Julia has over 20 years of experience representing diverse business industries and individuals as debtors in reorganizations, bankruptcy, and debt restructuring. She has been lead and co-counsel in Chapter 11 bankruptcies on behalf of real estate developers, hospitality companies, commercial landlords, manufacturers, fabricators, logistic companies and high net-worth individuals. She also has significant experience representing lenders and creditors in bankruptcy court and state court, including stay modification litigation, adversary actions, priority lien disputes and commercial collection and foreclosure, as well as contractors and homeowners in construction and mechanic’s lien litigation. Julia has in-depth experience drafting contracts, leases, business sales transactions and settlement agreements with an eye toward anticipating potential litigation and protecting her clients. Additionally, she represents condominium and homeowners’ associations in litigation, collection, negotiations with vendors and disputes with utilities and municipalities. Julia is experienced with drafting estate plans and representing estate and beneficiaries in probate litigation. As a seasoned attorney, Julia handles all aspects of litigation including investigations, pleadings, discovery, pre-trial matters, trial, and if appropriate, settlements and/or appeals of trial decisions. Julia is a frequent speaker with the Illinois State Bar Association on topics in Bankruptcy, Mechanics Lien and Collection Strategies. Julia is the Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Practice, and a third year honoree for the 2026 Illinois Super Lawyers® list.

Since 1985, Riccardo A. DiMonte has been our most active trial lawyer. He concentrates in commercial law matters, contract disputes, construction law, mechanic’s liens, mortgage foreclosures, bankruptcy, civil rights cases and corporate and partnership dissolutions. He has tried multi-million-dollar lender liability and lottery prize cases to verdict, handled numerous state and federal court appeals and regularly practices before the American Arbitration Association. Riccardo is a current member of RD’s Executive Committee. Riccardo has lectured at continuing legal education seminars on commercial law and bankruptcy topics.

Carol Sales concentrates her practice in bankruptcy, insolvency matters, and commercial litigation. She has approximately 20 years of experience representing a wide variety of clients in all stages of litigation. Carol has also represented debtors, creditors, and parties in interest in numerous Chapter 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcy cases for individuals and businesses. She takes a personalized approach to counseling clients to achieve their goals in a cost-effective manner. Carol has been recognized as a Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyer from 2021 to the present and Emerging Lawyer from 2018 to 2020 in the practices of Bankruptcy/Workouts and Business Litigation across the Chicagoland area. She co-authored the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s (IICLE) chapters on the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019; Representing Clients in Bankruptcy Cases; Chapter 11 Cases for Individuals and Small Business Debtors; Mechanics Liens in Bankruptcy; and Filing a Chapter 7 Petition and Exemptions. She obtained her J.D. cum laude from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. During law school, Carol was a lead articles editor for the John Marshall Law Review and a Distinguished Scholar Award recipient. She worked as an extern in the Circuit Court of Cook County for various judges hearing foreclosure cases and received an LL.M. in real estate law, with honors. Carol has been recognized as a 2026 honoree for Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers® List. This is Attorney Sale’s third year receiving this honor. She also was selected as a honoree for Crain’s Chicago Business 2024 Notable Women of Law.