RS&S LAW OFFICES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Member and past President of the Lake County Estate
Since 1975, Carey J. Schiever has been engaged in private practice, specializing in estate and estate tax planning and estate administration (including the preparation of Federal Estate Tax returns), real estate and the organization and representation of individuals and business entities.
Prior to private practice, Mr. Schiever served as a trust officer at Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago where he received extensive training in all facets of estate planning, trust administration and the probate process. He also previously served as a law clerk at Crowe, Schneider and Gioia in St. Louis, Missouri, where he represented the Public Administrator of the City of St. Louis.
Mr. Schiever is a member and past president of the Lake County Estate Planning Counsel, as well as the Lake County Wills, Trust and Probate, Real Estate and Corporation (past chair) committees. He is also a member of the Lake County, Illinois and American Bar Associations. He has been a speaker for the Lake County Estate Planning Council, the Lake County Bar Association's Trust, Will, Probate, Corporation and Real Estate Committee Seminars, the Lake County and DuPage County Life Underwriters Associations, Estate Planning Seminars and the Libertyville, Mundelein, Green Oaks, Vernon Hills Chamber of Commerce Small Business Expo. He has also taught adult education classes at the Lake Forest High School.
Mr. Schiever received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his undergraduate degree at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He is currently is a member of the Board of Directors of the Lake County Bar Association and Chairman of the People's Law School Committee and serves on the Trust and Estate Committee and the LCBA Corporate Committee, where he served as committee chairman in 1994. He has been on the Lake County Estate Planning Council from 1997 to present, and served as the council's president during 1982. He has been a member of the ISBA since 1975 and is a former associate member of the Lake County Life Underwriters Association. He holds a "Leading Illinois Attorney" designation with the American Research Corporation.
Since 1990, David J. Schwab has developed a law practice with a focus in bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights, business planning and restructuring, and commercial litigation. He and his law firm, Ralph, Schwab & Schiever, Chtd., are recognized by Martindale Hubbell's Bar of Preeminent Lawyers in the areas of Bankruptcy Law, Business Law, and Commercial Litigation. As a trained CPA and practicing attorney, Mr. Schwab is uniquely qualified to assist financially troubled companies, analyze their legal options, and assist them toward a successful resolution of their legal/financial issues.
Mr. Schwab received his law degree from the DePaul University College of Law. While in law school, he was an executive editor of the DePaul Business Law Journal. He also served as an "extern" for the Hon. Robert E. Ginsberg, United States Bankruptcy Judge. In that position he researched the law and drafted legal opinions for cases being heard by Judge Ginsberg. Prior to law school, Mr. Schwab worked as a business consultant for Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers). He obtained his undergraduate degree in accounting from Indiana University.
Recognized by his peers as an experienced lawyer in bankruptcy and financial workouts, Mr. Schwab has served as a lecturer for the Lake County Bar Association (Bankruptcy Committee), the Association of Illinois Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, the Milwaukee County Bar Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He is a co-author of "Assignment of Rents in Bankruptcy" for the Commercial Law League of America (Seminar in Advanced Bankruptcy Practice). Mr. Schwab has served as past President of Illinois Association of Illinois Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, a member of the Board of Directors of Northwest Community Bank, and has served on the DePaul University College of Law Alumni Board. He is also an active member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Chicago Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee.
Education:
Indiana University
DePaul University College of Law
Since 1990, Mr. Schwab has developed a law practice with a focus in bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights, business planning and restructuring, and commercial litigation. As a trained CPA and practicing attorney, Mr. Schwab is uniquely qualified to assist financially troubled companies, analyze their legal options, and assist them toward a successful resolution of their legal/financial issues.
Elizabeth C. Cronin focuses her practice on business law, estate planning, and commercial litigation. She serves businesses at any point in their lifecycle with corporate and structure matters, commercial transactions, litigation, and real estate transactions. With a background driving business and regulatory strategies for both corporate and non-profit clients, Ms. Cronin provides superb representation to her business clients by not only resolving their legal challenges, but in viewing those challenges through a lens of supporting the client's overall growth. For individuals, she is honored to advise her clients during times of transition by providing personal attention and practical solutions in estate planning, estate administration/probate, and residential real estate matters.
Ms. Cronin is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. She received her law degree from Suffolk University Law School, where she achieved the 1L "Best Brief" Award and was a member of the Moot Court Honor Board and the Suffolk Journal of Trial & Appellate Advocacy. Ms. Cronin was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society in 2002 and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2003. During her time at UMass, Ms. Cronin served all eight semesters in an application-only volunteer program for people with disabilities and remains extremely passionate about this community.
Education:
Suffolk University Law School
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Joel H. Norton has focused his legal practice upon debtors' and creditors' rights; mortgage foreclosure proceedings; bankruptcy proceedings; financial and business transactions; and litigation related to the above in state, bankruptcy and federal court, as well as non-judicial workouts. Mr. Norton has made presentations to groups including the Milwaukee County Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee, the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and committees with the Lake County Bar Association.
Mr. Norton received his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law, Syracuse, New York, cum laude in 2005. Prior to law school, he attended Denison University where he received his Bachelor of Arts cum laude in 2000. He also attended Vanderbilt University, Graduate Department of Religion in Nashville, Tennessee in 2001 and 2002. He is a member of the Lake County Bar Asssociation and the Illinois Bar Association. Mr. Norton is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Education:
Denison University
Vanderbilt University Graduate Department of Religion
Syracuse University College of Law
Kelly M. Wilbar focuses her practice on commercial litigation, business law, real estate, and estate planning. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lake County Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Wisconsin Bar Association. She is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois.
Prior to joining Ralph, Schwab & Schiever, Chtd., Ms. Wilbar was the judicial law clerk for Hon. David C. Swanson, Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee County. Ms. Wilbar received her law degree from Marquette University Law School where she was a staff editor of the Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review. Her student comment, Predictive Scheduling is Trending, is Milwaukee Next?, was published in the journal in 2020. During law school, Ms. Wilbar was a member of the Pro Bono Society, a Public Interest Law Society Fellow, and Secretary of the First-Generation Professionals student organization. Prior to law school, Ms. Wilbar graduated cum laude from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana where she majored in Political Science with minors in Spanish and Global Studies.
Education:
Marquette University Law School
St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Shareholder
Michael L. Ralph, Sr. is a shareholder of the law firm of Ralph, Schwab, Gartner & Schiever, Chartered. His practice is focused upon contract law; construction law; debtors' and creditors' rights; mortgage foreclosure proceedings; bankruptcy proceedings; financial and business transactions; and litigation related to the above in state, bankruptcy and federal court, as well as non-judicial workouts. From 1972 to 1976, Mr. Ralph served as a judge advocate in the United States Marine Corps, performing duties as a prosecutor, defense counsel and military judge in over 350 trials. Mr. Ralph also performed duties as an Article 32 Investigating Officer, and provided legal assistance to military service members and their families.
Following Mr. Ralph's military service, he served as a bankruptcy trustee in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. Throughout his civilian practice career, Mr. Ralph has represented debtors, creditors, and bankruptcy trustees in bankruptcy proceedings under Chapters 7, 11 and 13. Mr. Ralph has also served as a judicially appointed receiver, and has represented judicially appointed receivers, entities under receivership, and creditors in such proceedings. Mr. Ralph has represented non-judicial assignees in assignments for the benefit of creditors transactions, and business entities and creditors involved in assignments for benefit of creditors transactions.
Mr. Ralph has made presentations to groups including the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the Lake County Bar Association, the Association of Illinois Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, the Milwaukee County Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee, the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and various industry panels. He is a past chairman of the Lake County Bar Association Debtors and Creditors Rights Committee, the American Bankruptcy Institute and a member of the following bar associations: Lake County, Illinois, Wisconsin and the American Bar Association. Mr. Ralph is admitted to practice in the States of Illinois and Wisconsin, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and Western District of Wisconsin, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Mr. Ralph received his J.D. from Marquette University Law School in 1972, and received his B.A. from Carthage College in 1969.
Education:
Carthage College
Marquette University Law School
Michael L. Ralph, Jr. has been engaged in private practice, specializing in business, real estate and loan document transactions, estate planning and commercial litigation since 1999. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Lake County Bar Association, the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association, as well as a member, a Board Member and Vice-President of the Lake County Estate Planning Council, which is affiliated with the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. He is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and the U.S. Bankruptcy and U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois.
Mr. Ralph, Jr. received his law degree from Chicago‑Kent College of Law where he graduated with honors in 1999. Mr. Ralph received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and History from Indiana University. In addition, he earned a minor in Spanish and a Certificate in Business. In law school, he contributed research and drafting of an article entitled "Filing Nationwide Perfectly Or Get With The Trend", authored by Professor Michael I. Spak in the Cleveland State Law Review. The article discussed the filing system of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. In addition, he also assisted Professor Spak in the preparation of course materials for courses in Sales and Leases, including Articles 2 and 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code; Negotiable Instruments, including Article 3 of the Uniform Commercial Code; and Secured Transactions, including Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Education:
Indiana University
Chicago‑Kent College of Law
Michael L. Ralph, Jr. has been engaged in private practice, specializing in business, real estate and loan document transactions, estate planning and commercial litigation since 1999. He is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and the U.S. Bankruptcy and U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois.
Michael L. Ralph, Sr. is a shareholder of the law firm and his practice is focused upon contract law; construction law; debtors' and creditors' rights; mortgage foreclosure proceedings; bankruptcy proceedings; financial and business transactions; and related litigation.