BOODELL & DOMANSKIS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Managing Member
- Support Staff Member
Alexander R. Domanskis has represented corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and individuals in acquisitions and sales, financing, litigation and general business planning for over thirty-five years. He has had significant experience in real estate, including financing in 20 states, leasing and zoning. For his clients, Al also provides estate and succession planning.
He was the court appointed administrator of a $200 million settlement fund in the Folding Carton Antitrust Litigation. He has been an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association in connection with real estate and business disputes since 1987.
In 1977, Al began his career as a Law Clerk to Judge Edwin A. Robson of the United States Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In 1979, Al joined the law firm of Ross & Hardies as an associate and was named partner in the law firm in 1985. From March 1987 through December 1990, Al was jointly associated with Ross & Hardies and with Intercounty Title Company of Illinois, a title insurance agent with real estate, financial and credit reporting subsidiaries. In January 1991, Al returned to the full time private practice of law with Ross & Hardies. In April 1994, Al left his partnership at Ross & Hardies to become a partner with Shaw Gussis & Domanskis which became known as Shaw Gussis Domanskis Fishman & Glantz. In April 2002, Al joined in establishing Boodell & Domanskis, LLC.
Audra Pavilcius Karalius has successfully managed legal and business opportunities at Nalco Chemical Company, Argonne National Laboratory and Sara Lee Corporation. She has served as Corporate Counsel, Vice President, Sustainability, Environment and Safety and Chief Environment, Health & Safety (ESH) Counsel. Audra excels at evaluating complex business issues, regulatory requirements and risks, sustainability trends and developing insightful, comprehensive business solutions. She is also passionate about assisting her clients in assuring their future through effective estate planning.
Audra has extensive experience in corporate, sustainability, environmental, safety, health, labor, employment, and ethics law. She is adept at dealing with various stakeholders and governmental agencies. Audra has managed due diligence and contract term negotiations for numerous corporate transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures.
Audra is a recognized conference speaker and presenter on the topic of sustainability strategies and implementation.
Audra was an Adjunct Professor at Kendall College, teaching sustainability related classes.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Support Staff Member
Brett M. Bornstein focuses his practice on estate planning, probate, real estate, and general transactional matters. Brett commits to thoroughly understanding the person behind every legal matter by employing a personalized approach to translate client goals into desired outcomes.
Brett has experience representing small businesses, start-ups, and nonprofit organizations. He has handled a range of contract, employment, entity formation, corporate governance, and risk management matters.
Brett received his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Tulane University, majoring in Political Economy with a specialization in Law, Economics, and Policy and minoring in Philosophy and Business. Brett went on to attend law school at Vanderbilt University Law School, where in addition to his J.D., he earned Vanderbilt's Law and Business Certificate. During law school, Brett externed with the Honorable Grace Dickler, Presiding Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, competed in moot court, served on the Shade Tree Clinic Medical Legal Partnership, and was a Turner Family Community Enterprise Transactional Law Clinic Student Attorney. Before law school, Brett worked in the mergers and acquisitions and corporate hospitality businesses.
PRACTICE AREAS
Estate Planning & Probate
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Support Staff Member
Carole Randolph Jurkash is an experienced General Counsel and business leader, with a track record of reducing enterprise risk and legal costs. Carole began her career at Latham & Watkins, and subsequently moved into in-house counsel roles of increasing responsibility with JLL, Grubb & Ellis, Oak Brook Bank and most recently as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of DTZ Americas, Inc. [now part of Cushman & Wakefield]. Carole established the in-house Legal function at DTZ Americas, Inc. and served on the company's 7-member Executive Management Committee.
Carole excels at helping middle market businesses work through complex legal and business problems and pulling together multi-discipline teams to implement practical, cost effective solutions. Carole has extensive experience counseling middle market companies in the areas of commercial transactions, commercial loans, real estate transactions, professional services agreements, contracts, corporate law, corporate governance, corporate finance, employment, Law Department establishment and management, litigation management, professional licensing, compliance, enterprise risk management and diversity and inclusion.
PRACTICE AREAS
General Counsel Services
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Office Manager
Cynthia Marin is a Chicago native and a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. After relocating back to Illinois from Arizona, she joined the firm in 2012. Cynthia's career background includes office administration, business management and real estate sales. She is fluent in both German and Lithuanian.
Job Titles:
- Support Staff Member
- Member of the American Bar Association
Dainius R. Dumbrys concentrates his practice in general transactional matters, including real estate (residential and commercial), estate planning and probate matters, lending law and general business law. Dainius sees himself as a part of the deal and a facilitator; his intent is to find the most economical and direct solution to a client's problem, allowing the client more time to focus on the development of their business and saving the client money.
Dainius represents individual clients in a wide variety of matters, from the purchase of their first homes to developing a condominium project. He advises clients on the creation of business entities to achieve their goals, as well as agreements between business partners to ensure that their mutual desires are met and their businesses a success. This philosophy and work experience has made Dainius an expert on legal matters affecting the restaurant and hospitality industries in particular, as well as businesses with other areas of specialty. As a part of his practice, he also handles estate planning and probate, important both for peace of mind and, when applicable, for continued business success.
In addition to helping individuals and businesses achieve their goals, Dainius works with various lenders on commercial loan transactions of up to $50,000,000.00. This lending work includes the documentation of new loans, the renewal or extension of existing loans and working out issues of forbearance on defaulted loans. Dainius works with a variety of lenders and borrowers based throughout the United States, taking advantage of the vast amount of experience and knowledge available to him at Boodell & Domanskis, LLC.
Dainius has been with Boodell & Domanskis, LLC since 2002 and has enjoyed seeing the firm grow and expand its areas of practice.
Dainius has been recognized by Leading Lawyers since 2018 in the areas of Closely & Privately Held Business Law, Real Estate Law: Commercial, and Real Estate Law: Residential and he was previously named an Emerging Lawyer (2016-2017) in those practice areas. His profile can be found online at LeadingLawyers.com.
Dainius is a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Support Staff Member
Elisheva Bernstein Cohen focuses her practice on estate planning and probate. As part of her estate planning practice, Elisheva works with clients to prepare living and testamentary trusts, special-needs trusts, IRA conduit trusts, wills, living wills, and powers of attorney for healthcare and property. Elisheva assists clients with both simple and complex estate plans, as well as with the administration of both large and small probate estates, always ensuring that the concerns of the client are met.
Elisheva earned her Bachelor of Arts, majoring in European History, from Barnard College, Columbia University. She attended law school as a Cardozo Scholar, graduating from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. While in law school, Elisheva worked as a research assistant for Professor Marci A. Hamilton in the area of Constitutional Law. She also served as a clerk for the Deputy Commissioner of Trials for the New York City Police Department. She is admitted to the Illinois State Bar and the New York State Bar.
PRACTICE AREAS
Estate Planning & Probate
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Director
- Support Staff Member
- Trustee
Gerry Weber works closely as a practicing attorney and Certified Public Accountant with his clients. Drawing upon 50 years of experience in the tax, financial, real estate, corporate, family and business planning fields, Gerry helps his clients achieve their goals in each of those areas.
Gerry has extensive experience representing families, entrepreneurs, investors and business enterprises. He assists his clients in the development and implementation of their long-term business, financial, charitable, and estate and family planning goals including appraisals, cash flow analysis, federal and state tax, risk management, employee compensation and retirement matters.
Because of his multi-dimensional training and experience, it accords Gerry the opportunity to assist clients in achieving environmental, social and governance objectives that ultimately leads his clients to deliver better outcomes in their business and ownership capacities.
Gerry has served as a director, trustee and advisor to many families, as well as numerous public charities and family charitable foundations.
PRACTICE AREAS
Estate Planning & Probate
Gerry Weber has been recognized since 2022 by Leading Lawyers in Closely/Privately Held Business Law, Tax Law: Business, Tax Law: Individual, and Trusts, Wills, and Estate Planning.
Helen Evans joined Boodell & Domanskis in early 2022. Helen has over 30 years of experience as a Paralegal working in Chicago law firms and specializing in investments, taxes, accounting, estate planning, and Family Office/Wealth Management matters. She was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and came to the US as a young child. Helen currently lives in the far western suburbs. Helen has earned a BS in Business Management, Magna Cum Laude, from Roosevelt University and a BA in Elementary Education from Benedictine University.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Support Staff Member
- Advisor to the Korean American Merchant 's Association
- Legal Counsel to the Korean American Women 's Association of Chicago
- Member of the Illinois Advisory Committee to the United States Civil Rights Commission
- Member of the Illinois State Bar Association
- Spokesperson
Jae Choi Kim practices in the field of business law, real estate, estate planning, trust law, immigration law and probate law. Jae represents corporations, broad sectors of family owned businesses and individuals in various commercial transactions and real estate transactions and counsels closely held business entities in business succession planning. Jae also advises corporations and corporate managers and executives on business immigration matters. She is a frequent guest speaker at various organizations on topics in business and estate planning.
Before receiving her law degree, Jae worked in the private sector running a family business and in government. Her business experience includes managing, financing, negotiating business sales, real estate development and transactions, environmental remediation and compliance, and negotiating with the Internal Revenue Service on various tax matters.
In government from 1993 to 1994, Jae worked as a Staff Assistant for United States Senator Carol Moseley-Braun. She was responsible for issues concerning the State of Illinois in the areas of international trade, NAFTA, the U.S. State Department, immigration and Asian affairs. As a Staff Assistant, Jae represented the Senator at various business and constituent functions. While in government, Jae lobbied and coordinated a hearing on civil rights issues, which resulted in a publication: "Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in Metropolitan Chicago" by the Illinois Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.
PRACTICE AREAS
Estate Planning & Probate
Jae is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Asian American Bar Association.
Jae is currently the legal counsel to the Korean American Women's Association of Chicago. Jae is also an advisor to the Korean American Merchant's Association as well as other not- for-profit scholarship organizations.
Long active in civic and community work, Jae is a member of the Illinois Advisory Committee to the United States Civil Rights Commission and an advisor to the Asian American Institute, as well as being a board member of Chicago Area Ethnic Resources.
Jae has served as the spokesperson on behalf of the Korean American community in the Chicago area during the painful period during the Los Angeles riots in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict in 1992. In recognition of her work in inter-group relations, she was awarded the Woman of Excellence for Community Development Award by Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Support Staff Member
Joseph F. Imburgia focuses his practice on business and corporate law, while also providing general legal services to guide his clients through a variety of legal questions and challenges. Through his corporate and business practice, Joseph has assisted clients at each stage of their business's life, providing assistance in corporate formation, real property and asset purchase contracts, drafting and amendment of membership agreements, and shareholder buyouts. In addition to his business and corporate services, Joseph assists both individual and company clients in residential and commercial real estate transactions as well as estate planning matters.
Joseph received his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Chicago before earning his Juris Doctorate at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Before joining Boodell & Domanskis, LLC in 2022, Joseph practiced in St. Louis, Missouri, where his practice concentrated on insurance law, arson and fraud litigation, and product liability.
PRACTICE AREAS
Business & Entrepreneurial Law
Katie Raven joined Boodell & Domanskis in January 2022. Katie provides support services to the B&D team and she has over ten years of experience in the legal field.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Support Staff Member
Linda Vernon Goldberg concentrates her primary practice in lending and real estate transactions as well as providing general counsel to a wide range of businesses. For 15 years Linda was in-house counsel for two financial institutions, and before that she was a commercial real estate attorney in one of the largest law firms in Chicago. She was in-house corporate counsel to the City of Chicago focusing on small business financing, affordable housing, arts and cultural programming under the administration of Mayor Harold Washington.
Linda is involved in non-profit and arts advocacy, having served on the board of directors of a symphony orchestra and a non-profit theatre. She has assisted clients in performing and visual arts, music, education and community development, copyright, licensing, venue and contract matters.
Linda has turned an interest in health and fitness into an avocation. She holds a Personal Trainer Certification and is a candidate for an Orthopedic Exercise Specialist Certification, both through the prestigious American Council on Exercise (ACE). She has assisted fitness centers in restructuring member agreements and is available to provide counsel to fitness centers and fitness professionals.
PRACTICE AREAS
Banking & Finance Law
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Support Staff Member
- Members, Associates and Paralegals
Madelyn Chromy assists members, associates and paralegals at Boodell & Domanskis, LLC. As a legal secretary for 40 years, Madelyn has experience working in both large and small law firms. Her legal background includes work in the areas of corporate, real estate, estate planning, and litigation.
Job Titles:
- Member and Litigation Team Leader at B & D
Max Stein, Member and Litigation Team Leader at B&D, is a featured expert panelist at "Resolving Shareholder Disputes," a live webinar that premiered April 21st. This webinar is part of the "Complex Financial Litigation" series. In addition to Max Stein, the professional panel at this webinar features John Levitske (Ankura… Read More →
Mia Perez Freitag joined Boodell & Domanskis in 2016. She provides legal support services to the attorneys and staff. Mia is from the south suburbs of Chicago, and is a graduate of Saint Xavier University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Support Staff Member
Michael L. Brooks has over 20 years of experience working on complex litigation matters for both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Mike devotes his practice to a wide range of commercial and civil litigation cases, representing both corporate and individual clients. While known for his strong advocacy, Mike also prides himself on his ability to help clients resolve matters at an early stage of litigation in order to avoid the unnecessary expense and distraction of protracted litigation.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Support Staff Member
Job Titles:
- Administrative Support Service
Sierra Ransom joined Boodell & Domanskis in 2022. She provides administrative support services to the attorneys and staff and she is responsible for managing the front desk. Sierra is from the west side of Chicago, and is a graduate of Western Illinois University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in theatre with a minor in art.
Job Titles:
- Cook County Board President
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Support Staff Member
William Malan focuses his practice on real estate and business transactions, collaborating with clients to identify and resolve their legal needs in the most cost-effective manner possible.
William has extensive experience representing businesses and individuals in employment matters, particularly in the highly regulated health care sector, and has also performed federal appellate work and enforcement of non-consumer judgments in circuit court.
PRACTICE AREAS
Real Estate, Land Use, & Zoning