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  The Attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd.

  Attorney Leslie Arenson
















Leslie S. Arenson received her Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School.  She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and is a member of the Chicago Bar Association.

Ms. Arenson is an accomplished and zealous family law attorney with expertise in divorce and paternity issues including child custody, visitation, child support, maintenance and complex financial matters.  Ms. Arenson studied advanced international family law and international procedure, and has participated in high profile child abduction cases.  She is well respected by her peers and has earned a reputation as a hard working, tough litigator. 

Ms. Arenson was selected as a Rising Star in 2010 by her peers in the legal community. This prestigious accolade recognizes her as a leading young attorney in Illinois.  Ms. Arenson has lectured on current issues in the field of family law and has appeared as a guest legal expert on Jeffery Leving’s Fathers’ Rights Radio Show.  She is involved in community activities and participates in several athletic charity events each year.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ms. Arenson served as a volunteer at the Legal Aid Bureau of Chicago where she provided legal guidance to domestic violence victims.


CASE VICTORIES:

  • Prevented a serious injustice by successfully defending client against false claims for 17 years of retroactive child support.
  • Conducted administrative hearings involving termination of parental rights and the adjudication of children in need of assistance.
  • Obtained awards of joint custody and favorable parenting time schedules in arduous cases.
  • Participated in complex litigation resulting in post-decree changes in custody.
  • Successfully litigated and vacated Orders of Protection.


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  Attorney William Bass





William K. Bass is a veteran trial and appellate attorney with an impressive track record who concentrates entirely in the area of matrimonial law. He is an aggressive advocate for the rights of his clients in both pre-decree and post-decree domestic relations and paternity cases.

Mr. Bass has litigated cases in the State Court, Appellate Court and the United States District Court. Mr. Bass is also highly experienced in the drafting of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

Mr. Bass received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in film production from New York University. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Toledo, cum laude, in May 1989. While in law school, Mr. Bass was a provisional member of his school’s Law Review, had a significant article published in the Law Review, and was a prominent member of the Trial Advocacy Moot Court Team.

He was also the recipient of the prestigious Burton R. Maddux Scholarship for academic achievement. Upon graduation, Mr. Bass was inducted into the Order of the Coif, legal education’s equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa.

After law school Mr. Bass moved to Chicago and joined a large firm where he concentrated in complex commercial litigation, product liability, partnership disputes and family law. Subsequently, Mr. Bass developed an overriding interest in family law which has led him to The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving.

A divorced father with three children, Mr. Bass is determined to effectively protect the rights of his clients and is always prepared to fight for those rights to the fullest extent of the law. Mr. Bass is an active member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.


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  Attorney William Bass





Michael Benz is a veteran trial and appellate attorney with an impressive track record who concentrates entirely in the area of matrimonial law. He is an aggressive advocate for the rights of his clients in both pre-decree and post-decree domestic relations and paternity cases.

Mr. Bass has litigated cases in the State Court, Appellate Court and the United States District Court. Mr. Bass is also highly experienced in the drafting of pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

Mr. Bass received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in film production from New York University. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Toledo, cum laude, in May 1989. While in law school, Mr. Bass was a provisional member of his school’s Law Review, had a significant article published in the Law Review, and was a prominent member of the Trial Advocacy Moot Court Team.

He was also the recipient of the prestigious Burton R. Maddux Scholarship for academic achievement. Upon graduation, Mr. Bass was inducted into the Order of the Coif, legal education’s equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa.

After law school Mr. Bass moved to Chicago and joined a large firm where he concentrated in complex commercial litigation, product liability, partnership disputes and family law. Subsequently, Mr. Bass developed an overriding interest in family law which has led him to The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving.

A divorced father with three children, Mr. Bass is determined to effectively protect the rights of his clients and is always prepared to fight for those rights to the fullest extent of the law. Mr. Bass is an active member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

CASE VICTORIES:

  • Prevailed in obtaining a not guilty verdict after a heated trial defending a man falsely accused of aggravated sexual abuse involving his girlfriend’s 3 young children.
  • Achieved change of custody in favor of a father after a hotly contested hearing where the mother abandoned the children, moved to California, and later tried to remove one of the children back to California by force.
  • Succeeded representing a father in vacating a divorce decree which granted title to the marital residence to the mother.



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  Attonery D'Agostino
Anthony S. D’Agostino attended the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, Rhode Island, before he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude at St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minnesota.

He graduated in the top of his class in 1993 when he received his Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He is a distinguished member of the trial bar for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and is licensed to practice law in Illinois.

During law school, Anthony learned the ins-and-outs of the legal system from the ground up when he worked as a paralegal for a top Chicago Law firm. After graduating law school in January 1993, Anthony litigated for several high profile law firms, including his own law firm, D’Agostino and Associates, where he represented state and federal criminal defendants, state and federal civil litigants, parents in contested dissolution of marriage, child custody, visitation and child support matters.

At the Law offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Anthony’s experience led him to concentrate his practice of law, diligently advocating fathers’ rights in the following areas: orders of protection, dissolutions of marriage, paternity cases, child custody disputes, child support modifications, visitation issues and domestic violence.




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  Attorney Catherine Delgadillo
Catherine Delgadillo earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at Chicago’s prestigious Loyola University. She then proceeded to earn her Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University School of Law in Valparaiso, Indiana. She is a member of both the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.
Ms. Delgadillo has devoted her legal career to the practice of family law throughout Chicago. She has spent time at the Legal Assistance Foundation in Chicago which offered her invaluable family law experience. Ms. Delgadillo also participated in an external study with the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office that gave her keen insight into DCFS protocol.

She also volunteered with special needs children, which significantly increased her devotion to the protection and service of our younger generation.

Ms. Delgadillo practices in all areas of family law, including dissolution of marriage, parentage, support and visitation. Her clients rely on her for her never-ending patience and wisdom, both inside and outside the courtroom.

CASE VICTORIES:

  • Successfully vacated an order of parentage for a duped dad that was entered against him six years prior by the court, and removed all child support obligations and arrears entered against him.

  • Garnered the return of her client’s child to Illinois after the mother wrongfully removed the child from Illinois. Now the father is the residential parent of the child.

  • Won a father residential custody of his young daughter after she showed the mother was mentally instable and had attempted suicide several times.

  • Through the use of a temporary restraining order, she was victorious in preventing a mother from removing a child from Illinois against the wishes of the Father.

  • Used a mother’s emails & abusive language to discredit her and secured expanded visitation for her client with his two sons.



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  Attorney William Dowling

William Dowling holds a unique philosophy and has extensive litigation experience in successfully handling sophisticated and emotionally-charged Family Law and Child Custody cases. He firmly believes that every client deserves individual attention; that every case must be hand-crafted; and that each client is entitled to superior representation. Based on this philosophy, he has developed a sound reputation in the legal community as a fierce adversary.

Mr. Dowling recognizes the emotional trauma and pain individuals suffer when going through a divorce. As a result, he offers his client the time and the experience necessary to guide them though one of the most difficult experiences in their life.

William obtained his Juris Doctor degree from John Marshall Law School in 1980, and was admitted later that same year to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He describes his life’s work as a “struggle for equality in which there are no preferences and no prejudices against either side.” His professional goal is to achieve “equal protection under the law for both genders.”

In every case, Bill first attempts to bring about a quick, civilized, fair and inexpensive resolution. However, if that cannot be accomplished, he offers aggressive professional representation. Mr. Dowling has developed a reputation not only as an expert in the area of Family Law, but also in attending to the individual needs of his clients.

Mr. Dowling’s practice concentrates exclusively in the area of Family Law. This includes: divorce, child custody, paternity, parenting time, spousal & child support, property division, prenuptial & postnuptial agreements, domestic violence, tax consequences of divorce, division of retirement benefits, change of domicile, grandparent rights, and post-judgment proceedings. His practice extends to various counties throughout the State of Illinois.

Mr. Dowling has negotiated and tried cases involving complex domestic relations issues related to divorce, custody, support, equitable distribution, tax and valuation matters, maintenance and college contribution. He takes pride in saving one client over $10,000.00 in interest concerning child support arrearages that were being aggressively pursued by the state’s attorney’s office. The order Bill was able to obtain on the client’s behalf was upheld on appeal.

The most difficult cases involve child custody. Navigating through the morass that involves such litigation and obtaining or retaining custody of minor children for his clients is the most satisfying aspect of his practice.

In 2003, Bill was honored by the Fatherhood Educational Institute, a leading national non-profit organization focused on promoting fatherhood, for his superior legal work on behalf of fathers.

William was named one of the “Top Illinois Super Lawyers” in 2006.


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  Attorney Andrey Filipowicz

Andrey B. Filipowicz, a graduate of Northwestern University, earned a Master's Degree from the University of Chicago in International Relations. He speaks fluent Spanish and Ukrainian and is conversant in German, Russian and Polish. He received his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 1984. 

Mr. Filipowicz a distinguished member of the trial bar for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and is licensed to practice law in Illinois, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Seventh Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has represented firm clients in appeals in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon and in the United States Supreme Court.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Andrey Filipowicz concentrated his practice in the fields of Family Law, Federal Litigation, and Appellate Practice. He has litigated highly complex federal civil cases, and prior to joining the firm secured jury verdicts in federal civil cases in excess of one million dollars. 

As the father of a twelve-year-old boy, Mr. Filipowicz realizes that the cases litigated by the firm have a value greater than any monetary award. Mr. Filipowicz is an assertive and tireless advocate and has been a frequent legal expert on WLEY-FM in Chicago as well as Telemundo television. 

In 2004, Andrey was honored by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children "in recognition and appreciation for outstanding commitment to the protection of children and the knowledge of the Hague Convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction." Andrey has helped reunite many fathers with their children in this country and worldwide.

In 2005 Andrey was selected by his peers in the legal community as an "Illinois Super Lawyer" after an extensive nomination and polling process conducted by Law & Politics. Considered the best in their profession, Andrey was honored to be selected and designated as a "Super Lawyer" representing the top practicing attorneys in Illinois.

In August 2009, Mr. Filipowicz was invited by the White House Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships as an expert resource to join White House staff and others to participate in the First Annual White House Town Hall Meeting on Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families.


CASE VICTORIES:

  • Won Custody Case for Iraqi War Veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

  • Successfully reversed an Indiana Trials Court's decision as to the allocation of client's Marine Corps pension in Indiana Court of Appeals.

  • Won an important Illinois Appellate Court ruling on back support; Case was reversed, remanded and settled.

  • Hague Victory: Reunited Polish father seeking return of his daughters to Poland.

  • Hague Victory: Reunited Mexican father seeking return of his son to Mexico



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  Attorney Maureen Gorman

Maureen Gorman earned her Juris Doctorate from Chicago Kent College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dominican University where she graduated first in her class.

After law school she served in two judicial clerkships: first for the Honorable James B. Zagel, United States District Judge, Northern District of Illinois, and then for the Honorable John J. Stamos, former Illinois Supreme Court Justice.

Ms. Gorman has more than 20 years of complex litigation experience in which she has successfully defended government agencies and their employees in civil and constitutional rights cases. In addition, Ms. Gorman thrived in litigating numerous complex Section 1983 civil rights cases, sexual harassment, employment discrimination and class action security fraud cases.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ms. Gorman served as Counsel for the Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Her sophisticated legal talents and passion for protecting fathers and children is a great asset to the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd.

Case Victories:

  • On behalf of a distraught father, Ms. Gorman worked closely with the U.S. Department of State and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in preventing her client’s wife, a Chinese citizen, from abducting their son to China.  The wife was subsequently found to have brutally abused & beaten the child.  Her client was awarded custody of his son, who is now safe, thanks to Ms. Gorman’s involvement.
  • In a life or death case, Gorman prevailed in obtaining a highly unusual order of protection granting her client immediate possession of his step-daughter who was in critical need of life-saving heart surgery, which the child’s biological mother refused to authorize.
  • In an agonizing case where young, innocent children were being brutally abused by the ex-wife’s live-in boyfriend, Gorman obtained an emergency Order of Protection mandating the children be immediately turned over to her client. Ms. Gorman’s diligence and urgency saved these children from further torment.  According to court documents, less than two weeks after these children were removed from the home, the ex-wife’s live-in boyfriend sexually assaulted his own daughter in the very same home.   Because of Gorman’s success in obtaining the Emergency Order of Protection two weeks earlier, our client’s children were safely with their father when this new tragedy occurred.
  • Out of spite, the mother of her client’s child attempted to sabotage a trip with the child’s paternal grandmother.  Despite the current Illinois law, which makes grandparent visitation extremely difficult to obtain, Gorman succeeded in convincing the judge to grant the grandmother permission to take her grandson out of the country for a two-week international trip.  Thanks to Ms. Gorman’s expeditious actions and hard work, her client’s son and his grandmother had an unforgettable trip.




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  Attorney James Hagler To accompany his degrees from Boston University and John Marshall Law School, James Hagler also holds an FAA Airframe and Power Plant License from the University of Illinois Institute of Aviation and retired in 2005 after serving as a Sergeant First Class in a combat unit of the Illinois National Guard.

Jim brings his battlefield tactics to the courtroom on behalf of others. He has represented many high-profile clients including professional athletes, recording artists and public officials.

Jim was honored with the Award of Merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children due to his experience and knowledge in international Hague Convention custody litigation. The National Center has referred many international cases to him in which he helped reunite many fathers with their children from Poland, Argentina, and Mexico.

Jim was also presented the "Life Saver Award" for helping recover an abused and kidnapped child who is now safe and out of harm's way.


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  Attorney Raquel Unser

Raquel Jackson earned her B.A. from the University of Iowa, where she was a Collegiate Scholar, the recipient of the Opportunity at Iowa Scholarship, and the David and Connie Belin Honors award. After graduating with honors, she went on to receive her Juris Doctorate from DePaul University.

Since being admitted to the Illinois Bar and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Raquel has focused her legal career on family law. She concentrates on child custody, parentage, and divorce. She is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Will County Bar Association.

Her impressive ambition is a result of her passion for improving the well-being of children across America. Raquel is respected by both her clients and peers, and recognized as an effective and tenacious advocate.


CASE VICTORIES:

  • United a homeless man with his 15 year old son for the first time and secured his parental rights.

  • Successfully reduced a child support arrearage alleged by the State of Illinois by more than $54,000.00.

  • Vacated a child support order thus wiping out more than $7,000.00 in past due child support and interest.

  • Prevailed in a sole custody verdict for a father after the mother attempted to abscond with the minor child.

  • Successfully litigated and vacated Orders of Protection. 

  • Successfully reduced a child support arrearage alleged by the State of Illinois by more than $54,000.00.

  • Obtained joint custody with equal parenting time for a father after the mother removed the child from Illinois to Washington State.  The child was returned to Illinois and an order was entered wherein she could not remove the minor child from Illinois without agreement of the parties.




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  Attorney Art Kallow Arthur S. Kallow is a native Chicagoan and he graduated from the Northwestern University School of Law cum laude in 1973. He also received his B.A. in political science from Northwestern. Art was awarded a certificate from Notre Dame Law School for his legal studies at Brunel University in Uxbridge, England.

After graduation, he was resident counsel for a major corporation in Washington D.C. He then returned to Chicago, where he has been practicing family law for more than 25 years. Before joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., he was partner at a small law firm that concentrated in family law, and he has served as a hearing officer for the City of Chicago.

In addition, he has completed training from the National Judicial College and he has been appointed by judges to represent children in contested visitation and custody cases. Art has litigated pro hac vice in Atlanta, Georgia.

Art has successfully represented hundreds of clients throughout the decades, including cases which involved complex jury trials, contested custody and visitation, child support, paternity, and intricate financial issues. In addition, he has handled sophisticated appeals in State and Federal Courts.

He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Illinois, the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. Court for the Northern District of Illinois, including the Federal Trial Bar. He is a distinguished member of the Chicago Bar Association.

In 2005 and 2006, Art was selected by his peers in the legal community as an “Illinois Super Lawyer” after an extensive nomination and polling process conducted by Law & Politics. “Super Lawyers” are considered the best in their profession and they represent the top practicing attorneys in Illinois and the country.

In September, 2007, Art lectured at Northwestern University School of Law on Male Stereotypes and the Law. Art is honored by these accolades and continues to hone his craft and seek justice for his clients.

CASE VICTORIES:

  • On behalf of an out of state father, won a change of custody and removal to the father’s home state of a child who had been abused by the mother’s live-in boyfriend.
  • Obtained an order which resulted in the return of a child to his biological parent from babysitter who had been appointed as guardian and refused to return the child.
  • Successfully obtained sole custody for the father of an infant child born in a Federal prison hospital to an incarcerated mother.




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  Attorney Art Kallow

Lisa McLeod earned her Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and her professional affiliations include the Chicago Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Ms. McLeod has a strong focus in family law and zealously advocates for clients in intricate and complex issues involving child custody, delinquency, abuse and neglect. She was awarded the Certificate in Child and Family Law as well as the Certificate in Trial Advocacy for her superior legal strategies. Ms. McLeod has many notable accomplishments including being a member and subsequently elected the Midwest Director of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition for the National Black Law Students Association, she also served as a member of Loyola’s Civitas ChildLaw Center and was the editor for the Midwest Black Law Students Association Law Journal.

Ms. McLeod knows the importance of a parent’s involvement in a child’s life. She’s a tenacious and fierce matrimonial law advocate who never stops protecting and fighting for the rights of her clients, their children and their families.



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  Attorney Narciso Modesto Narciso M. Modesto obtained his B.A. from Northern Illinois University and his Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School. He was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1977.

After opening his own general law practice in the private sector, he joined Cigna Corporation’s staff litigation department, where he managed the Chicago office. He then became the managing attorney for Warrior Insurance’s staff litigation office and also for a highly successful litigation firm.

Narciso (otherwise known as “Narch”) joined the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd. in 2007, bringing diversified experience as well as law office management and client services expertise. He has been serving as a Center Chair Arbitrator for the Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program since its inception in 1990.

Narciso is honored to have been asked to join the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., and is highly impressed with the overall quality of representation provided by the litigators.


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  Attorney Michael Ocha

Michael W. Ochoa graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University with a B.A. in business. He then attended Emory University in Georgia and earned his Juris Doctorate. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois by the Illinois State Supreme Court and has represented fathers pro hac vice in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, California, Kansas, Florida and Minnesota.

In 2000, the Consumer Business Review selected Michael as a leading family law and trial attorney for the new millennium. He treats each of his clients as individuals with unique needs, and he has dedicated himself to the humanitarian aspect of the legal community. Michael is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, a business school honors society.

Mr. Ochoa has extensive trial and litigation experience and has successfully litigated and settled many cases involving complex financial, child custody and removal issues.

His highly successful trials and settlements are testaments to his inexhaustible energy when seeking justice for his clients throughout America.


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  Attorney Timothy O'Grady

Timothy O'Grady received his bachelor's degree from Loyola University of Chicago, and finished in the top of his class from Oklahoma City University School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1995. Mr. O'Grady is licensed to practice law in both Missouri and Illinois.

Timothy practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri where he worked with one of the nation's top criminal defense attorneys. He directed his practice to domestic relations, and he has important experience in successfully enforcing visitation and custody rights in complex and contested cases.

Tim successfully defended Brandon Casey, lead singer of Jagged Edge, and reduced his alleged child support arrearage by over $500,000. Mr. O'Grady now lives in Chicago where he continues to focus his practice on protecting fathers' rights.

In 2005, Tim was appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to serve as a commissioner on the Council on Responsible Fatherhood for the State of Illinois.

He has lectured on the law with domestic relations and juvenile court judges sitting in the Circuit Court of Cook County for educational purposes.


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  Attorney Jenet Pequeno

J. David Pedraza received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan.  He is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 

Mr. Pedraza has practiced sophisticated commercial litigation at two large national firms, one in Chicago, Illinois and the other in Miami, Florida, prior to pursuing his passion, which is matrimonial law.  He then practiced matrimonial law at a Chicago firm defending primarily immigrant and Spanish-speaking clients, where his fluent Spanish was utilized to protect this population.  Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd., Pedraza has successfully represented clients in a wide range of complex pre and post-decree matrimonial cases, including custody and visitation, child support, and the classification and distribution of marital assets.  He has zealously represented clients in hotly contested cases involving orders of protection, both offensively and defensively.

Mr. Pedraza was a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and served as a teaching assistant in the Legal Research & Writing Program advising and instructing law students.  Mr. Pedraza applies his extensive and successful litigation experience to obtain the best possible results for his clients and their children.


CASE VICTORIES:

  • Achieved an emergency custody award for a non-biological father after the mother abandoned the children leaving them with their maternal grandparents.
  • Reduced a $50,000 default judgment of child support arrears to less than $2,000.
  • Obtained permanent modification of custody for an ex-husband after his ex-wife physically disciplined their child in a case where custody was shared.




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  Attorney Jenet Pequeno

Jenét G. Pequeño is an ardent litigator with an impressive matrimonial law track record. He is fluent in both written and spoken Spanish and recognizes the attorney/client relationship is dynamic and evolving as each case is distinct with many different parts. Mr. Pequeno’s successful legal strategies and passion have made him one of the most well regarded attorneys in the legal community.

Prior to joining The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Mr. Pequeño practiced family law at a large firm where he honed his litigation skills in domestic relations proceedings including custody disputes and resolutions, child support and visitation and other areas of family law. He has successfully represented individuals in family law matters from Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Italy and the United States.

Mr. Pequeño earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami and is licensed to practice law in Illinois. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.



CASE VICTORIES:

  • Succeeded in obtaining custody for a father after the mother absconded with the children to northern Wisconsin.
  • Successfully fought for a father in obtaining the court’s mandate to return his children to him after the mother took them to Dallas, Texas.  The children now live with their father in Chicago.
  • In a harrowing case where a mother concealed the child’s whereabouts from the father, Pequeño reunited the father with his seven-year-old son.
  • Prevailed in reducing $74,000 in child support to $4,000 for a client.
  • Saved client over $20,000 in child support after the state incorrectly calculated medical insurance amount.
  • Prevailed in putting an attorney in jail during a hotly contested child support case.


AWARDS:

  • Received the Absolute Victory Award for his superior litigation skills in 2009.

  • Work Horse Award in 2008.




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  Attorney Robert Reardon

Robert Reardon earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Roosevelt University and his Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School in 1983. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In his more than 27 years of legal experience, Robert has successfully litigated hundreds of high-conflict domestic relations cases, as well as sophisticated criminal defense cases.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Robert served as Legal Advisor to the Director of the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation where he supervised the drafting of legislation for the state of Illinois.

Prior to said role, he was the Chief of Prosecution and supervised a group of 15 attorneys in the prosecution and discipline of licensed professionals.

Mr. Reardon has personally prosecuted more than 100 cases. He brings his exceptional legal skills and passion for protecting the rights of fathers to the firm.



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  Attorney Robert Reardon

Masah S. SamForay received her Juris Doctorate from Indiana University Bloomington.  She is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and is the President of the Black Bar Association of Will County.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Ms. SamForay dedicated more than three years working as an Assistant State’s Attorney at the Will County State’s Attorney’s office where she prosecuted many complicated trials on both the felony and misdemeanor levels.  A natural litigator in the domestic violence arena, she has taken the lead in many hotly contested cases stemming from parentage and dissolution matters in family law court sparking her passion for matrimonial law and fighting for families.

Ms. SamForay was registered as a certified Domestic Relations Mediator through the Monroe County Circuit Court and she was specially-selected as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and Guardian ad Litem for the Circuit Court of Monroe County, Indiana family court system.

A rising leader in the legal profession and community, Ms. SamForay has a distinct combination of intense litigation experience coupled with a sincere dedication to family law.  She is a tenacious legal strategist who is driven to fight for the best interests of her clients and their families.

CASE VICTORIES:

  • Completely turned around a case where her client was barred from having access to his child by an order of protection. Because of Ms. SamForay the client now has temporary custody of his child.




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  Attorney Scott Shell

Scott Shell earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Syracuse University and his Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois. Scott is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Iroquois County Bar Association.

Scott focuses exclusively on Martial and Family Law matters in Cook County and the collar counties, with extensive and effective litigation experience in Central Illinois. Scott has successfully litigated numerous highly contested custody and visitation cases, as well as child support, adoption and paternity cases.

Scott has also successfully represented both parental and children's interests in many DCFS cases.

He brings his track record of success and his strategic planning and litigation skills to the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., where he can concentrate on his passion for protecting the rights of fathers and families.



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  Attorney Joseph Sparacino

Joseph Sparacino is a native of Chicago and earned his Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School. He’s admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Illinois and the U.S. Court for the Central District of Illinois.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Mr. Sparacino worked for a nationwide law firm in Peoria where he was Managing Attorney. Mr. Sparacino then went on to start his own private practice where he successfully represented clients in contested divorce, paternity, juvenile and domestic violence cases. While being based in Cook County, he’s successfully handled many intricate and complex support, visitation and custody matters in counties throughout the state of Illinois including LaSalle, Stephenson and Hancock.

Mr. Sparacino’s vast legal experience encompasses worker’s compensation, personal injury, traffic/DUI law, probate, real estate, consumer fraud/UCC litigation, bankruptcy and defending clients in juvenile and criminal cases. Family law, however, has always been his primary focus and passion. With more than 20 years experience practicing law in Illinois, he has a highly respected reputation throughout the state as a skilled and clever litigator. He is intuitive and has a keen sense of reading witnesses on cross examination.

Mr. Sparacino achieves only the best and most favorable results possible for his clients and their families. He always goes above and beyond to preserve the father-child relationship whenever and wherever it is threatened. Mr. Sparacino resides in Utica, Illinois where he has served as the General Counsel to the Utica Fire and Ambulance District. He counseled the district in the planning and construction of a new firehouse and ambulance station after a devastating tornado destroyed them in 2004.

Since 2005, Mr. Sparacino has been a regular lecturer at the Fatherhood Educational Institute’s Fatherhood Symposium at Malcolm X College running workshops for fathers on all issues related to custody, visitation, support and property. 


CASE VICTORIES:

  • Succeeded in obtaining emergency custody for an unmarried father of his six-year-old son after the boy’s mother got in a bar fight with her own mother. After being granted permanent custody, the unmarried father returned with his son to his home in Minnesota where they now both live.
  • Obtained custody for an unmarried father of his now two-year-old daughter. The girl’s mother was trying to remove the child from the father, who has been her primary care giver for her entire life. The two-year-old daughter is now safe and back with her father.
  • Always working relentlessly, Mr. Sparacino secured an order of protection for a father within an hour after his wife allegedly stalked and attacked him while he was at work. The father and his 11-year-old daughter are now safe in their own home.

 

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  Attorney Stacie Dallio

-In Memoriam-

Stacie Dallio passed away tragically and unexpectedly at the age of 31 on July 4, 2008. Stacie came to the United States from Southeast Asia at the age of two with her parents. Realizing one of her lifelong goals, she was admitted to practice law in the September of 2003.

Words cannot convey the sadness and loss we feel at her passing.











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