Benesch is proud to announce exciting growth in our firm with the addition of more than a dozen attorneys and a new office in Chicago.

Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that Private Equity Finance partner Maureen Sweeney has joined the firm’s Chicago office. She joins from Kirkland & Ellis, where she was a partner. Ms. Sweeney’s arrival closely follows the arrival of Chris Dickerson and Matt Murphy, who joined the firm’s Restructuring and Bankruptcy practice in Chicago, and the recent additions of Corporate partners in Hong Kong, New York, and London. More >>

Much Shelist recently announced the addition of Mary Anne (Molly) Phelan as a principal in the Real Estate practice group, and Urska (Ursha) P. Magajne and Christopher R. Walker as associates in the Business & Finance group. Additionally, the firm promoted Julia Rybakova from apprentice to associate in the Business & Finance group. More >>

Roetzel & Andress LPA continues to expand its business and commercial litigation practice in Chicago and nationwide with the addition of attorney Michael Scotti, III, formerly of Freeborn & Peters LLP. More >>

Kirkland & Ellis LLP advised Michael Ferro, Merge Healthcare Inc.’s (NASDAQ: MRGE) chairman and largest stockholder, on Merge’s $1 billion acquirement by IBM (NYSE: IBM). Merge is a Chicago-based provider of medical image handling and processing, interoperability and clinical systems designed to advance healthcare quality and efficiency. Under terms of the transaction, Merge shareholders would receive $7.13 per share in cash, for a total transaction value of $1 billion.

The global law firm Jones Day today announced that John Rafkin and David Woods have joined the Chicago Office as part of the Firm’s real estate finance practice. Both were formerly partners at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago. More >>

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, welcomed patent litigator John Gresens to its Chicago office just weeks after announcing that the Chicago team has more than quadrupled in size since the office opened in 2014. He arrives at Akerman as a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group, and enhances the firm’s ability to serve global clients in complex cross-border matters and multiple-party disputes More >>

Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP announces the arrival of a new partner and three lateral associates, including one to its Madison County, Ill. office.

Partner Christy J. Benton joins the firm from John Crane Inc. in Chicago, where she was Associate General Counsel – Litigation. Benton focuses her practice on Asbestos Litigation, Toxic Tort Litigation and Product Liability. She received her J.D. from the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law in 1995 and her B.A. from Michigan State University in 1992.

Associate Kenneth C. Hoffmann joins Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP from Bollinger Connolly Krause LLC, where he was also an associate. He focuses his practice on Medical Negligence and Healthcare, Construction Litigation, and Product Liability. Hoffmann received his J.D from DePaul University College of Law in 2011 and his B.A. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008. More >>

Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., is pleased to announce that Kristen Hudson, a highly successful and respected litigator, has joined the firm as a principal.

With a primary focus on representing businesses in complex commercial litigation, Hudson has won high-stakes legal challenges in state, federal and appellate courtrooms across the nation. She comes to Chuhak & Tecson after eight years at a litigation boutique, where she was a partner. More >>