 |
|
The Mentor Building
6 E. Monroe St., Suite 1301
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Phone: 312.263.6000
Fax: 312.263.6301
E-mail: admin@bufordlaw.net |
|
|
Mr. Heraty is a graduate of Northwestern University and the New York University School of Law, where he worked on the Review of Law and Social Change. He was admitted to practice law in Illinois following graduation in 1992.
He was admitted to the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar in 1998, and he is currently admitted to practice before the following federal courts:
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• Supreme Court of the United States
Shortly after joining the bar, Mr. Heraty began a litigation practice. He won his first solo case in 1995 and has continued to be involved in all facets of litigation, including appeals. His concentration includes construction accidents, UCC and Magnuson-Moss breach of warranty claims, products liability, premises liability and automobile accidents. In addition, he has been litigating condemnation matters on behalf of the Illinois Department of Transportation since 1995. His representation for the department has involved matters ranging from small temporary easements to condemnations of several acres.
Mr. Heraty serves as a Hearing Officer for the Illinois Department of Human Services. He has been a Special Assistant Attorney General since 1994.
|
|
Mr. Zansitis earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1986 from DePaul University and was admitted to the Illinois Bar that same year. He joined Jones, Ware and Grenard, where he initially worked in tort litigation, successfully handling a variety of wrongful death and injury claims.
Mr. Zansitis served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Thomas P. Durkin, Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. He was formerly a full-time sworn police officer and Certified Emergency Medical Technician for the Village of Homewood, Illinois. He supervised, managed and directed outside counsel for a major insurance company, where his responsibilities included case evaluation, risk management, setting reserves, litigation strategy development and implementation, budgeting and negotiations for timely case resolutions.
Attorney Zansitis specializes in the preparation, investigation and litigation of major cases, including those involving fires, explosions, accidents and arson. His knowledge and experience enables the firm to furnish representation to clients in high-exposure cases.
Mr. Zansitis has coordinated the defense of many products liability cases, ranging from claims against automobile, equipment and drug manufacturers to those against food production companies. In addition, he has coordinated involvement in major commercial litigation matters.
|
|
Ms. Fortier earned Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees from Loyola University, graduating in 1976. She was admitted to the Illinois Bar and is currently admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Ms. Fortier served as a Judicial Law Clerk in the Illinois Appellate Court. She also served in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel, where she was responsible for Social Security disability appeals and engaged in oral argument in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Ms. Fortier wrote the brief for Betty Jane Nelson v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, a case that set precedent for the treatment of subjective pain and other non-exertional impairments in Social Security disability cases in the Seventh Circuit.
Ms. Fortier served as Section Counsel for the Illinois State Bar Association, planning and managing statewide bar association conferences, serving as liaison to more than 15 association section councils and committees, and managing and supervising the association’s Chicago Regional Office. She also directed the Illinois State Bar Association’s fee arbitration program, with responsibility for program administration, case selection and management, including the management of court-directed cases, and maintenance of records and statistics.
Ms. Fortier received mediation training at the Northern Illinois University College of Law and is trained and certified as an Illinois Municipal Hearing Officer.
She previously worked in the private practice of law concentrating primarily in real estate, small business and estate planning matters, motions and trial practice. In 2003, Ms. Fortier was appointed as a Hearing Officer for the Illinois Department of Employment Security. In that capacity, she presided over and authored opinions in hundreds of administrative hearings.
|
|
Ms. Coleman graduated cum laude from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she earned a B.A. in Psychology and Pre-Law. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, in 1987 and was admitted to the Illinois Bar the same year.
She is a Chair-Qualified Arbitrator with the Circuit Court of Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program. Ms. Coleman has also been admitted to practice before the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and is a member of the Federal Trial Bar.
Ms. Coleman’s diverse legal background includes practice as a Senior Litigation Attorney with Witwer, Poltrock & Giampietro. She has labor and employment experience representing corporations, labor unions and individuals in civil suits, arbitrations and administrative proceedings. Her areas of expertise include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act and Fair Labor Standards Act violations. She is an experienced insurance defense attorney who successfully litigated and appealed jury and bench trials involving claims of negligence and personal injury in state and federal courts.
Prior to her association with Buford Law, Ms. Coleman worked as a sole practitioner in real estate and commercial litigation. She also represented closely-held and not-for-profit corporations as general counsel in contract negotiations, labor and employment matters.
|
|
Ms. Wilkins-Brown received her Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. She has been admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois since 1992 and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Ms. Wilkins-Brown has over 25 years of regulatory and compliance experience in the banking and insurance industries. She served as Director of Regulatory and Compliance for CNA Insurance, Group Benefits department. Her vast insurance background includes resolving ERISA and pension plan benefit issues, working with state and federal regulators to resolve complex legal issues related to corporate market conduct examinations, agent-broker licensing issues, OFAC, and Anti-Money Laundering investigations, monitoring and reporting.
|
|
Ms. Martin is a graduate of Chicago State University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Corrections and Criminal Justice. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1993 and is admitted to practice before the Illinois courts and the Northern District of Illinois.
Ms. Martin began the practice of law as an associate with the law firm of Ronald Samuels & Associates, where she worked on a variety of civil matters. In 1997, Ms. Martin opened her own law firm specializing in family law. Since 2003, Ms. Martin has worked as an Administrative Law Judge for the State of Illinois. She presides over unemployment cases, making rulings and issuing final written decisions. |
 |
|
