We are proud to announce that Tressler’s local government attorneys have been selected as 2021 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. John O’Driscoll and Stephen Grossmark have been selected as 2021 Illinois Super Lawyers, and Christine Walczak and James Hess have been selected as 2021 Illinois Rising Stars.
2021 Illinois Super Lawyers
John M. O’Driscoll [1] – Civil Lit: Defense
Partner
John is a partner and Co-Chair of our Government Practice Group. His practice includes representing companies and individuals in business disagreements and providing general counsel services to local governmental bodies such as municipalities, school districts and park districts. John handles a wide variety of disputes such as business litigation, breaches of contract, construction issues, employment disputes, property damage, tort liability defense, labor negotiations, internet defamation, ordinance violations, “sunshine laws” compliance, professional negligence matters and complex litigation.
Stephen T. Grossmark [2] – Environmental
Of Counsel
Stephen represents clients in the areas of environmental law and sustainable development. He also provides counseling and litigation services regarding claims for personal injury and property damage related to environmental pollution and exposure to toxic materials, including on an industry-wide basis. His clients include corporate entities as well as local government bodies such as park and school districts.
2021 Illinois Rising Stars
Christine A. Walczak [3] – State, Local & Municipal
Associate
Christine is an associate in Tressler’s Local Government Practice Group. She counsels municipalities, park districts, school districts and other governmental entities on various matters, including: legislative policy, zoning and land use, real estate transactions, special education, licensing, personnel policies and compliance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA). She has experience drafting and negotiating real estate contracts, leases, permits, licenses, vendor contracts, easements and intergovernmental agreements.
James J. Hess [4] – State, Local & Municipal
Senior Counsel
Jim is an experienced attorney in Tressler’s Local Government Practice Group. He represents various local government entities, primarily focusing on day-to-day operations for cities, villages, park districts and library districts. Jim’s practice includes handling intergovernmental agreements, ordinances, contract negotiations, administrative proceedings, demolition issues, employment, Open Meetings Act issues, Freedom of Information Act matters, ethics and land use matters.
About Super Lawyers
Super Lawyers [5] is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Five percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers. To learn more about the Super Lawyers selection process, click here [6].
About Rising Stars
To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. Less than 2.5 percent of attorneys in Illinois receive this prestigious honor each year. All attorneys first go through the Super Lawyers selection process. To learn more about the Rising Stars selection process, click here [6].
About Tressler LLP
Tressler has one of the most experienced and multi-faceted government law practices in Illinois. As local governments are faced with increasingly complex regulatory matters and ever-growing exposure to litigation, we offer a diverse array of talent to serve our clients’ needs. From our Chicago and Bolingbrook offices, our seasoned team is uniquely positioned to represent municipalities, cities, villages, park districts, school districts and other public entities throughout northern Illinois, including Lake, Cook, Will, DuPage, Kane and Grundy counties.
Unlike our competitors, Tressler has significant talent and experience in critical areas of law that support our government law practice. These include lawyers who focus their practices on bankruptcy, construction/surety litigation, environmental law, insurance, intellectual property, immigration law, and complex real estate and construction litigation, among others. Click here to learn more. [7]