Eric Sparks Named a "Rising Star"

Contact:  Sydney Iglitzen
312.899.1676
siglitzen@gouldratner.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2010

CHICAGO --  Gould & Ratner LLP, legal and business advisors to entrepreneurs and closely held family-owned, middle market and Fortune 500 companies, is pleased to announce that six of its attorneys have been named Illinois Super Lawyers for 2010 in a survey conducted by Law & Politics magazine.  In addition, attorney Eric P. Sparks has been recognized as a "Rising Star" for 2010 by Super Lawyers.

Law & Politics surveyed lawyers from across the state, representing more than 70 practice areas, and asked them to identify the best Illinois lawyers they had personally worked with and observed in action.  Attorneys from firms of all sizes were considered as well as those in private practice, prosecutors, in-house counsel and public service lawyers.

The "Rising Stars" category recognizes lawyers who are under the age of 40 or have been in practice for 10 years or less.  While up to 5 percent of lawyers in the state are named Super Lawyers, no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.

The complete listing of Illinois Super Lawyers appears in the 2010 Illinois Super Lawyers magazine and in other select magazines and is distributed to all attorneys in the state, lead corporate counsel and to ABA-approved law school libraries.

Congratulations to the following Gould & Ratner attorneys named  Illinois Super Lawyers in these practice area categories:

Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights

Christopher J. Horvay - Chris concentrates his practice in the representation of senior creditors and asset-based lenders in complex litigation, workout, and bankruptcy matters.  His practice involves the representation of asset-based lenders in complex commercial foreclosures and litigation disputes as well as the representation of creditor committees in litigation relating to fraudulent conveyances.  Chris can be reached at chorvay@gouldratner.com.

Estate Planning & Probate

Thomas A. Korman - Tom has worked in the business, financial, and tax planning field for more than 30 years and is also a Certified Public Accountant.  Tom has extensive experience in representing entrepreneurs, investors, families and family businesses and institutions. He has represented clients in a variety of industries including insurance, homeland security, cheese manufacturing, technology, mines and minerals, banking, and consulting services. His representation includes a variety of sophisticated transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures, mergers, reorganizations, and recapitalizations.  Tom can be reached at tkorman@gouldratner.com.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Fredric D. Tannenbaum - Fred is recognized by the Illinois Venture Capital Association as a leading expert on private equity and venture capital, by a national bar association organization as a leading authority on mergers and acquisitions, and by the leading business publication, Crain's Chicago Business, as a top expert on family-owned businesses.  Fred has represented more than 250 middle market businesses, private equity or venture capital funds, sophisticated entrepreneurs, wealthy family businesses, and senior key executives in more than 500 mergers/acquisitions/divestitures/strategic alliance transactions and more than 250 venture capital transactions over the last 20 years.  He is a Managing Partner of the firm.  Fred can be reached at ftannenbaum@gouldratner.com.

Real Estate

Amy M. Blumenthal - Amy's practice encompasses all areas of real estate, with a concentration in real estate development and land use.  Amy has 25 years of experience representing real estate owners and developers in all phases of the land development process. This process includes the acquisition, financing, and zoning of property, through to its ultimate leasing and/or sale.  The financing includes initial acquisition financing, development financing and permanent financing, including senior debt, mezzanine debt, and private equity.  Amy can be reached at ablumenthal@gouldratner.com.

John H. Mays - John is a Managing Partner of the firm.  His practice focuses on real estate development with emphasis on land use, development and construction.  He represents clients in all phases of the development process, from the acquisition, zoning, financing and construction of buildings and projects through their ultimate leasing or disposition.  His broad experience representing owner's, lenders and contractor's allows him to craft both practical and legal solutions to the challenges facing clients in the development and construction areas.  John can be reached at jmays@gouldratner.com.

Stephen P. Sandler - Steve is a member of the firm's Management Committee.  He has spent more than 30 years counseling and advising developer and investor clients in the acquisition, disposition, leasing, development, financing, and structuring of all types of real estate and real estate transactions.  Steve's experience includes major office buildings, hotels, apartment buildings, industrial buildings, and unimproved land.  He has specialized expertise in structuring transactions and all phases of financing including construction, interim, permanent, mezzanine, securitized, and equity funding, provided by banks, institutions, pension funds, REITs, and private lenders.  Steve can be reached at ssandler@gouldratner.com.

Rising Star - Business Litigation

Eric P. Sparks -Eric focuses his practice in the area of commercial litigation, including disputes involving construction, pharmaceutical development and registration, real estate, employment, shareholder, and trusts/estates.  He has experience in jury trials, binding arbitration proceedings, and appellate proceedings.  Eric can be reached at esparks@gouldratner.com.

For more than 70 years, Gould & Ratner LLP has provided comprehensive legal counsel and business advice to sophisticated entrepreneurs, family businesses and middle market companies operating in a range of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, technology and telecommunications, finance, services, real estate, construction, food & beverage, gaming and emerging new economy areas, to name a few.  Gould & Ratner's attorneys have handled more than $8 billion of transactions and an average of 25 merger/acquisition and 20 venture capital deals per year in the last decade.  Gould & Ratner LLP acts as General Counsel for domestic and international companies with annual sales in excess of $1 billion and has structured sophisticated and complex domestic and foreign transactions as well as tried and settled thousands of lawsuits and workouts.