While in private practice Mary practiced in the Washington, D.C. and Chicago offices of two of the nation’s largest law firms. She began practicing in the suburban corridors in order to increase her personal contact with clients in small to midsize companies. Mary focuses her practice in commercial litigation. This background includes a range of issues: trade secrets, employment discrimination, pr
oducts liability, mechanics’ liens, real estate and constitutional litigation . Mary has also handled bankruptcy, contract disputes and partnership matters. Mary concentrates her practice of employment law on the drafting and enforcement of restrictive covenants in employment contracts. Her experience extends to diverse actions based upon allegations of racial, sexual and handicapped discrimination. She has a reputation for aggressive participation at hearings in front of the Human Rights Commission and previously served as a staff attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In Mary's current practice, she represents both plaintiffs and defendants. Mary represents clients in contract disputes ranging from small partnerships to Fortune 500 companies. Much of her present work involves the enforcement of equipment lease obligations and related matters of secured creditor's rights and bankruptcy. She is noted for her effective and persuasive presentations. She is extremely well-respected by bench and bar in the suburban Chicago area. Mary practices extensively in .areas of commercial and residential real estate, handling transactions on behalf of sellers and purchasers as well as real estate developers. She has negotiated and drafted contracts, reviewed documentation and closed transactions from the simple to the sophisticated. She also litigates real estate disputes. In a highly publicized case, Mary sought to evict a tenant who assaulted four handicapped residents in a HUD-subsidized housing unit. Mary pressed both criminal and civil charges, obtained and enforced a lengthy temporary restraining order to protect the fearful residents. Mary is an active member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Committee on Professional Responsibility. She has co-authored opinions on ethical questions for the Bar as well as presented seminars for members of the bar and her colleagues on current ethical questions. she served on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Anti- Harassment. Mary is a graduate of Creighton University and a former National Debate Champion. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, American Studies and Political Science. She attended Notre Dame Law School where she won awards in the Client Counselling Competition, Moot Court competition, and a position on the Notre Dame Barristers, the National Trial Team. Mary is active in the Chicago, Northwest Suburban, Illinois and American Bar Associations, and is a member of the Federal Trial Bar. She is a frequent author of book reviews for Alert Publications,articles for the CBA Record "Lunch and Learns" for the Chamber of Commerce, SHRM and the bar associations. She taught legal writing, moot court at Loyola Law School and Trial Advocacy/Criminal Justice at DePaul University. She served as Parliamentarian for the Northwest Suburban Bar Association. She has taught for 17 years at MCC including: Business law and Business Ethics.
