Lorena Blonsky has successfully serviced over 250 clients by placing professionals in a variety of roles, from entry level to executive. She has conducted search assignments in a variety of industries and across many functional areas including technology, finance, sales and marketing, human resources, operations and general management. Prior to founding LMB Associates in 1989, Lorena was a Senior Associate at Korn/Ferry International. She earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago and a BA in Economics from Cornell University. Lorena is a Past President of the University of Chicago Women’s Business Group and of Congregation B’nai Torah. Lorena currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Southeast Lake County Faith in Action Volunteers. In addition, she serves on the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network and is an active member of Trusted Advisors Council and leads the Northbrook chapter. Learn More: https://www.lmbassociates.com/
Charles R. Franklin is a Managing Partner at Franklin, Greenswag, Channon & Capilla, LLC. Since 1980, Charlie’s law practice has focused on representing professionals in malpractice claims, lawsuits and disciplinary hearings. Charlie also counsels clients (both companies and policy-holders) in insurance coverage disputes, presentation of claims, and recovery. He has successfully argued before the Illinois Supreme Court. Charlie continues to serve as a “neutral” or independent arbitrator appointed by insureds and insurers. For several years he has been elected an Illinois “Super Lawyer” and peer reviewed rated “AV Preeminent” with Martindale-Hubbell. Charlie was a founder and original board member of the Claims Association of Greater Chicago. He attended the United States Air Force Academy, has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and law degree from the University of Miami. Contact Charlie at: cfranklin@fgcclaw.com Phone: 847-701-2250 Learn More: https://fgcclaw.com Learn More about the Future Institute: https://futureinstitute.us
Jim Klein, Founder and President, Acrobat Marketing, Inc. Before starting Acrobat, Klein began his career in account management with the multi-national Madison Avenue firm, Grey Advertising in New York, and later moved to the Lee King and Partners ad agency in Chicago. Attracted to opportunities in packaging and promotions, Klein joined The Packaging House, Chicago, and rose to become their national vice president of sales. An entrepreneurial instinct became irresistible in the booming 1990s, and Klein created his own business, a firm specializing in merchandising. This became quite successful, allowing Klein to acquire, then sell, three related firms during this period. Klein is a member of the Acquisition Committee and Advisory Board of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University. He has also been active at the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, serving as President of two centers. Klein has a B.A. from the University of Illinois and a Masters in Advertising and Marketing from the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism. learn more: http://www.acrobatmarketing.com/bio.html
David defends employers in state and federal courts across the country in single-plaintiff and class and collective action litigation involving trade secrets, restrictive covenants, breach of contract, wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. He also represents employers before federal and state agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the Illinois Department of Labor. Learn More: https://btlaw.com/people/david-weldon
Before starting Acrobat, Klein began his career in account management with the multi-national Madison Avenue firm, Grey Advertising in New York, and later moved to the Lee King and Partners ad agency in Chicago. Attracted to opportunities in packaging and promotions, Klein joined The Packaging House, Chicago, and rose to become their national vice president of sales. An entrepreneurial instinct became irresistible in the booming 1990s, and Klein created his own business, a firm specializing in merchandising. This became quite successful, allowing Klein to acquire, then sell, three related firms during this period. Klein is a member of the Acquisition Committee and Advisory Board of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University. He has also been active at the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, serving as President of two centers. Klein has a B.A. from the University of Illinois and a Masters in Advertising and Marketing from the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism. http://www.acrobatmarketing.com/bio.html
Athena Herman began practicing law with Benassi & Benassi immediately after graduating from law school in 1997. She was privileged to learn employment law and litigation with Patricia Benassi, a co-founder of Benassi & Benassi with her husband, A. Lou Benassi. While Lou Benassi focused on family law, medical malpractice and personal injury, Patricia Benassi and Athena Herman worked as a team on civil rights/employment cases on behalf of employees. Together, they obtained the biggest jury verdicts of the firm’s history, including Ryan & Gillespie v. DCFS (Constitutional rights, $4.9 million); David v. Caterpillar (Title VII, $850,000); and Albright v. Caterpillar (workers’ compensation retaliation, $1.76 million). They also obtained many favorable settlements against some of the largest employers, e.g., Radmanovich & Mausshardt v. Combined Insurance Company of America (class action sex discrimination, $9 million); Woodward v. Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America (class action race discrimination); Burwell v. City of Peoria ($550,000 gender discrimination and retaliation for a single plaintiff); and $1.1 million on behalf of a white security guard and white teachers against Peoria Public School District 150 (“reverse” race discrimination and retaliation). Learn More: https://www.athenahermanlaw.com/
Jim Doppke is a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. He is currently serving as Co-Chair of the CBA’s Professional Responsibility Committee. Learn more: https://rsmdlaw.com/our-team/jim-doppke-illinois-legal-ethics-attorney/
This is part 2 of 2 David Lee returns to answer questions from Nela Illinois members Attorney David L. Lee has practiced and taught law for over forty years. From 1984 to 1991, Attorney Lee was a full-time clinical professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's nationally-recognized clinic on employment discrimination. Since approximately 1984, Attorney Lee has concentrated his practice on representing employees in severance negotiations, contract negotiations, discrimination claims, harassment claims, retaliation claims, wrongful-discharge claims, overtime claims, wage claims, commission claims, and employee-benefit claims. Attorney Lee is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Section of Labor and Employment Law of the American Bar Association. He speaks frequently to lawyers and human resources personnel on issues concerning employment law and is a Hearing Officer for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights and an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the National Futures Association. He has also published extensively on employment law, legal writing, civil procedure, and other aspects of the practice of law.
