Chicago's Legal Latte

In this podcast, attorney Ted McGinn was joined by Ben Soldinger, CPA and Partner at LJ Soldinger Associates. They discussed year-end tax planning and provided tips and strategies from both tax law and financial planning perspectives.

For many people, seeing holiday decorations again glitter the stores, holiday music hit the airwaves, and holiday greeting cards hit the inbox is at once a signal of excitement and a harbinger of stress. For individuals going through a family law case, these feelings can be even more pronounced. You may be eager to have some designated time to set aside your worries and enjoy time celebrating with those important to you, and you may also be concerned about what changes or roadblocks lie ahead. This may be your first holiday that you celebrate in the unchartered territory of a family law case—if so, listen in, as attorney Colleen Hurley provides advice on how to navigate through the holidays smoothly.

Buying your first home can be stressful. You may have looked at several properties with your real estate agent until you found the perfect place. You’ve been working with your lender for weeks to secure the final loan approval. You’re worried that the seller hasn’t made the repairs to kitchen that were promised. But while buying your first home can be stressful, the closing doesn’t have to be. Real Estate Attorney Chance Badertscher has prepared a summary of what to expect on the day of your closing. This primer will prepare you for what should be one of the most exciting days of your life!

It’s easy to look back at the summer that was and reminisce about the great times shared with loved ones at the family lake house or vacation abode. Life is good! What a great summer! But as the season changes and the reality of family dynamics sets in, the owner (or child or other relative of the owner) may think about more practical considerations for future years. “How will the next generation view this family residence?” “Who will be in charge when I can no longer shoulder the weight?” “Will this good feeling and family cooperation last forever?” Many of these questions and uneasy feelings can be settled through open communication, clear rules, and legal structures and documents that govern the arrangement. In this podcast, attorney Ryan Gardner explores various considerations from a legal perspective as it relates to the family vacation home and co-ownership of real property.

During this podcast, attorney Matthew Sheahin provides an overview of the way most business litigation cases are resolved. He explains settlement agreements and discusses them from both the plaintiff’s point of view as well as the defendant’s perspective.

On September 5, 2017 Acting Secretary of The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Elaine C. Duke, issued a memorandum rescinding the June 15, 2012 memorandum under the Obama administration entitled “Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children,” which established the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”). In this podcast, immigration attorney Vishal Chhabria explains the consequences on current DACA recipients, DACA recipients whose status is set to expire over the next 6 months, and individuals who were otherwise eligible to apply for DACA but had not yet submitted an application. Additionally, legislation currently in Congress which may provide relief to "Dreamers" (those eligible to apply for DACA) is discussed.

Kerry Lavelle, author of The Business Guide to Law: Creating and Operating a Successful Law Firm, discusses the new law office consulting group at Lavelle Law. Over more than two decades, Lavelle managed a successful law firm that grew from a single attorney to more than 25 across more than a dozen practice groups. In this podcast, he discusses the process he uses in helping other law firms achieve greater success and improved financial standing. Lavelle Consulting offers law firm audits, evaluations of operations such as billing, lead generation and hiring practices, partner retreats, cash flow management, M&A and more.

Although it is not for everyone, an uncontested divorce can be a viable option under certain conditions. It can save you time and money, and avoid a prolonged discovery process. In this podcast, family law attorney Colleen Hurley explains how this process works and the benefits of an uncontested divorce.

When negotiating an employment agreement, or when terminating someone’s employment, whether that employee is bound by restrictive covenants, such as covenants not to compete and prohibitions on solicitation, often becomes an issue. In this podcast, attorney Joshua Nesser discusses the typical restrictive covenants, Illinois law with respect to the enforceability of these covenants, and how employers and employees should go about handling these covenants.

As of October 1, 2016, Mandatory Arbitration is now required for commercial cases assigned to the Commercial Calendar Section of the Law Division. There are various requirements for ensuring your arbitration is successful. Attorney Jennifer Burt Tee explains the commercial arbitration process.