taxation. Early in his career, he was a prosecutor assigned to the Financial and Government Fraud Unit of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office in Chicago. Jeff was responsible for prosecuting many high profile cases involving embezzlement, insurance fraud, conspiracy, high technology computer crimes. Jeff currently concentrates his practice in the areas of closely held businesses, real estate, tax, estate planning and probate. Jeff is a former chair and current member of the Illinois Institute of Business Law, a successor to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Business Laws Committee. This group has been instrumental in writing the Illinois corporations and limited liability acts as well as modifying other Illinois business statutes. Jeff was the chair of the subcommittee that drafted the Illinois Entities Omnibus Act which allows company conversions and domestications in Illinois. Jeff also is a member of the MultiBoard Real Estate contract drafting committee. The committee periodically updates the standard real estate contract used by residential buyers and sellers in Northern Illinois and has been adopted by a majority of the local bar associations. Jeff serves on the Board of Directors of Versiti, a not-for-profit blood center and blood research organization with facilities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Jeff is an adjunct faculty member at Harper College where he combines his training as a professional chef with the practice of law, teaching hospitality students.

Adam J. Poteracki practices in the areas of trusts and estates, business transactions, and real estate. He represents fiduciaries, businesses, families and individuals in trust and estate planning and administration, including litigation of disputed probate and trust matters. Adam has extensive experience in all areas of probate practice, including decedents’ estates, minor guardianship, and disabled adult guardianship. He is a director and past president of the Northwest Suburban Estate Planning Council, an organization of attorneys, accountants, trust officers, and other financial professionals dedicated to promoting excellence in estate planning. Adam also represents clients in business transactions and real estate matters. He advises clients on business structuring and governance, the purchase and sale of commercial and residential real estate, tax-deferred exchanges, commercial loan transactions, and mergers and acquisitions, with an emphasis on closely held business growth and succession planning. Adam is licensed to practice law in both Illinois and in Wisconsin and frequently advises clients regarding cross-border legal issues in his areas of practice. Adam is Chair of the Firm’s Business & Real Estate Transactions Group.

James J. Riebandt concentrates his practice in the areas of business transactions, real estate, trusts & estates, and labor and employment. Early in his career, he handled a variety of civil litigation cases before developing a transactional practice which now includes business sale and acquisition, formation and representation, residential and commercial real estate sale, purchase and leasing, drafting and review of a variety of financial documents and estate and trust planning and administration. He served as a member of the Palatine Zoning Boarding of Appeals and for twenty-one years he was a Director of the Oakton Community College Educational Foundation including two terms as President. Jim was a founding member of the Holy Cross High School Alumni Education Endowment Fund, serving as President as well. He began his practice with Daley, Reilly and Daley in 1975 and joined Palmer, Blackman and Mancini in 1978 which became Riebandt and DeWald in 1990, where he served as President and Managing Partner until his affiliation with Di Monte & Lizak on January 1, 2013. He is also the long-time public address announcer for the Chicago Bears and the DePaul Blue Demons Men’s Basketball Team.

Nicholas C. Giordano is a highly experienced criminal defense attorney with over 30 years of experience. He has a proven track record of success in negotiating settlements and winning trials. He is skilled in all aspects of criminal law, including plea bargaining, jury trials, bench trials, preliminary hearings, grand jury hearings, and appeals. Nick is also a member of several bar associations and has served on the board of directors of the NWSBA since 2002. In addition to his legal practice, Nicholas Giordano is also actively involved in the legal community. He is a member of the NWSBA, Justinian’s, and the Chicago Bar Association. He has served on the board of directors of the NWSBA since 2002 and has been co-chairman of the NWSBA Fund Raising Committee for five years. Furthermore, he was a past chairman of the NWSBA Criminal Law Committee. Nick is an active participant in all Bar Association dinner meetings, social events, Moot Court and committees.

Joseph joined the team at Grzymala Law Offices, P.C. in November 2020 where he focuses his practice on collections matters, construction law and commercial litigation. He is a zealous advocate for the firm’s clients and spends his days arguing in court and drafting complaints, briefs, and other pleadings related to issues of breach of contract, mechanics liens, fraud, and other business disputes. Prior to joining Grzymala Law Offices, P.C., Joseph worked as an associate attorney focusing on the areas of employment, commercial and real estate litigation. Joseph has experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state court. Joseph was admitted to the Illinois Bar in May 2016 and the General Bar of the United States Court for the Northern District of Illinois in December 2018. Joseph has also been named as a Rising Star in Construction Litigation by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine from 2023-2025.

James Siwek is a practicing lawyer in the state of Illinois who handles Family and Estate cases.

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.