Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Appellate advocacy is not simply about addressing another phase in the life of a lawsuit. In fact, it often begins long before the judgment of the trial court is handed down. An appeal is not merely the continuation of the trial process; it is an entirely new battle. Knowledge of the substantive law and underlying facts is critical, but it is not enough. Appellate courts are governed by a set of highly specialized rules and appellate court judges are persuaded by a style of argument notably different than what will carry the day in the trial court. The manner in which issues and evidence were framed before the trial court will matter deeply to a reviewing court judge. As a result, lawsuits that will ultimately reach the appellate stage invariably benefit from consultation of experienced appellate advocates early on in the litigation process and from skilled handling by appellate advocates once the matter has advanced to the appellate courts.

Demonstrated Experience
Our team of appellate lawyers has for decades aggressively represented businesses and individuals at all levels of state and federal reviewing courts throughout the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court. We have served as court-appointed advisors on rulemaking, elbow clerks to members of the reviewing courts, fellows in and leaders of state and national associations of appellate lawyers, and as a state government’s lead representative before the reviewing courts.

Demonstrated Excellence
As lawyers who have received widespread recognition for their appellate skills, we are often tapped by the courts for significant pro bono matters and by special interest groups and trade associations to prepare amicus curiae briefs. That recognition of special ability, and the value it brings to clients, is shared by attorneys outside our firm who frequently recommend us to advocate for their clients when the battle lines have shifted from the trial level to the reviewing court.

Demonstrated Ability
We typically handle 100 new appeals per year. In an overwhelming majority of cases, we secured favorable results for our clients. A significant portion of our victories have been precedent-setting decisions; many others simply provided good, cost-effective outcomes for clients through sound advice, critical dispositive motions, tactical use of interlocutory appeals, and the ability to gain leverage through carefully executed post-judgment strategies.

Examples of what we do best, in addition to crafting appellate briefs and presenting oral arguments, are:

• Prepare and argue case-dispositive motions, both pre- and post-trial
• Draft and argue motions in limine, for judgment as a matter of law and jury instructions
• Take interlocutory appeals related to discovery orders, immunity defenses, class certifications, and venue
• Secure extraordinary relief through mandamus and supervisory orders
• Stay the enforcement of judgments
• Provide tactical and strategic recommendations and support to set up or head off an appeal
• Handle appellate mediations
• Quickly respond to short-fuse projects such as appeals from temporary restraining orders and injunctions

Commitment to Diversity

Diversity Mission
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is committed to recruiting, retaining and promoting its attorneys and staff members regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, physical ability, religion, sexual orientation or personal background. We aspire to be a firm whose members reflect the diversity of the communities where we do business. Hinshaw believes that achieving this objective has positive business, economic and social consequences for our firm and our communities. We are committed to maintaining this objective in both the short and long terms. Consistent therewith, the firm actively and aggressively seeks to hire, retain and promote minority attorneys, including African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans.

Diversity Initiatives and Accomplishments
Hinshaw has a longstanding commitment to ensuring that our firm represents the communities in which we practice. With a formal Diversity Initiative led by the firm's Diversity Committee, our recruiting and hiring programs, our partner promotions and management assignments reflect this result-focused commitment to diversity:

• We include more than 50 minority lawyers in the firm, and our minority retention rate is historically strong
• In three of the past five years, the majority of attorneys promoted as capital partners were either women or minorities
• Women partners serve as partners-in-charge of Hinshaw's offices in St. Louis, Fort Lauderdale and Northwest Indiana
• A minority partner serves as partner-in-charge of Hinshaw's San Francisco office
• A minority and a woman partner serve on the firm's seven-person Management Committee, which governs the firm
• Two minorities and seven women serve on the firm's 25-person Executive Committee, which addresses firm policy and operational issues
• Five of our national specialty practice groups are chaired by women partners
• A woman partner serves as President of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois
• A minority partner serves as Co-President of the Minnesota Chapter of the South Asian Bar Association
• Hinshaw continues to support a minority scholarship program which it began in 1989 and has continued its long-standing commitment to devote 50 percent of its summer internship positions to minority attorneys.

Hinshaw takes pride in our commitment to ensuring that all of our associates are mentored and trained thereby providing clients with the highest level of quality service. Our formal mentoring program is specifically tailored to support minority associates in their advancement in the firm and in meeting their professional goals and aspirations.

Each of Hinshaw's business regions is required to set forth annually a strategic plan for diversity. These plans are submitted to the Diversity Committee for review and acceptance, and are ultimately approved and monitored by our Management Committee. Each year the region or office that has most advanced Hinshaw's diversity objectives is presented with the Chairman's Diversity Award. Accompanying this award is a substantial donation made by the firm to a charity or organization of the region's choice, whose vision includes diversity.

Hinshaw encourages our attorneys to participate in organizations and associations that enhance their professional, civic and cultural development. As a result, many of our attorneys are active members in a wide variety of community, women- and minority-based organizations. Some serve as leaders of these organizations, including as a Regional Governor for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association; Board Member for the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois; Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the Mexican American Bar Association; Board of Governors Member of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association; and Board Member of the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association. Other firm members have formerly held top leadership positions in minority-based organizations, including President of the Asian American Bar Association; President of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association; and President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.

Hinshaw is a participating signatory of the Chicago Bar Association's Alliance for Women's "Call to Action," a project to promote women's leadership in the legal profession. This dovetails with the firm¿s involvement with the Women's Bar Association of Illinois where a firm partner serves as President.

Hinshaw is also a participating signatory of the Bar Association of San Francisco's No Glass Ceiling Initiative whose main goals include having at least 25 percent of women in partnership positions and at least 25 percent of women in management positions.

Because of the firm's national presence, we are involved in many national, state and local organizations. The following is just a sampling of those organizations to which our members belong or which Hinshaw actively supports with both our time and financial contributions:

• Minority Corporate Counsel Association
• ABA Commission on Racial & Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
• National Bar Association
• Hispanic National Bar Association
• Asian American Bar Association
• Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms
• DRI Minority Corporate Counsel Section
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
• Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago
• Women's Bar Association of Illinois
• DePaul University Minority Scholarship Program
• Charting Your Own Course Foundation
• Jewish United Fund
• Cuban American Bar Association
• La Raza Lawyers Association
• Chicago Urban League

Finally, reflecting our diversity and desire to serve our communities, our lawyers across the country are fluent in 20 different languages.

Diversity Committee

Committee Chair:
Jeffrey R. Glass

Committee Members:
Robert J. Romero
Leslie Richards-Yellen
Frances M. O'Meara
Cheryl Wilke
David R. Creagh
Dean E. Parker