AGHL LAW - Key Persons
Cassandra Crandall concentrates her practice in the areas of business litigation, transactions, and corporate law. Cassandra has a special interest in trademark law.
Cassandra graduated summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University College of Law, where she also served as the Symposium Editor for the Northern Illinois University Law Review. During her legal studies, Cassandra held a graduate assistant and law clerk position at the Northern Illinois University Students' Legal Assistance Office where she focused on landlord-tenant and criminal matters.
Devin Noble concentrates his practice in the areas of business litigation and transactions, corporate law, and bankruptcy law. He represents and advises clients from a wide array of industries in both litigation and transactional matters.
Eileen M. Caver offers clients counseling, guidance, and representation in all areas of labor and employment law. For nearly a decade, Eileen has dedicated her career exclusively to labor and employment law, including the litigation and arbitration of disputes involving sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, reasonable accommodation, wage claims, improper discipline, and wrongful termination. Eileen regularly counsels employers in the formation, negotiation, and enforcement of employment policies, non-compete agreements, severance agreements, and employment contracts. Eileen also assists clients in navigating unemployment disputes, understanding and enforcing labor agreements, administering leave entitlements under the Family and Medical Leave Act and other federal and Illinois leave laws, formulating affirmative action programs and understanding federal contractor regulations, and assessing whistleblower complaints and concerns.
Throughout her career, Eileen has demonstrated a dedication to excellence and advocacy on behalf of her clients. After graduating fourth in her law school class from Loyola University Chicago, Eileen began her career as a law clerk for the Honorable Frederick J. Kapala in the Second District of the Illinois Appellate Court. There she analyzed Illinois law and provided guidance as to the proper application of the law by the Illinois Circuit Courts. Thereafter, Eileen served for nearly five years as Judge Kapala's law clerk in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. During this time, Eileen gained experience and expertise in federal employment law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Family, and Medical Leave Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act as well as the Illinois Human Rights Act. As a law clerk, Eileen observed and participated in the litigation, settlement, and mediation of employment law claims from the unique perspective of those who decide such cases.
Following her State and federal clerkships, for nearly nine years Eileen practiced labor and employment law at a national AmLaw 200 firm. In this position, Eileen represented employers in industries including health care, education, finance, insurance, manufacturing, and transportation. Eileen litigated many labor and employment cases in State and federal court and represented clients in cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, the Illinois Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the United States Department of Justice-Civil Rights Division, the State Universities Civil Service Commission, and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. In addition, Eileen vigorously advocated for clients at labor arbitration and in mediation. She also regularly drafted, reviewed, analyzed, and counseled clients regarding employer policies, non-competition agreements, employment agreements, and separation agreements. Eileen also assisted federal contractors in drafting and executing affirmative action plans and fulfilling the requirements of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
Leading Lawyers named Eileen as an Emerging Lawyer, in the top 2% of lawyers under 40 years old, for five years in a row (2015-2019).
Evan J. Bonnett concentrates his practice on helping employers and businesses navigate labor and employment issues, as well as commercial litigation and transactions.
Evan's practice includes federal and state labor law on behalf of employers, on such issues as labor relations, union organization and elections, collective bargaining, defending against unfair labor practices, and union welfare and pension fund obligations. Evan also offers counseling and advice in the ever-changing employment law arena, including discrimination and harassment, leaves of absence, OSHA and workplace safety, employment contracts and restrictive covenants, wage and hour issues, workplace standards and policies, and employee training.
Gino Galluzzo represents businesses, their owners, non-profit and governmental entities. He works closely with his client's leadership team applying his business acumen to the law, thereby providing his clients with practical and contextual advice. Mr. Galluzzo counsels business clients through entity selection, financing, business acquisitions, and dispositions, including buy-sell agreements, mergers, succession planning, shareholder/partner relationship issues, and other day-to-day business issues that arise. He has extensive experience in commercial real estate development matters, advising his clients through facility construction, mechanic's liens, leasing, real estate purchases, sales, and other related issues. His experience in real estate includes providing site selection services to clients, procuring economic incentives, and negotiating appropriate incentive terms to maximize the value of those incentives. He regularly works on incentive deals in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, working with clients' finance departments to assist in the comparison of the overall cost of doing business analysis of different states.
On behalf of our municipal clients, Mr. Galluzzo has successfully directed a number of sizable and complex multi-million-dollar public-private partnership projects from concept through all phases of execution. He has counseled municipalities and school districts through infrastructure and facility expansion projects, entitlement issues, and the identification, negotiation, and implementation of various economic development tools, state and federal grants. His clients value his knowledge of tax increment financing, abatement agreements, enterprise zones, special taxing districts, sales tax rebate agreements, impact fees, and the use of available state and federal tax credits.
Professional Affiliations
Illinois Tax Increment Association, Executive Member
Illinois Municipal League, Resolutions Committee
Gregory E. Cox focuses his practice on business transactions, health care law, and civil litigation. He has practiced in the Rockford area for more than 35 years. Mr. Cox has represented clients in mergers and acquisitions and other major business ventures.
He has initiated and shepherded the passing of legislation on behalf of several clients at both the state and federal level, has acted as general counsel to several businesses, and has been lead counsel in major civil litigation, primarily representing health care institutions and physicians, including multiple jury trials. He has argued numerous times before the appellate courts in Illinois and in Wisconsin and argued before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
He has acted as general counsel for several health care practices including a large multi-specialty practice and has advised on labor and employment issues, credentialing, and Q/A Q/I issues. He has been general counsel to a number of communities in Illinois and has acted as special counsel to counties in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Mr. Cox has participated in alternative dispute resolution, both as a party representative and as an arbitrator. Additionally, Mr. Cox is also an arbitrator and mentor for Illinois 17th Judicial Circuit, having been chosen as a charter member of each program.
Greg has previous experience as a partner in a national AmLaw 200 Law firm where he practiced for many years.
Professional Affiliations
Wisconsin Bar Association
Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association
Gregory T. Snyder has been representing physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers in medical-legal matters for more than 25 years. He regularly defends physicians, surgeons, and nurses involved in medical malpractice lawsuits at deposition and trials in state and federal courts throughout Illinois.
Greg provides medical risk management advice and leads a team of attorneys who conduct internal investigations in response to complaints at hospitals, religious organizations, and physician groups to identify potential civil exposure. Greg has successfully defended religious institutions involved in sensitive litigation.
Greg is an enthusiastic legal teacher. He coordinates and teaches ongoing continuing legal education and trial advocacy classes for the Medical Litigation Group throughout the year.
Professional Affiliations
Defense Research Institute
Illinois Association of Defense Counsel
Illinois Association of Health Care Attorneys
Illinois State Bar Association
James M. Allen focuses his practice in the areas of business torts and business litigation, including an emphasis on injunctive relief proceedings, construction litigation, condemnation matters, commercial lease disputes, enforcement and defense of mechanic's liens, insurance agent and broker disputes, real estate litigation, creditors' rights and employment litigation.
Mr. Allen represents several contractors, subcontractors, developers and manufacturers, and assists them with various contract disputes, including workmanship issues, payment issues, mechanics liens, claims involving public jobs, and failure to meet contract specifications.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Practice Emphasizes the Representation of Healthcare Professionals
Mr. Schauer holds a Master's in Business Administration in addition to his Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies. He skillfully uses his education, along with his project planning experience to help clients address the financial issues involved in their projects, including the ability to compare the financial impact of a wide range of optional variables to help finance capital projects. He works closely with other members of the client's team to deliver projects on time, on budget, and in accordance with their intended use. In addition to project-based services, Mr. Schauer's analytical skills are frequently called upon to help clients understand the financial implications to deal with terms being considered during the negotiation and structuring of legal documents. His helpful and patient involvement is a real asset.
Matthew A. Turley advises clients on a wide range of health care matters. With experience that includes legal research, drafting pleadings and motions, and client counseling, Matt is involved in all phases of litigation. He is committed to partnering with his clients to ensure they are informed throughout the process and find a solution that keeps their best interests in mind.
Matthew Hevrin defends the interests of his clients in virtually all manner of business transactions and commercial litigation matters. He focuses the majority of his practice on banking-related litigation. Recognizing the ever-evolving complexity of the financial industry, Matthew helps clients navigate legal and regulatory developments.
Over the course of his career, Matthew has worked with many national and state financial institutions and businesses. In addition to advising on all areas of workout and debt collection-including complex commercial foreclosures, secured transactions, replevins, and general collection litigation-Matthew has substantial experience representing creditors in Chapters 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcy proceedings, including preference claim defense and adversary litigation contesting discharge. He has also advised clients on Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) issues and defends financial institutions in litigation involving alleged regulatory violations.
Leveraging his extensive and diverse experience, Matthew strives to assist clients with all their litigation, transactional, and corporate needs-including corporate, real estate, and lending matters. In addition to drafting complex loan documentation, he represents condominium associations and counsels clients concerning residential and commercial real estate purchases, sales, financing, and leasing, as well as mechanics liens and eminent domain issues.
Matthew's background further includes working with businesses on transactions involving stock and asset sales. He also handles probate matters, including will and trust contests.
Prior to establishing Allen Galluzzo Hevrin Leake, LLC, Matthew was a partner in charge of a national AmLaw 200 law firm's second-largest office.
Job Titles:
- Concert Association, Board Member
Ryan T. Armour focuses his practice on insurance defense, including medical negligence and transportation/trucking cases. Additionally, Ryan has extensive experience in product liability, construction, and healthcare transactional litigation.
While in law school, Ryan was a recipient of the Dean's Scholarship and served as the External Publications Editor and a member of the Board of Editors for the Northern Illinois University Law Review.
Thomas Lester has a diverse business law and commercial litigation practice involving municipal law, bankruptcy, business torts, commercial lending, commercial litigation, injunctions/special remedies, and debtor-creditor issues.
Tom represents multiple national financial institutions in complex commercial lending relationships. He served as a bankruptcy trustee and has represented financial institutions in large workout real estate matters. Tom provides counsel and business advice to business clients including contracts, buy-sell agreements, and other day-to-day business advice. In addition, Tom represents large commercial and residential developers.
Among his municipal entity clients, Tom has a particular focus on representing school districts. He advises on school law issues, finance, and litigation. Tom is also general counsel for two of the busiest general aviation airports in Northern Illinois after O'Hare and Midway.
Tom also assists governmental entities in securing state and federal grants.
Prior to joining AGHL, Tom was a partner in a national AmLaw 200 law firm where he practiced for over 30 years.
Bill previously served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Lawrence Crahan of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, where he obtained extensive experience in appellate law.