News

Feb. 20, 2012 HSPRD intellectual property partners Michael Hierl and Todd Parkhurst explain the development of Super Glue. Read more.
Feb. 14, 2012 HSPRD attorneys filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Personal PAC, a bipartisan statewide political action committee, and two of its supporters, challenging the constitutionality of two provisions of Illinois's campaign finance law. Read more.
Jan. 3, 2012 HSPRD associates Karyn Bass Ehler and Daniel Waitzman were named to the Illinois Rising Stars list for 2012 by Super Lawyers®. Read more.
Jan. 3, 2012 HSPRD is pleased to announce that Joshua Karsh has become a shareholder of the firm.
Jan. 3, 2012 HSPRD is pleased to announce that Robert W. Krug has become a partner of the firm.
Jan. 3, 2012 HSPRD partners Mark Dym, Terry Yale Feiertag, John Hughes, Matthew Piers, Kalman Resnick, Mary Rowland, and Eric Vander Arend are included in the Illinois Super Lawyers® 2012 list. Read more.
Jan. 1, 2012 HSPRD partner Barry Locke becomes President of the West Suburban Bar Association.
Nov. 14, 2011 HSPRD partner Matthew Piers presented speech to law clerks of the Mexican Supreme Court entitled, “Lessons Learned from Class Actions in the United States: Implementation of Procedural Rules in Class Actions in Mexico to Fulfill Their Promise."
Nov. 11, 2011 HSPRD partner Matthew Piers presented speech at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) in Mexico City entitled, "Atención a los Migrantes en Estados Unidos y México en su Origen, Tránsito, Destino y Retorno" on legal protection and legal aid to Mexican migrant workers in the U.S.
Nov. 8, 2011 HSPRD partner Donald Peterson discusses cases on attorney-client confidentiality, accountant malpractice, legal malpractice, construction liability, and insurance coverage for “advertising injury.” Read more.
Oct. 31, 2011 HSPRD partner Richard Fred Johnson co-authors chapter entitled "Interjurisdictional Depositions" in the 2011 Supplement to Illinois Civil Discovery Practice.
Oct. 20, 2011 HSPRD lawyer Susan Gzesh has been invited to participate as a member of a high level task force on the Midwest perspective on immigration policy, convened by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The task force, which will begin its work in December 2011, will be co-chaired by former Mayor Richard Daley, Doris Meissner (former Commissioner of US Immigration and Naturalization Service), among others. The Task Force will issue a report in summer 2012.
Oct. 16, 2011 HSPRD partner Donna Socol presents seminar entitled, "Tales from the Witness Chair," to the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
Sept. 16, 2011 The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, a newly enacted patent law, rewards race to the Patent Office. Read more.
Sept. 15, 2011 HSPRD’s new website receives the 2011 WebAward for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development - Legal Standard of Excellence from the Web Marketing Association.
Sept. 14, 2011 HSPRD sponsors Women of Influence Luncheon, a benefit for the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network, which is dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted by domestic violence through education, public policy and advocacy, and the connection of community members to direct service providers.
Sept. 6, 2011 In an appeal brought by HSPRD, the Appellate Court of Illinois held that a police lieutenant could bring a retaliation claim under the Illinois Whistleblower Act, even though the entity to whom he had disclosed allegations of possible criminal activity was his own employer. Read more.
Sept. 1, 2011 Seventh Circuit affirms $29 million verdict in Federal Torts Claims Act medical malpractice case, which was defended on appeal by HSPRD attorneys Matthew Piers and Christopher Wilmes. The Government lawyers argued that the plaintiffs were entitled no recovery because they did not file their claim within the applicable statute of limitations. Read more.
Aug. 31, 2011 HSPRD partner Mark Dym was appointed to Illinois Comptroller Topinka's Critters Pet Adoption Advisory Council.
Aug. 23, 2011 HSPRD attorneys Christopher Wilmes and Mary Rowland, along with the Chicago Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, filed a class action complaint against background check company Infotrack Information Services, Inc. Read more.
Aug. 17, 2011 Following the victory in the U.S. Supreme Court in Lewis v. City of Chicago, the district court entered an injunction requiring the City of Chicago to hire 111 class members as candidate firefighters and to pay tens of millions of dollars of backpay to the remainder of the class.
July 29, 2011 HSPRD attorney Christopher Wilmes presented seminar entitled, "Criminal-Record-Related Barriers To Employment And Public Housing,” to the Poverty Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.
June 27, 2011 HSPRD lawyer Richard Fred Johnson won political asylum for a Liberian national who had a well-founded fear of persecution based on his sexual orientation, after a six-year legal battle.
June 24, 2011 Federal district court preliminarily enjoins enforcement of Indiana's new immigration law, SEA 590, in a challenge to the law's constitutionality. HSPRD filed an amicus brief on behalf of five nations in support of the challenge. Read more.
June 14, 2011 HSPRD lawyer Michael A. Hierl recently completed the trademark registration process for a rebranding campaign by a major Chicago-area university.
June 2, 2011 National Immigrant Justice Center honors HSPRD partner Terry Yale Feiertag with the Midwest Light of Human Rights Award. Read more.
May 16, 2011 HSPRD partners Mary Rowland and Joshua Karsh serve on the 7th Circuit Electronic Discovery Pilot Program Committee, a program featured in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Read more.
May 13, 2011 Following a decade of representation by HSPRD and co-counsel, the U.S. Court of Appeals rules in favor of a class of over 6,000 qualified African-American firefighter applicants in landmark employment discrimination case. Read more.
Apr. 21, 2011 HSPRD is a Leader Sponsor of benefit for the Mikva Challenge, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 organization that prioritizes the development of civic leadership in underserved Chicago high school youth.
Apr. 12, 2011 HSPRD files suit on behalf of Mexican H-2A guest workers against Tennessee tomato farm alleging abusive working conditions, discrimination, and retaliation. Read more.
Mar. 24, 2011 Illinois Supreme Court rules unanimously in favor of HSPRD's client, holding that all candidates for judicial office, and not merely eventual office holders, must satisfy the residency requirement imposed by the judicial article of the Illinois Constitution.
Mar. 16, 2011 Federal court grants preliminary approval of class action settlement in case HSPRD brought on behalf of 150,000 transportation workers and job applicants. Read more.
Feb. 16, 2011 HSPRD files class action lawsuit against Nevada onion grower on behalf of Mexican guestworkers alleging unlawful wage payment practices. Read more.
Feb. 1, 2011 Illinois Super Lawyers magazine features HSPRD partner Matthew Piers in article, "The Rights Stuff: Chicago attorney Matthew Piers is a big defender of the U.S. Constitution." Read more.
Jan. 27, 2011 Federal court judge grants final approval to class action settlement in which HSPRD represented a nationwide class of women retail store management employees in a Title VII class action lawsuit against nation’s largest drugstore chain. Read more.
Jan. 19, 2011 HSPRD partner Joshua Karsh presented arguments to the Illinois Supreme Court on the state Constitution's residency requirement for judicial candidates. Read more.
Jan. 13, 2011 HSPRD persuades electoral board to reject challenges to the candidacies of Rita Oberman, Sheryl Black, and Michael John Bolz for positions on the Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215. Read more.
Oct. 4, 2010 HSPRD successfully persuades Illinois Court of Appeals to uphold victory for former police superintendent in contract dispute. Read more.
May 24, 2010 U.S. Supreme Court rules unanimously in favor of plaintiffs in case brought by HSPRD & others to challenge discrimination in the City of Chicago's hiring of firefighters. Read more.
Mar. 26, 2010 HSPRD obtains a preliminary injunction order on behalf of several Chicago Public Schools teachers after a district court judge held that the Chicago Board of Education had violated their First Amendment rights to political speech in Lynch v. Huberman.
Dec. 23, 2009 The American Law Institute names HSPRD partner Joshua Karsh among its newly elected members.
Dec. 9, 2009 HSPRD successfully convinces Immigration and Customs officials to delay the removal of undocumented college student, Rigoberto Padilla, for at least one year, and obtained an employment authorization for Mr. Padilla, allowing him to benefit from future immigration reform, such as the DREAM Act. Read more.
Nov. 18, 2009 Federal court grants final approval to class action settlement HSPRD filed on behalf of juveniles who were strip searched at a local detention center. Read more.
Sept. 30, 2009 U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear case brought by HSPRD & others on behalf of Chicago firefighters who contend that the city used a racially discriminatory test to screen applicants. Read more.
Aug. 7, 2009 HSPRD partner Mary Rowland is among the finalists selected by Senator Durbin for the vacancies on the U.S. District Court in Chicago. Read more.
June 26, 2009 Hoy newspaper features HSPRD attorney Jose Behar in article, "It Is Difficult To Be the First: Firm adds value to its practice with Jose Behar." Read more.
Oct. 14, 2008 Federal court approves class action settlement brought by HSPRD on behalf of World War II braceros to recover monies withheld from their paychecks. Read more.

Publications

2009 Terry Yale Feiertag, Fundamentals of Employing Highly Skilled Foreign Nationals, in Employing Highly Skilled Foreign Nationals: Leading Lawyers on Counseling Clients, Obtaining H-1B Visas, and Developing a Successful Immigration Strategy 155-74

Speeches & Presentations

Nov. 14, 2011 Matthew J. Piers, Lessons Learned From Class Actions in the United States: Implementation of Procedural Rules in Class Actions in Mexico to Fulfill Their Promise, presentation to the law clerks of the Mexican Supreme Court
Nov. 11, 2011 Matthew J. Piers, Atención a los Migrantes en Estados Unidos y México en su Origen, Tránsito, Destino y Retorno, presentation to the Department of International Studies of the Center for Research and Training in Economics (CIDE) in Mexico City
Nov. 10, 2011 Matthew J. Piers, The Role of U.S. Class Actions in Promoting Social Justice for Mexican Nationals, presentation to Mexico Appleseed
July 29, 2011 Christopher Wilmes, Criminal-Record-Related Barriers To Employment And Public Housing, CLE Presentation to Poverty Law Section of the State Bar of Texas
May 9, 2011 Donald G. Peterson, Legal Ethics and Legal Malpractice in Handling a Workers' Compensation Claim, Address before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association
Apr. 9, 2011 Matthew J. Piers, Class Actions in the United States, the Sociedad Civil y Acciones Colectivas Class and Lecture Series, Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico City, Mexico
Apr. 2011 Christopher Wilmes, The Brave New World of Consumer Protection Lawsuits & Enforcement, Panelist discussion at the National Employment Law Project Annual Conference
Feb. 24-25, 2011 Christopher Wilmes, Challenging the Use of Arrest Records and Credit Histories in Hiring, Panelist discussion at the Impact Fund's Annual Employment Discrimination Class Action Conference
Jan. 10, 2011 José J. Behar, The EEO Laws: Proving a Case of Discrimination and Filing a Charge with EEOC, IDHR, the Cook County Commission on Human Relations and the Chicago Commision on Human Relations, Address at a private client training event
June 9, 2010 Susan Gzesh, “Human rights, migration, and development,” Washington Office on Latin America/ Iniciativa Ciudadana
May 26, 2010 Susan Gzesh, “International human rights and migration policy: a challenge to sovereignty,” Immigration Law Professors Conference, DePaul Law School, Chicago
May 14, 2010 Susan Gzesh, “The right to not migrate,” Summit of the Great Plains, University of Nebraska-Omaha, International Network on Migration and Development
Apr. 30, 2010 Susan Gzesh, “Understanding Refugee Rights,” United Nations Association, Model UN, Chicago Public Schools
Feb. 18, 2010 Susan Gzesh, Moderator, experts roundtable on U.S.-Mexico migration issues, MacArthur Foundation and Woodrow Wilson Institute, Washington, D.C.
Feb. 5, 2010 Susan Gzesh, “A human rights critique of the UNDP Report on Human Mobility,” Wesleyan University, Connecticut
2010 Todd S. Parkhurst, My Father's Country, a live theatrical presentation on the case of Minoru Yasui, who fought for the civil rights of Japanese Americans during World War II, performed five times before various bar associations
Jan. 12, 2010 Susan Gzesh, “Using human rights to evaluate migration policy,” University of Chicago Human Rights Workshop
Dec. 4, 2009 Susan Gzesh, “Overview of civil rights issues for Mexican Migrants,” Embassy of Mexico, Washington, D.C.
Nov. 13, 2009 Caryn C. Lederer, "The Availability of Accessible and Affordable Housing for People with Disabilities," Testimony before the New York Assembly Standing Committee on Housing Task Force on People with Disabilities; New York, NY
Nov. 2009 Susan Gzesh, “Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Looking at Mexico-U.S. Migration Relations,” University of Chicago Harper Lecture, San Francisco, CA
Nov. 2009 Susan Gzesh, Panelist, open discussion on migration and human rights, Civil Society Days, Global Forum on Migration & Development, Athens, Greece
Nov. 2009 Susan Gzesh, Panelist, open discussion on teaching human rights, national roundtable on teaching human rights in the liberal arts, University of Chicago
Oct. 23, 2009 Robert Krug, Perspectives on Immigration, Panelist discussion regarding employment-based immigration at DePaul University
Aug. 24, 2009 Susan Gzesh, “Cambios en la politica migratoria: de Bush a Obama,” Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (Mexico), Meeting of Heads of Protection Services
Apr. 7, 2009 Robert Krug, Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing, Address and panelist discussion at the American Immigration Lawyers Association Fundamentals Conference
Mar. 7, 2009 Susan Gzesh, Keynote speaker, “Student activism at Michigan: a proud heritage,” University of Michigan Law School, Juan Luis Tienda Memorial Dinner
Mar. 2009 Susan Gzesh, “Human Rights and U.S. advocacy,” Donor’s Forum, Chicago
Feb. 23, 2009 Susan Gzesh, “Using human rights to push the US policy framework on migration,” Western Washington State University, Bellingham, Washington