Type: News
Date: 02/25/2015

Taft Welcomes Six Litigators to the Chicago Office

After Recent Merger – Chicago Taft Office has grown by 20%

Taft announced today that our Chicago litigation team continues to grow including four new partners and two new associates. Joining the firm are six litigators:

  • John M. Riccione – Partner
  • William (Bill) J. Serritella Jr. – Partner
  • Andrew M. Alul – Partner
  • Jillian S. Cole – Partner
  • Kristine M. Kolky – Associate
  • Zachary J. Sehy – Associate

“A strong presence in Chicago is essential to Taft, and today we welcome six outstanding litigators to our firm. Having these well-respected practitioners join our firm is evidence of Taft’s continued growth in the Chicago market,” said Thomas Terp, Taft's chairman and managing partner. 

Cezar (Cid) Froelich, chairman of the Chicago office of Taft said, “A year ago Taft and Shefsky said they hoped to double the size of the Chicago office.  Just a year later we have grown the office by 20 percent.”

Riccione served as co-managing partner of Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa in Chicago. Riccione is a business trial lawyer and focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation. He has litigated a wide array of commercial disputes throughout the country, including cases involving real estate, construction claims, trade secrets, computer fraud and abuse, UCC warranties and remedies, and labor and employment.  Riccione has been named Illinois Super Lawyer since 2005 and nominated by a Fortune 1000 client to BTI’s Client All-Star Team, an honor extended to only 70 lawyers nationwide. He is a frequent speaker on the topics of alternative fee arrangements, non-competition agreements, commission disputes and Uniform Commercial Code warranties and remedies, to various trade and bar associations and client groups. Riccione is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law.

Serritella was the chairman of Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa in Chicago litigation department. Serritella is a commercial litigator who focuses his practice on banking, commercial and appellate litigation. He is widely recognized as one of the premier complex commercial workout and bankruptcy litigators in Chicago.  Serritella also has extensive experience as an appellate lawyer, having handled numerous appeals in various Federal and State Courts, and he has also been an adjunct professor of Appellate Advocacy at Loyola University School of Law in Chicago. Serritella also has tried numerous complex commercial cases in Federal and State Courts, and he has significant experience in litigation involving the Uniform Commercial Code.  Serritella is a graduate of DePaul University School of Law, summa cum laude. 

“Taft has an excellent reputation throughout the country as well as here in Chicago; Bill and I are excited to join such a quality firm, with such depth and breadth of experience, and this will serve as our foundation for the growth we anticipate,” Riccione said.

Rounding out the expansion is the addition of Andrew Alul, who joins as a partner from the Rakoczy Molino firm. Alul’s practice focuses on patent litigation with a significant emphasis on bringing generic drugs and biosimilars to market under the Hatch-Waxman Act and the Biologics Price Competition & Innovation Act. He represents some of the top generic pharmaceutical companies in the world, and was critical to the courtroom wins for generic Nasonex (mometasone furoate) and Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution). Alul earned his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law, magna cum laude

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to add Andrew’s talent to our growing team,” says Stephen Auten, chair of Taft’s Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences Litigation Group.

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