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Super Lawyers has selected six attorneys from Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, LLC as part of the outstanding family law attorneys in the State of Illinois for 2010, and will be featured in the February, 2010 issue of Chicago Magazine.
Nominated by their peers, attorneys achieve Super Lawyer status based on verdicts and settlements, experience, honors and awards, bar and other professional activity, scholarly lectures and writings, and other outstanding achievements.
Only the top 5% of attorneys are eligible for selection to Super Lawyers.
Nominated by their peers, Rising Stars are evaluated using the same criteria as Super Lawyers. In order to be eligible, a Rising Star must be under 40 years of age or in practice less than 10 years.
Only the top 2.5% of attorneys are eligible for selection to Rising Star.
Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, LLC would like to extend its congratulations to the following Super Lawyers and Rising Star:
Super Lawyers
JAMES B. PRITIKIN
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI
MATTHEW C. ARNOUX
JACALYN F. BIRNBAUM
JAMES HADDON
Rising Star
ANGELA M. BUTTITTA
We are all extremely proud of you!
Leading Lawyers Network has selected nine attorneys from Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli, LLC as part of the elite family law attorneys in the State of Illinois.
The list of Leading Lawyers is the result of thousands of contacts with Illinois lawyers asking them which of their peers they believe comprise the top lawyers. Only those lawyers who are most often recommended qualify as Leading Lawyers.
NPM would like to extend its congratulations to the following Leading Lawyers:
FLOYD N. NADLER
JAMES B. PRITIKIN
ENRICO J.
MIRABELLI
MATTHEW C. ARNOUX
JACALYN F. BIRNBAUM
SAM F. CANNIZZARO
STUART G. GELFMAN
FRANCIS A. GEMBALA
STEVEN D. GERAGE
We are all very proud of you!
In a December 17, 2009 article, The New York Times interviewed JAMES B. PRITIKIN, attorney for Miami Heat NBA star, Dwyane Wade.
In an era where the stakes are high, high-profile professional athletes stand to lose multi-million dollar endorsement contracts due to personal scandal.
During divorce proceedings, Mr. Wade's spouse made allegations that he had an affair, and that he was a poor father. This created an interesting challenge in reputation management, as Mr. Wade has endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, T-Mobile and Pepperidge Farms.
Mr. Wade's attorney James B. Pritikin said, "Anybody can make allegations, and to prove those allegations are another thing, and in my opinion those allegations will not and cannot be proven".
Mr. Wade sued his wife and her lawyers for defamation, and these allegations have since been withdrawn. Lawyers for Mr. Wade's wife did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Pritikin noted, "He's a wonderful, wonderful parent. He's made incredible efforts to maintain
relationships with his children".
James B. Pritikin has a reputation for handling high profile figures, and has numerous awards from the Leading Lawyers Network and Illinois Super Lawyers.
On October 19, 2009, STEVEN GERAGE presented a guest lecture to the Family Law class of Professor Sasha Coupet at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
The topic of the lecture was premarital agreements.
In a
Chicago Sun Times June 25, 2009 article,
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI was quoted in an alienation of
affection lawsuit he is handling for a prominent
Chicago area businessman.
The businessman
learned of an affair his wife was having with
their daughter’s doctor by reading emails on their
computer. He filed for divorce, and after a brief
reconcilement, spotted new emails between his wife
and the doctor.
Upon the wife’s filing for
divorce, the businessman enlisted Enrico J.
Mirabelli to respond with an alienation of
affection suit in the DuPage County Circuit Court.
Regarding the lawsuit, Mr. Mirabelli noted, “If
you play in a lion’s den, you’re gonna get
mauled.” The doctor declined comment.
In a
Chicago Sun Times May 26, 2009 article,
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI was quoted in a case he is
handling for a husband with a cheating spouse.
The facts surrounding the infidelity came
to light through the use of a GPS tracking device
attached to the family’s automobile by the
husband. GPS trackers have become the latest
weapon on the marital battlefront. The device
substantially shortened the investigatory process
by providing the route and rendezvous location for
his wife, enabling a private detective to quickly
gather incriminating evidence.
Mr.
Mirabelli, who started using GPS trackers in his
cases less than one year ago, noted that GPS can
be used to show a parent is unfit for custody, for
example, if they have been draining household
assets at a casino or on a lover. Mr. Mirabelli
noted, “The GPS is a poor man’s investigator”.
On
March 9, 2009, ERIN MASTERS was sworn in to the
Bar of the United States Supreme Court.
NPM
congratulates Erin on this wonderful achievement.
ELIZABETH REED is currently
representing one of the suspects in an assault
case at a Naperville Middle School. Ms. Reed, the
lead member of NPM’s DuPage County Office, has
expressed concern that her client’s rights are
being violated by the alleged victim’s parents who
have spoken out about the case.
The incident was
written up in the March 6, 2009 issue of the
Chicago Tribune.
On January 19, 2009, FRANCIS A. GEMBALA was invited to speak at the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. The name of the seminar was Business Evaluation, Financial & Tax Issues Affecting Divorce 2009, and Mr. Gembala presented the Annual Income Tax Update.
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI, on behalf of the Illinois State Bar
Association, presented a Family Law Seminar, Case
Law Update, on December 12, 2008.
The Seminar,
which was well attended, was held at the Sheraton
Hotel in Chicago.
NPM,
LLC would like to congratulate FRANCIS A. GEMBALA who authored Chapter Three (“Obtaining Orders of
Protection”) of the Illinois Family Law Court
Proceedings and Related Issues in Dissolution
Actions.
The Proceedings are published by IILCE.
Congratulations to STUART GELFMAN on
his induction into the American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers.
NPM applauds Mr. Gelfman on
this fine accomplishment.
Nadler,
Pritikin & Mirabelli, LLC is proud to announce
that one of its members has been appointed to the
Judgeship for the Circuit Court of Cook County.
MICHAEL IAN BENDER will be sworn in on November 7,
2008. Congratulations, Michael!
Nadler,
Pritikin & Mirabelli, LLC welcomes its two
newest members, SYLVIA SOTIRAS and ELIZABETH REED.
Ms. Sotiras will be practicing out of the Chicago
Office and Ms. Reed will be overseeing and
practicing out of the firm’s third newly opened
office located in DuPage County.
Both Ms. Sotiras
and Ms. Reed come with very accomplished and
extensive backgrounds (see Attorney Profiles on
this Website). NPM is very proud of the
expertise both bring to the firm.
In late
August, 2008, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI appeared on The
Morning Show with Mike and Juliet in New York
City.
As a panel member, Mr. Mirabelli addressed
the topic of Financial Responsibilities of Sperm
Donors.
In
July, 2008, the Illinois Institute of Continuing
Legal Education held a seminar at the UBS Tower
and Conference Center on Managing Media In the
High Profile Case: Telling the Story Legally.
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI was moderator for The High
Profile Case and specifically spoke on Process and
Procedure: The Client "Blackout."
We don't always win on the
field... but we're a winning team in the courtroom.
In the
October 3 issue of the Chicago Sun Times, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI, representing the mother of an infant
in a lawsuit against a Chicago Bears linebacker,
is seeking to formalize the obligation of support
and right of visitation.
Mr. Mirabelli stated:
“There’s no animosity here, but legal necessities
are not always niceties.” The couple is not
married.
AMY GERTLER of NPM’s Lake County Office was a panel
speaker at the Lake County Divorce University
presented by the Lilac Tree on September 9, 2007.
Lilac Tree is a not-for-profit corporation
providing resources to divorcing women.
Ms.
Gertler has recently completed advanced training
from the Collaborative Legal Practice Institute.
Francis Gembala on left
with James Pankow.
On September 30, 2007,
FRANCIS GEMBALA was inducted into the Inaugural
Class of Notre Dame High School’s Hall of Honor.
Among those inducted with Mr. Gembala were James
Pankow, founder of the rock group Chicago,
President of the Chicago Cubs, John McDonough, and
Chicago Bears Vice President, Pat McCaskey.
FLOYD N. NADLER, JAMES B. PRITIKIN and ENRICO J. MIRABELLI were recently appointed to the Advisory
Board of the Leading Lawyers Network.
NPM
welcomes both ANN MODER and ANGELA BUTTITTA as
associate attorneys practicing in the area of
family law.
Ms. Buttitta is licensed to practice
law in both Illinois and Washington, DC.
In two
articles appearing in the Chicago Sun Times on
December 17 and December 21, 2006, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI is noted as representing a client who is
fighting custody battle with an ex-girlfriend over
two girls adopted from China. Though the couple
was not married, Mr. Mirabelli’s client stated
that he helped raise the girls and he is the one
they called “Da.”
Mr. Mirabelli was seeking
visitation rights and particularly during the
holiday season. Mr. Mirabelli is quoted in the
December 21 article in the Chicago Sun Times as
referring to the ex-girlfriend as “the grinch who
stole Christmas.
In an
article appearing in the Chicago Sun Times on
August 18, 2006, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI served as
co-counsel to a patient at a west suburban
hospital who was molested while waking up from the
effects of anesthesia.
The suit was against both
the hospital and the security company, which
allegations included the obstruction of justice in
trying to hide the crime from police officials.
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI is currently handling a case
involving a sperm donor being sued for child
support.
In an April 12, 2006 article in the
Chicago Sun Times, Mr. Mirabelli, on behalf of the
sperm donor, stated “She (the plaintiff) was a
lady with a plan – and that plan wasn’t marriage.”
Mr. Mirabelli’s client trusted the plaintiff
because, as Mr. Mirabelli pointed out in the
interview, she said “I don’t want anything from
you. I just want your semen.”
Mr. Mirabelli was
interviewed by several of Chicago’s TV stations,
including Channel 7.
In a
Chicago Sun Times March 24, 2006 article, ENRICO
J. MIRABELLI was quoted in a case he is handling
for a mother whose child has Downs Syndrome.
The
child’s father, a judge serving the Markham
District, obtained a courthouse job for his
disabled daughter and then sought a court order to
end child support payments.
Mr. Mirabelli, the
mother’s attorney, stated: "We maintain the child
was put in the wrong job for all the wrong
reasons." Mr. Mirabelli represents the mother on
continued child support payments.
In a
March, 2006 Chicago Sun Times article, ENRICO
J. MIRABELLI is mentioned as representing a family
whose dog disappeared and was cared for by another
family.
The issue regards monies spent for
veterinary services performed while in the custody
of the individual who found the dog. The family
paying the bills does not want to return the dog
until they are reimbursed by the dog’s owner.
Mr.
Mirabelli stated that "They spent money on the
dog, knowing the rightful owner made a request for
the return of the dog. The dispute is whether that
expenditure was medically necessary."
On
Thursday, September 29, 2005, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI will be a guest speaker in San Diego at the
American Bar Association Section of Family Law.
Mr. Mirabelli’s topic is “High Profile Cases
Aren’t Just For the ‘Rich and Famous’.”
Mr.
Mirabelli has had extensive experience with high
profile cases and will address issues involving
the unintended notoriety, media attention and the
related privacy issues.
The Conference, which is
being held at the Westin Horton Plaza, runs from
September 28 through October 1, 2005.
Congratulations to JAMES B. PRITIKIN and ENRICO J. MIRABELLI who will be featured as
Illinois Super Lawyers in the May issue of Chicago
Magazine. In addition, Mr. Pritikin has the
distinction of being in the top 100 of Illinois
Super Lawyers.
A "Super Lawyer", as defined by
Chicago Magazine, is a lawyer recognized by
his/her peers as being outstanding in their
profession. This rating comes with the polling of
other Illinois attorneys, research and interviews
with various law firms.
JAMES
B. PRITIKIN has recently been invited by the Dean
of Chicago Kent College of Law to serve as a
member of their Academic Advisory Committee to
assist in establishing a new LLM in Family Law.
On
February 25, 2005, both the Chicago Sun Times and
Chicago Tribune printed articles on a unique case
being represented by ENRICO J. MIRABELLI, who is
the attorney for the defendant.
The defendant, a
female doctor, is accused of secretly stealing sperm after oral sex from her lover, also a doctor. She was then alleged to use that sperm to
inseminate herself, resulting in a child. The
defendant, who is asking for child support, is
being sued by the plaintiff who claims "emotional
distress" after the child was conceived in a most
unusual way.
Mr. Mirabelli is quoted in the
Chicago Sun Times as saying: "His complaint is the
best work of fiction I have read since The DiVinci
Code."
In the
February 2005 issue of Chicago Magazine, ENRICO J.
MIRABELLI was one of those featured in an article
entitled "Divorce Court".
The article was
centered around Tracy Rizzo, a female divorce
attorney who recognized Mr. Mirabelli’s role in Ms.
Rizzo’s development as an attorney. Ms. Rizzo had
clerked for Mr. Mirabelli, and the article
expressed Mr. Mirabelli’s pride in his protégée.
Mr. Mirabelli stated "I always told her that some
lawyers mistakenly believe that the louder they
yell, the smarter the judge will become."
During
2004, JIMMY NADLER lectured on family law issues
with the Illinois Institute of Continuing
Education and the Chicago Bar Association’s
Young Lawyers’ Section.
Jimmy covered child
custody case trends for IILCE and direct
examinations of opinion witnesses with the Chicago
Bar Association.
Separately, Jimmy presented a
Case Law Update at the annual seminar of the
American Academy of Matrimonial 'Lawyers',
Illinois Chapter.
In a
November, 2004 article by columnist Mary Mitchell
of the Chicago Sun Times, JACALYN BIRNBAUM was
quoted as asking for an emergency hearing on a
child custody case involving the threat of gang
bangers to the children.
Ms. Birnbaum was quoted:
“These kids were in desperate danger. Yes, the
danger is posed by third parties, but I was afraid
that these kids would end up on the front page of
the newspaper. I don’t want these kids to be
statistics. The whole world is sometimes crazy. My
concern is for the children and their safety.”
In an
October, 2004 article in the Chicago Sun Times,
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI was quoted that his client, the wife of a renowned Chicago blues legend, was “not
singing the blues” anymore after representing her.
The ex-wife was
awarded a very substantial settlement and
considerable maintenance.
FRANCIS
A. GEMBALA was a keynote panelist at the 9th
International Conference on Family Violence in
September 2004. His topic analyzed the pros and
cons of Unified Family Violence Courts. Francis
was personally invited by the President of the
Family Violence and Sexual Assault
Institute.
Mr. Gembala, a member of NPM and currently engaged in the practice of family
law, is a retired Associate Judge and former
member of the faculty of the National Judicial
College. His experience enabled him to give both a
judge’s and practitioner’s perspective of the
issues being discussed at the
Conference.
The Conference was held at the
Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center in
San Diego, California.
NPM proudly welcomes two
new members, SAM CANNIZZARO and MICHAEL IAN
BENDER.
On June
18, 2004, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI delivered his
semi-annual "Case Law Update" on behalf of the
Family Law Section Council of the Illinois State
Bar Association to matrimonial lawyers throughout
the state.
The evaluations from the attendees once
again rated Mr. Mirabelli with the highest scores
for materials and speaking ability of all
speakers.
As of
June 1, 2004, NPM proudly welcomes its newest member, STEVEN D.
GERAGE.
Mr. Gerage is a seasoned divorce attorney
with over twelve years experience and was formerly
associated with the matrimonial law firms of
Rinella and Rinella and Kalcheim, Schatz &
Berger.
Please refer to our website heading
"Attorney Profiles" for more information
concerning Mr. Gerage.
In
March and April of 2004, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI was a
participant in a question/answer session on WCKG
105.9 FM in conjunction with the radio station’s
hosts, Karen Hand and Dr. Kelly. The show is
called “PRIVATE LIVES.”
Mr. Mirabelli continues to
be heard every Wednesday evening between 7:00 P.M.
and 9:00 P.M. during the months of July and
August.
On March 27,
2004, FLOYD N. NADLER was installed as president of the
International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers -
U.S. Chapter (“IAML”). The IAML is an
international organization with approximately 380
Fellows in 38 different countries, with the U.S.
Chapter being the largest. Due to the globalization
of family law, this practice has become very
vital.
On April 20, 2004, Mr. Nadler
was off to Venice, Italy representing the U.S.
Chapter at an IAML executive committee meeting.
On April 24, 2004, Mr. Nadler was back in Chicago at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for the American Academy
of Matrimonial Lawyers Illinois Chapter’s Annual
Gala. In the presence of 350 guests, Floyd
received the coveted Samuel S. Berger Award, the
Chapter’s highest honor. The award is given annually to an
attorney who is recognized for his high standards
of integrity, courtesy, knowledge of family law
and the extraordinary ability to solve human
problems.
NPM shares in the pride and pleasure of our founding partner
receiving these high honors.
On
Friday, March 19, 2004 , ILENE E. SHAPIRO spoke at
the Illinois State Bar Association Seminar on
"What's New In Adoptions, Child Custody, Child
Support and Maintenance Issues For The General
Practitioner."
Ms. Shapiro will be speaking on "
Handling International Adoptions. The seminar is
being conducted at the ISBA Regional Office, 20
South Clark Street, Suite 900 , Chicago , and
begins at 8:50 A.M.
JAMES
B. PRITIKIN has been appointed as a hearing
chairperson for the Attorney Registration and
Disciplinary Commission. The ARDC is an arm of The
Illinois Supreme Court responsible for hearing
disciplinary matters involving
attorneys.
Mr. Pritikin has also been
appointed by the President of the Illinois State
Bar Association to the Select Committee to
Implement the Proposed Revision of the Illinois
Custody Act.
In a
recent article in the Chicago Sun Times, January
6, 2004 , ENRICO J. MIRABELLI and MATTHEW ARNOUX were successful in achieving a state appellate
court ruling that has closed a loophole allowing
attorneys to subpoena pharmacy records.
Pharmacy records had
previously been used by attorneys as a vehicle providing mental health
information which might not otherwise be
available.
The
American Italian Defense Association (AIDA) has
gone on record as being opposed to a new animated
film, Shark Tale, produced by Steven Spielberg and
set for release in October of 2004.
ENRICO J.
MIRABELLI, speaking on behalf of AIDA, was quoted
in a Chicago Sun Times article in January of 2004
as stating: "We want to be creative and original.
In all civil rights movements, there are a lot of
setbacks. We are not deterred.
Two years ago, Mr.
Mirabelli acted as co-counsel on behalf of AIDA in
its suit against HBO and "The Sopranos" as being
so offensive that it violated the "individual
dignity" clause of the Illinois Constitution.
ENRICO
J. MIRABELLI, who had recently handled a divorce
of a couple married only sixty days, was quoted in
a January, 2004 article in the Chicago Sun Times,
following the dissolution of Britney Spears'
short-term marriage.
Mr. Mirabelli stated:
"Marriage is a sobering experience: (Some people)
wake up and say, 'What have I done?' The reality
hits them: It's supposed to be for life."
ILENE
SHAPIRO was recently sustained by the Illinois
Appellate Court in establishing appropriate venue
in the representation of a high-profile Illinois
legislator.
In a
January, 2004 article in the Chicago Daily Law
Bulletin, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI was quoted regarding
the Illinois State Bar Association's endeavor to
change the state child custody law.
ISBA Board
Member Mr. Mirabelli stated: "The board should be
very impressed with what they're trying to do.
What they're trying to do with (this proposal) is
move kids from the middle to the forefront. The
word 'custody' will be a thing of the past if this
passes.
The proposed rewrite of the Illinois Child
Custody Act does not use the word 'custody.'
Instead the time an adult spends with a child is
referred to as 'parenting time'.
On
behalf the Illinois Institute of Continuing
Education, JIMMY NADLER presented a case law
update (both in Springfield, Illinois and in
Chicago) in December 2003 on issues of child
custody. Thereafter in January, 2004, Jimmy
lectured on basic philosophy and practical tips in
the presentation of direct examination to the
Chicago Bar Association.
Jimmy was recently
appointed to the Board of Directors of the Law
Section of the Illinois Institute of Continuing
Legal Education.
In a
January, 2004 issue of the Illinois State Bar
Association Bar News, FLOYD N. NADLER, JAMES B.
PRITIKIN and ENRICO J. MIRABELLI appeared with a
marine unit who had collected toys for the Toys
for Tots benefit which took place at the firm's
annual holiday reception on December 22, 2003.
Over 250 attended the reception which was held in
the magnificently decorated lobby of the
Prudential Plaza.
In
November, 2003, ENRICO J. MIRABELLI was invited to
present his case law update to the Family Law
Seminar of the Illinois State Bar Association.
Mr.
Mirabelli's presentation was made in Orlando,
Florida.
NPM attorneys represented Dante "Danny" Bonaduce and Gretchen Bonaduce in a
lawsuit involving privacy rights as it related to their former nanny.
ENRICO J. MIRABELLI and Tracy
Rizzo (formerly of Nadler, Pritikin &
Mirabelli, LLC), both representing the Bonaduces,
reached a winning settlement. The suit, which
included causes of action for defamation and
misrepresentation as well as invasion of privacy,
arose when the former nanny advised the clients
she was “writing a book or article” about her life
as their nanny.
The Chicago Sun-Times quoted
Mr. Mirabelli as stating: “Our clients feel vindicated
by the settlement because they fought to maintain
their right to privacy and now they have it.” (See
article, Chicago Sun-Times, Friday, October 17,
2003, p. 14.)
The case, which had been ongoing for
six years, was ready for jury selection at the
time the confidential settlement was reached.
FRANCIS
A. GEMBALA was invested as a Knight of the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Knight of
Malta) in September 2003 in St. Matthew's
Cathedral, Washington, D.C. by the Archbishop of
Washington, D. C., Theodore Cardinal McCarrick.
Nadler,
Pritikin & Mirabelli, LLC proudly salutes
JAMES A. NADLER who was selected by the Chicago Law
Bulletin Publishing Company as one of the "2003
Illinois Attorneys Under 40 To Watch".
Of 900
nominations, Jimmy was one of the forty chosen by
his professional peers, attorneys and judges.
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