CHUHAK & TECSON - Key Persons
Aali S. Fidai, an associate in the Real Estate practice group, focuses on commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development and financing. He provides experienced counsel for clients in real estate leasing transactions of all types and complexity, including leasing across a variety of asset classes, including mixed use, industrial, retail and hospitality and has solid experience negotiating office, retail and industrial leases on the national and local levels for both landlords and tenants.
Adam Beattie is a principal and focuses his practice on litigation and condominium and common interest community association law. He has more than a decade of experience serving the clients of Chuhak & Tecson both in and outside of the courtroom.
Adrienne asserts that her sense of meaning and purpose is driven by advocacy - for others, the community and herself. She finds that the law is both empowering and exposes her to knowledge that she can develop into real-time value for her clients. The most challenging aspects of her practice and a valuable constant lesson is recognizing and accepting that a short term set back can lead to an even better outcome. Adrienne employs patience, humor, positivity and open communication when working with her clients and colleagues. She is passionate about getting to know her clients on a personal level so that she can better understand their values to offer meaningful, workable options and enhance their quality of life.
When she is not in the office, Adrienne enjoys most anything outdoors. She loves to travel to remote locations, walk Lake Michigan and explore the city. Adrienne also enjoys cooking and entertaining friends for great meals, social gatherings, watching sporting events and hosting movies nights. She spends a good deal of time meditating, reading, watching documentaries and spending quality time with her beloved dad, Alan, and her dog, Rex.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Chairman of Chuhak & Tecson 's Recruitment Committee
Amanda currently serves as the chair of Chuhak & Tecson's Recruitment Committee. Previously, she has served on the firm's Marketing and Finance Committees and chaired the Associate/Paralegal Law Clerk Oversight Committee. Amanda also serves as an ambassador of the Women Helping Women program.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal and Co - Leader of the Corporate Transactions
Anne Wolniakowski is a principal and co-leader of the Corporate Transactions and Business Law group whose practice focuses on general business and corporate law.
Arnold Karolewski is a Principal with Chuhak & Tecson, focusing his practice in real estate law, land development, municipal law and secured loan transactions.
Barry Feinberg serves as Of Counsel and has more than five decades of experience as a probate and trust administration attorney. He is a founding principal of Chuhak & Tecson and led the firm's probate practice, bringing his sensible wisdom to bear on all manner of trusts, estate planning and litigation. He is renowned for his thorough and proficient administration of guardianships on behalf of minor children and disabled adults.
Brandon has served on the firm's Strategy Development Committee. He currently serves as a member of the Finance Committee.
Brandon is an avid fan of his Chicago sports teams, and outside of practicing law, you may find him taking in a game, hopefully a meaningful one, with his wife and their two children.
Cecilio "Cy" Porras enjoys assisting his clients through the maze of litigation, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and bankruptcy matters. Rooted in his experience and success in pursuing claims and collection actions against difficult borrowers and guarantors, he identifies complex situations confidently and presents his clients with all available options in an effort to resolve matters in the quickest and most cost-efficient manner. Cy's success is reflective of his dedication and commitment to his clients.
Christina has been recognized as one of 40 Under 40 to Watch in Illinois in 2023. She has been named to the Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list that is given to only 2.5% of attorneys in the state. She also has earned the ranking of Emerging Lawyer from Leading Lawyers, which is an honor awarded to less than 2% of all lawyers in Illinois.
Christina Mermigas named one of "40 Under 40" Illinois attorneys to watch
Christine Barone, a Principal in the Estate Planning & Asset Protection and Estate & Trust Administration & Litigation practice groups, finds the most rewarding aspect of assisting and representing her clients is alleviating some of the burden that they feel in extremely stressful and overwhelming situations. She has the knowledge and skills to assist clients step-by-step to try to confront concerns and worries that are often life altering. She understands that communication is critical to an attorney-client relationship and will sit down and discuss the various outcomes and scenarios so that her clients can not only make informed decisions, but also feel a sense of relief.
Christine is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), which is an exclusive honor bestowed on a select group of attorneys by the National Elder Law Foundation. To date, there are only 17 CELAs in Illinois providing resourceful and inspired solutions for clients faced with elder law issues. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is also a former president and current board member of the Veterans' Legal Aid Society.
Job Titles:
- Facilities and Office Services Manager
Darius oversees a variety of office and building-related functions, including carrying out security-related responsibilities, facilitating construction projects, coordinating office and workstation moves, maintaining all non-IT related equipment, vendor negotiations and cost control, and shipping and receiving. He also led the firm in its internal building emergency plan. Born and raised in Chicago, Darius is an avid sports fan who enjoys cooking for family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Gillian's belief is that the employee experience is central to any successful business strategy. She has more than 20 years of human resources and law firm experience and had her first taste of law firm life as a college student at a respected law firm in her hometown of Milwaukee. Prior to joining Chuhak & Tecson, Gillian established a dedicated human resources department for the U.S. region of a global intellectual property services company and law firm. In her free time, Gillian enjoys a wide variety of personal pursuits including baking, taking in as much live music with family and friends at as many venues as possible and putting more than 2,000 miles (and counting!) on her vintage-style scooter exploring Chicago's many neighborhoods and surrounding towns
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
With more than 20 years of experience in the legal industry, Ha is a highly effective leader in developing, implementing and directing complex technical projects for law firms. Ha is an active member of ILTA, the International Legal Technology Association. In his post-5 p.m. hours, Ha is front-and-center at his children's volleyball games and cross country events. Always community service-minded, Ha is on the board of directors for Friends of Lane, an organization established to raise funds and awareness of Lane Tech High School.
Michelle is the firm's chief problem solver and believes that 90 percent of the solution to every problem is getting all parties to agree on what the relevant issue actually is. Prior to joining Chuhak & Tecson in 2008, Michelle held executive roles in both boutique and AMLAW 100 law firms, a real estate development company and a high-net-worth investment advisory firm. Outside of the office, Michelle is actively involved in many charitable activities including serving on the board of WestTown Bikes and as a "friend" of Volunteers of America of Illinois. She enjoys hiking, traveling and has a passion for cooking and baking, which culminates each year in her annual Mexican Madness gathering.
As president, Mitch understands that sound, steady leadership is not about himself, but is a product of listening to and supporting those whom you lead, providing thoughtful and clear decision making that incorporates multiple perspectives and having a healthy dose of humility.
Tom oversees the financial, billing, collections, conflicts and records-related functions for Chuhak & Tecson. His past professional experiences include participating in the acquisition of two private consulting firms and a law firm merger, and overseeing the consolidation and financial integration for all of these entities. In his free time, Tom enjoys spending time with his family at the cottage which has been in his family for four generations. He is also an avid runner and has successfully completed eight marathons, his favorite courses being Berlin, Dublin and Chicago. Tom also has three Chicago Triathlons under his belt.