William B. Bruce

Partner

William represents corporate and individual clients in complex commercial litigation and in internal and government investigations. He is a trusted advisor and experienced litigator in a variety of areas of law. He is passionate about his clients and about achieving optimal resolutions at minimum cost and maximum value. Prior to joining Katten & Temple, William was a litigation attorney at Sidley Austin.

William B. Bruce

Partner

(312) 663-4458

wbruce@kattentemple.com

William represents corporate and individual clients in complex commercial litigation and in internal and government investigations. He is a trusted advisor and experienced litigator in a variety of areas of law. He is passionate about his clients and about achieving optimal resolutions at minimum cost and maximum value. Prior to joining Katten & Temple, William was a litigation attorney at Sidley Austin.

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D. 2013
Oxford University, Worcester College, 2nd B.A. 2010
Williams College, B.A. 2008

Prior Engagements

• Won the release of an ICE detainee to avoid his heightened health risks from the COVID-19 pandemic by persuading a federal court to grant a preliminary injunction.
• Led numerous internal investigations of employees of a major American financial institution facing billions of dollars in liability and multiple government enforcement actions.
• Achieved victories in Illinois circuit and appellate courts for an international common carrier, enabling the completion of a multistate infrastructure project.
• Defended a major American accounting firm against PCAOB charges after a lengthy investigation that resulted in a favorable settlement.
• Successfully represented clients in bankruptcy proceedings to dismiss multiple adversary complaints seeking $22.5 million in damages and to obtain a $9.5 million judgment in a dispute over allocating asset sale proceeds.
• Other engagements have involved ERISA class actions, litigation in Delaware Chancery Court, a patent infringement action, and a lawsuit regarding a state agency’s administration of GI Bill benefits.

Personal

William grew up in Nashville. He played varsity ice hockey at Williams College where he received two national awards for community engagement: the Hockey Humanitarian Award and the John Wooden Citizenship Cup.

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John M. George, Jr.

Of Counsel

John M. George, Jr. has served as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country and has represented clients at trial, on appeal, and in arbitrations. His clients have included financial institutions, Big Four accounting firms, and Fortune 500 companies and their officers and directors. He has represented defendants in securities, ERISA, and antitrust class actions, as well as derivative suits, accountant malpractice cases, SEC investigations and enforcement actions, and general commercial litigation.

John M. George, Jr.

Partner

Email: jgeorge@kattentemple.com

Phone: 312-663-4427

John M. George, Jr. has served as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country and has represented clients at trial, on appeal, and in arbitrations. His clients have included financial institutions, Big Four accounting firms, and Fortune 500 companies and their officers and directors. He has represented defendants in securities, ERISA, and antitrust class actions, as well as derivative suits, accountant malpractice cases, SEC investigations and enforcement actions, and general commercial litigation.

Education:

Harvard Law School, JD (cum laude) in 1982

Columbia University, PhD (Medieval History) in 1976

University of Illinois, AM, 1971; AB (High Honors/High Distinction in History) in 1970

Editor, Harvard Law Review, 1980-1982; Phi Beta Kappa.

Memberships:

District of Massachusetts and Northern District of Illinois (General and Trial Bars); Courts of Appeals for the Third, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits; American Bar Association (Business and Litigation Sections; Committees on Professional Liability, Securities Litigation, and Business and Corporate Litigation); Chicago Bar Association; Seventh Circuit Bar Association.

John is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He is a member of the Leading Lawyers Network and was named an Illinois Super Lawyer by Law & Politics in 2006, 2009, and 2010.

Significant Decisions:

  • Brown v. Tober, et al., 45 Employee Benefits Cas. 2175 (N.D. Ohio, Dec. 24, 2008).
  • Kensington International, Ltd. v. Hiner, et al., 40 A.D. 3d 541, 834 N.Y.S. 861 (2007).
  • Greenburg v. Hiner, et al., 359 F. Supp. 2d 675 (N.D. Ohio 2005), aff’d, 73 Fed. Appx. 367 (6th Cir. 2006).
  • Berger v. Jasmine, et al. (3d Cir. 2006) (Case No. 06-2925).
  • Endo v. Arthur Andersen & Co., S.C., 163 F.3d 463 (7th Cir. 1999).
  • Stepak v. Addison, et al., 87 F.3d 1331 (11th Cir. 1996).
  • Coe v. Circle Express, Inc., et al. 1990 WL 37260 (N.D. Ill March 5, 1990).
  • National Union Fire Insurance Co. v. Seafirst Corp. et al., 891 F.2d 762 (9th Cir. 1989).
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Richard B. Kapnick

Of Counsel

Brad is an experienced trial lawyer who has served as lead counsel in numerous matters involving complex commercial litigation and advised corporate officers and directors at critical junctures of business disputes. His clients also include business leaders, public and private companies, stockholders and activist investors, broker dealers and parties to bankruptcy and real estate-related claims. He has also regularly appeared in matters involving state and federal securities laws, directors’ and officers’ liability, and complex financial transactions, including mergers & acquisitions and post-transaction disputes. He has been recognized for the quality of his work by Leading Lawyers, Super Lawyers and Legal 500.

Richard B. Kapnick

Phone: (312) 663.4463
Cell: (847) 894.8414
rkapnick@kattentemple.com

Brad is an experienced trial lawyer who has served as lead counsel in numerous matters involving complex commercial litigation and advised corporate officers and directors at critical junctures of business disputes. His clients also include business leaders, public and private companies, stockholders and activist investors, broker dealers and parties to bankruptcy and real estate-related claims. He has also regularly appeared in matters involving state and federal securities laws, directors’ and officers’ liability, and complex financial transactions, including mergers & acquisitions and post-transaction disputes. He has been recognized for the quality of his work by Leading Lawyers, Super Lawyers and Legal&nbsp500.

Education:

The University of Chicago Law School (J.D., 1982, with honors,
Order of the Coif, Managing Editor, Law Review (1981-1982))
Wadham College, Oxford University (M.Phil., 1980, Intl. Rel., Marshall Scholar)
Stanford University (B.A., 1977, Pol. Sci. & Econ. with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa)

Admitted:

New York, 1993
Illinois, 1982

Practices:

Complex Commercial Litigation
Directors’ and Officers’ Litigation
Securities Litigation
Real Estate Litigation
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Litigation
Stockholder Litigation
Mergers & Acquisitions Litigation

Clerkships:

United States Supreme Court, John Paul Stevens
Illinois Supreme Court, Seymour Simon

Significant Engagements:

  • Plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation. The cases often involve insolvency, reorganization, financial and valuation issues and interpretation of complex commercial contracts, indentures and loan agreements.
  • Defendants in federal securities fraud class actions including public corporations and their officers and directors, including Sections 11 and 12 of the Securities Act and Sections 10 and 14 of the Securities Exchange Act. Cases have involved initial public and secondary offerings, private placements, financial restatements and alleged accounting misstatements, alleged forecasting errors, alleged shortfalls in insurance reserves, and alleged deficiencies in products, distribution and marketing. The matters often involve defense of the clients in related Securities and Exchange Commission proceedings.
  • Plaintiffs or defendants in shareholder and derivative claims, including corporations and their directors, officers and shareholders. Cases have involved forecasting, reporting of industry performance metrics, management decisions relating to investments and acquisitions, preferred stock claims, corporate opportunities, a director election contest, and a deadlocked board of directors.
  • Clients engaged in mergers and acquisitions disputes. Cases have involved the purchase and sale of private and public corporations, their assets and subsidiaries, including Revlon claims, entire fairness claims, hostile tender offers, the construction, reformation, and specific performance of merger and acquisition agreements and post-closing adjustment/indemnity claims. Many of these matters involved multiple federal and/or state forums.

Memberships and Activities:

Member, Advisory Board of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, 1999-Present
Member, Practitioners’ Reading Group for the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, American Bar Association. U.S. Supreme Court Nominations:
-Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 2009
-Nomination of Elena Kagan as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 2010
Chicago Symphony Orchestra:
-Trustee, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 1994-Present
-Vice-Chair, 2001-2006
-Chair, Artistic Committee, 2007-2012
-Chair, Development Committee, 2002-2006
Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic:
-Chair, Advisory Board, 1999-2004
-Chair, Board of Directors, 1992-1993
Volunteer attorney, National Immigrant Justice Center, 1987-2004
Fellow, Leadership Greater Chicago

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Mitchell B. Katten

Partner

Mitchell B. Katten has experience in trial and appellate litigation and counseling practice. He represents corporate and individual clients in all aspects of commercial litigation. He has experience with complex litigation in state and federal court.

Education:

Lawrence University in 1984

Washington University Law School in St. Louis in 1988

Mitchell B. Katten

Partner

Email: mkatten@kattentemple.com

Phone: 312-663-4457

Mitchell B. Katten has experience in trial and appellate litigation and counseling practice. He represents corporate and individual clients in all aspects of commercial litigation. He has exprience with complex litigation in state and federal court.

Education:

Lawrence University in 1984

Washington University Law School in St. Louis in 1988

Practice Focus:

Commercial Litigation

Professional Experience:

  • Tried six cases to verdict and argued two appeals in Seventh Circuit and seven state court appeals
  • Lead counsel for plaintiffs in $10,000,000 class action settlement in Circuit Court of Macon County
  • Lead counsel for plaintiff in two week jury trial that resulted in $1,700,000 jury verdict in Circuit Court of Cook County
  • Counsel for Owens Corning in product liability actions
  • First or second chair in eight federal court trials, one state court trial, ten hearings for injunctive relief, administrative hearings and one Seventh Circuit Argument
  • Drafted forty-five appellate briefs and appeared in fifteen appellate court oral arguments on behalf of indigent defendants convicted of felonies

Professional Speaking:

  • Chicago Bar Association – Litigating the Legal Malpractice Case, June 2014
  • Chicago Bar Association – An Employer's Responsibility for its Private Investigator's Investigation of its Employees. A Case Study of Lawlor v. North American Corp., 983 N.E. 2d 414 (Ill. 2012), February 2014
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Brandon D. Lawniczak

Of Counsel

Brandon D. Lawniczak has three decades of legal experience advising clients on a variety of issues, both as a litigation partner at a major law firm and as in-house counsel at an international technology consulting company. Brandon’s passion is providing his clients with thoughtful analysis of their legal rights and providing practical, business-focused advice.

Education:

J.D., University of Michigan Law School
B.S., Industrial & Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, College of Engineering

Brandon D. Lawniczak

Of Counsel

PH: (773)-294-1857
blawniczak@kattentemple.com

Brandon D. Lawniczak has three decades of legal experience advising clients on a variety of issues, both as a litigation partner at a major law firm and as in-house counsel at an international technology consulting company. Brandon’s passion is providing his clients with thoughtful analysis of their legal rights and providing practical, business-focused advice.

Education:

J.D., University of Michigan Law School

  • Michigan Law Review, Notes Editor
  • Cum Laude

B.S., Industrial & Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, College of Engineering

  • Dean’s List
  • Summa Cum Laude 

Professional Experience:

Managing Director, Accenture, Chicago/San Francisco

  • Americas Lead for Disputes and Litigation: Managed team of five attorneys responsible for handling third-party disputes and litigation within the Americas, focusing on problem job work-outs, negotiating and structuring settlement agreements, SAAS disputes, intellectual property (including patent issues), employment litigation and counseling, e-Discovery compliance, insurance coverage, securities law issues, bankruptcy proceedings, and anti-bribery laws.
  • Global Legal & Commercial Lead for Operating Group: Coordinated global team of legal professionals providing transactional support to multi-billion dollar operating group, serving as chief legal advisor to an operating group’s senior executives on contract variances and other legal matters, implementing global contracting tools and protocols, and helping manage and resolve third-party disputes. 

Partner, Sidley Austin, Chicago, IL

  • Commercial litigation and disputes.
  • Handled broad range of commercial litigation involving breach of contract, fraud, environmental laws, class actions, intellectual property issues, securities fraud, malicious prosecution, antitrust, and RICO.

Law Clerk, Hon. Samuel Conti, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco, CA

Admitted:

Illinois

Practice Focus:

Litigation Counseling

Contract review and analysis

Personal:

Author, “When My Mother Called Out the Posse,” The New York Times, Modern Love Column, December 29, 2009

Two-time Finalist in The New Yorker’s Cartoon Caption Contest

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Brian S. Levy

Of Counsel

Brian S. Levy, Of Counsel to Katten & Temple, LLP, provides practical regulatory, transactional and dispute resolution guidance primarily to banks, mortgage lenders and vendors to mortgage bankers. Mr. Levy has unique experience with RESPA, TILA, and other mortgage origination, servicing and banking regulations, marketing and ventures, contract negotiation and loan sales, commercial and residential real estate and finance and regulatory compliance and enforcement actions. Mr. Levy also represents summer camp owners and buyers in the purchase and sale of summer camps.

Brian S. Levy

Of Counsel

Email: blevy@kattentemple.com

Phone: 262-241-7977-office
414-788-0465-cell

Brian S. Levy, Of Counsel to Katten & Temple, LLP, provides practical regulatory, transactional and dispute resolution guidance primarily to banks, mortgage lenders and vendors to mortgage bankers. Mr. Levy has unique experience with RESPA, TILA, and other mortgage origination, servicing and banking regulations, marketing and ventures, contract negotiation and loan sales, commercial and residential real estate and finance and regulatory compliance and enforcement actions. Mr. Levy also represents summer camp owners and buyers in the purchase and sale of summer camps.

Education:

University of Illinois, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa (A.B., 1986)

Harvard Law School (J.D., 1989)

Professional Experience:

  • Mr. Levy served for over 15 years as Senior Vice-President, Secretary and General Counsel of Guaranty Bank in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
  • Mr. Levy also gained key business and sales insights through his experiences (i) managing loan officers and mortgage origination joint ventures and (ii) serving as legal counsel to retail and wholesale channels of business, including negotiation of secondary market agreements and compliance counsel. Mr. Levy was also responsible for industry and government relations and managed construction lending, compliance and risk management.
  • After graduating from Harvard Law School, Mr. Levy joined the law firm of Rudnick & Wolfe (now known as DLA) in Chicago, Illinois, concentrating his practice in the area of commercial real estate, including purchase and sale transactions, loans and workouts, leasing and development.
  • Mr. Levy is a member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys and the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers. Mr. Levy was the 2006 Chairman of RESPRO (The Real Estate Services Providers Council) and was on its Executive Committee for 7 years. Mr. Levy also served on the American Bankers Association’s Government Relations Administrative Committee and was the Vice-Chairman of ABA’s Mortgage Markets Committee in 2008-2009 and Chairman of the Wisconsin Bankers Government Relations Committee in 2005. He also served on the ABA’s Regulatory Compliance Conference Committee.
  • Mr. Levy is a frequent national banking and mortgage conference speaker and writer on topics such as mortgage repurchases, RESPA, loan officer compensation, marketing services agreements, affiliated business arrangements, secondary markets, and regulatory enforcement.
  • Mr. Levy also served as Co-Chair of the Mequon Thiensville School District (WI) Community Engagement Ad Hoc Committee and was Chairman of the Milwaukee Children’s Village, an alternative to the foster care system for large sibling groups.

Professional Speaking:

  • Mr. Levy is a regular speaker at the following annual meetings/seminars:
  • American Bankers Association, Regulatory Compliance Conference
  • Mortgage Bankers Association, Legal Issues & Regulatory Compliance Seminar
  • Real Estate Settlement Providers Council (RESPRO) Annual Meeting and Fall Regulatory Compliance Seminars
  • Mr. Levy has also been a speaker at numerous other conferences and webinars including:
  • ABA Real Estate Lending Conference
  • Inside Mortgage Finance Webinars
  • RESPRO Webinars
  • Lender's One Conference
  • Various MBA Seminars including: Finance & Accounting, Quality Assurance, Repurchases
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Nancy A. Temple

Partner

Nancy A. Temple has experience in state and federal trial and appellate courts, primarily in commercial litigation. She has represented financial institutions, manufacturers, public accounting firms, and digital media providers in federal securities, patent, malpractice and consumer fraud litigation and in various other business disputes.

Nancy currently serves on the Leadership Council for the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, the Adler Planetarium Women’s Board, the Lyric Guild Board and the Da Corneto Opera Board.

Nancy A. Temple

Partner

Email: ntemple@kattentemple.com
Phone: 312-663-4456

Nancy A. Temple has experience in state and federal trial and appellate courts, primarily in commercial litigation. She has represented financial institutions, manufacturers, public accounting firms, and digital media providers in federal securities, patent, malpractice and consumer fraud litigation and in various other business disputes.

Nancy currently serves on the Leadership Council for the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, the Adler Planetarium Women’s Board, the Lyric Guild Board and the Da Corneto Opera Board.

Education:

University of Illinois in 1986 summa cum laude

Harvard Law School in 1989 cum laude

Practice Focus:

Commercial Litigation

Significant Decisions:

  • Davis v. G.N. Mortgage Corp., 396 F.3d 869 (7th Cir. 2005)
  • Freeman, Freeman & Salzman, P.C. v. Lipper, 349 Ill. App. 3d 677, 812 N.E.2d 562 (1st Dist. 2004)
  • Freeman v. Williamson, 383 Ill. App. 3d 983, 890 N.E.2d 1127 (1st Dist. 2008)
  • Holloway v. Household Automotive Finance Corp., 227 B.R. 501 (N.D. Ill. 1998)
  • In re Apex Automotive Warehouse, L.P., 1999 WL 132849 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. Mar. 9, 1999), aff’d, 2000 WL 220497 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 18, 2000), aff’d, Whitlock Corp. v. Deloitte & Touche, L.L.P., 233 F.3d 1063 (7th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 532 U.S. 973 (2001)
  • Kansas Public Employees Retirement Sys. v. Reimer & Koger Associates, Inc., 77 F.3d 1063 (8th Cir. 1996), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 948 (1996)
  • Kansas Public Employees Retirement Sys. v. Reimer & Koger Associates, Inc., 114 F.3d 679 (8th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1068 (1998)
  • Mariner LDC v. Stone Container Corp., 729 A.2d 267 (Del. Ch. 1998)
  • Mittman v. Rally’s Hamburgers, Inc., 278 F. Supp. 2d 831 (W.D. Ky. 2003)
  • Moody v. Security Pacific Business Credit, Inc., 971 F.2d 1056 (3d Cir. 1992)
  • Philiotis v. Executive Mfg. Technologies, Inc., 2004 WL 2433226 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 28, 2004)
  • Waldock v. M.J. Select Global, Ltd., 2005 WL 2737502 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 24, 2005)
  • Woodward v. Correctional Medical Services of Illinois, Inc., 368 F.3d 917 (7th Cir. 2004)
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Jeffrey R. Tone

Partner

Jeffrey R. Tone has served as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country and has represented clients at trial, on appeal, and in arbitrations. He has had responsibility for significant matters for four different major accounting firms, including jury trials in state and federal court, as well as for financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies and their officers and directors. Such representation has included securities class actions, derivative actions, insurance matters, and professional malpractice claims, including actions brought by the FIDC and other receivers and liquidating trusts. He has also represented clients in investigations by the SEC’s Division of Enforcement and other governmental agencies.

Jeffrey R. Tone

Partner

Email: jtone@kattentemple.com
Phone: 312-663-4400

Jeffrey R. Tone has served as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout the country and has represented clients at trial, on appeal, and in arbitrations. He has had responsibility for significant matters for four different major accounting firms, including jury trials in state and federal court, as well as for financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies and their officers and directors. Such representation has included securities class actions, derivative actions, insurance matters, and professional malpractice claims, including actions brought by the FIDC and other receivers and liquidating trusts. He has also represented clients in investigations by the SEC’s Division of Enforcement and other governmental agencies.

Education:

University of Illinois College of Law, JD (summa cum laude; Order of the Coif) in 1978

Princeton University, BA (cum laude) in 1975

Clerkships:

United States Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens, 1980-81 Term

U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois, Judge Prentice H. Marshall, 1978-80

Significant Decisions:

  • Engers v. AT&T, No. 10-2752 (3d Cir. 2011)
  • Hurlic v. Southern California Gas Co., 539 F.3d 1024 (9th Cir. 2008)
  • PR Diamonds, Inc. v. Chandler, 364 F.3d 671 (6th Cir. 2004)
  • Mittman v. Rally’s Hamburgers, Inc., 278 F. Supp. 2d 831 (2003)
  • Kansas Public Employees Retirement Sys. v. Reimer & Koger Associates, Inc., 114 F.3d 679 (8th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1068 (1998)
  • Kansas Public Employees Retirement Sys. v. Reimer & Koger Associates, Inc., 77 F.3d 1063 (8th Cir. 1996), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 948 (1996)
  • Frymire-Brinati v. KPMG Peat Marwick, 2 F.3d 183 (7th Cir. 1993)
  • Farlow v. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., 956 F.2d 982 (10th Cir. 1992)
  • Harbor Insurance Co. v. Arthur Andersen & Co., 149 Ill. App. 3d 235 (5th Dist. 1986)
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