Legal Forum 2024

Kerry Bartell is a principal with KSN and has been practicing with the firm for over 20 years. She concentrates her practice representing condominium, homeowner (HOA), and townhome community associations. Kerry provides guidance on general matters relating to associations, as well as counseling the board of directors for an association on corporate actions, contracts, dispute resolution and other issues relating to the association as a corporation.

Pamela Park focuses her practice on representing condominium, homeowner (HOA), and townhome community associations. Pamela is one of KSN's senior litigators, concentrating in the defense of discrimination actions. She has successfully handled numerous complaints on the federal, state, and local levels.

David J. Bloomberg is a Principal at Chuhak & Tecson, P. C. and both leader of the firm’s condominium and community association practice group and co-leader of the Litigation practice group. David focuses his practice on products liability litigation, commercial litigation and condominium and common interest community association law.

Phyllis Fasel concentrates her practice in general business and real estate law. She provides legal advice to new and experienced business owners in entity structuring, ownership issues and day-to-day operational issues, while handling sophisticated business, real estate and financing transactions.

Keith concentrates his practice in therepresentation of condominium and common interest community associations, aswell as the areas of general civil and commercial law.  He has extensive experience in preparing andamending association governing documents, including declarations, bylaws andrules and regulations as well as the enforcement of same.  Keith also provides guidance to association clientson a wide range of general corporate matters, such as corporate governance,maintenance/repair questions, and board actions.  He is also familiar with the FHA requirementsapplicable to condominium associations and has assisted numerous condominiumswith applying for FHA certification and re-certification through the HRAPprocess. 

 Since graduating Magna Cum Laudefrom Northern Illinois University College of Law in 2006, Keith has been withCostello Sury & Rooney, P.C. where he is currently a senior counsel.  He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economicsfrom DePauw University in 2000.  Keith isa member of the Illinois State Bar Association. He has made presentations at events for CAI-Illinois, ACTHA, andmultiple Chicago Bar Association committees, and previously served as aco-chair of the CAI-Illinois Legal Forum/Conference Education Committee.  In addition to Illinois, Keith is alsolicensed to practice law in the State of Texas.

Libby F. Vassmer is a shareholder of Costello Sury & Rooney in Oakbrook Terrace Illinois. Ms. Vassmer has been licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois since 2015 and the state of Indiana since 2022. Her practice is focused on the representation of condominium and common interest communities, cooperatives, as well as general civil practice. With her extensive experience in the collections arena, Ms. Vassmer has helped guide a multitude of associations towards reduced delinquencies and improved fiscal status. Ms. Vassmer frequently appears before courts in Cook County and the collar counties as well as northwest Indiana on behalf of associations. Additionally, Ms. Vassmer provides general counsel guidance to associations on issues such as corporate governance, violation/enforcement issues and contract review. Ms. Vassmer obtained her Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Elizabeth focuses her practice on counseling community associations both in litigation and on day-to-day operational issues. Elizabeth’s litigation experience includes litigating constitutional claims, administrative review actions, government investigations, and business litigation, such as preliminary and permanent injunctions, declaratory judgments, insurance issues, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and

Jamie Stevens advises community associations on a range of issues related to their daily business operations, serving as their general legal advisor. In his work with the leaders of condominium and other common interest communities on governing documents, finances, litigation and transactional issues, Jamie provides them with perspective and broad knowledge in their legal matters. His experience includes: drafting easements, bylaws and declarations; advising on developer turnover matters and assessment collection; interpreting governing documents; and counseling on the variety of contract, dispute, and business concerns they face. In litigation, Jamie represents associations in covenant interpretation and enforcement matters and defends associations against various claims, drawing from broad on-the-ground experience with associations in their life cycles

Aside from his role as counselor, Jamie relies on his familiarity with the Illinois Condominium Property Act and Common Interest Community Association Act to assist clients in transactional matters such as deconversion sales of entire properties, lending transactions in the community association marketplace, and development of condominium and common interest properties. His experience includes drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements and preparing documentation to establish and develop condominium properties. He also assists with distressed property redevelopment, financing and receivership actions to resolve properties in crisis.

Laura Marinelli is a partner in and leader of the Community Association Group of Levenfeld Pearlstein. She has extensive experience representing condominium associations and common interest community associations in complex litigation matters involving various injunctive and equitable remedies, as well as covenant enforcement, developer issues, mixed use property disputes, and breach of fiduciary duty matters.

Laura advises community associations on issues related to the association's governing documents, the Illinois Condominium Property Act, and the Illinois Common Interest Community Association Act. She also helps associations resolve issues with homeowners, developers, and city/county agencies. She helps associations collect unpaid assessments and represents associations during foreclosure proceedings.

She also assists with board meetings, membership meetings, board elections, and rule violation hearings. She also has extensive experience in general and commercial litigation. She has represented entities and individuals in complex litigation matters in both state and federal court from inception through both bench and jury trials, as well as on appeal. Laura’s litigation experience includes numerous matters seeking equitable relief, including temporary restraining orders as well as preliminary and permanent injunctions.

Her litigation experience includes matters relating to non-compete agreements, probate disputes, partnership agreements, breach of contract, and real estate matters. Laura also represents clients in matters involving violations of Fair Housing laws before both the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.

Laura was a 2019 Fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, was named as a Leading Lawyer for Real Estate Law: Associations and Condominiums in 2018 and 2019, and was named to the Illinois SuperLawyers Rising Stars list from 2011-2015.

Adam is an associate in the Community Association Group. He helps cooperative, condominium, and homeowners associations navigate a variety of legal, financial and commercial issues. Whether attending board meetings and offering common sense solutions to governance challenges; reviewing, negotiating and modifying various agreements; or advising his association clients on enforcement of governing documents, Adam is a pragmatic, trusted advisor with a patient and fair approach to problem-solving.

Prior to joining Levenfeld Pearlstein, Adam worked at a New York boutique real estate firm where he offered practical, comprehensive legal advice to community associations. Treating each of his clients as unique, Adam takes a holistic approach to advising community associations. He focuses his practice onreviewing, negotiating and modifying governing documents, lease agreements, policy documents and commercial contracts. Adam’s clients usually request his attendance at monthly board meetings, where his level head and industry acumen prove instrumental in effective policy-making and business planning.

Adam was presented with the Minister Gloria Jean Fowler Angel Award in his final year at Emory University School of Law, which recognizes one student who embodies the kindness and grace of former Emory employee Gloria Jean Fowler.

JAMES A. SLOWIKOWSKI is a member of the firm. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from DePaul University College of Law in June, 1987 after having received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from DePaul University in June, 1984. Prior to joining the Dickler firm, Mr. Slowikowski practiced with the Chicago firm of Margolin & Aronson where his primary responsibility was in the areas of real estate, corporate, construction and commercial litigation.

Mr. Slowikowski has represented condominium and community associations since 1991. He joined Marshall N. Dickler, Ltd. in May, 1991, which became Dickler, Kahn, Slowikowski

& Zavell, Ltd, in 2001, and he continues to practice in the area of general civil litigation and condominium and homeowner association law. The primary part of Mr. Slowikowski’s practice is condominium and community association law and he represents associations in all counties in the Chicago Metropolitan area, and in McClean County. In the firm, he oversees and litigates homeowner association cases, and handles all aspects of association legal needs such as enforcement of rules and covenants, drafting governing documents and rules and regulations, reviewing and preparing contracts, litigation, and generally providing advice and consultation to clients. He also performs commercial, property and corporate litigation cases, and represents for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and associations. Mr. Slowikowski has been lead counsel in trials in both state and federal courts, and has litigated significant claims against association developers, including one case that resulted in a total recovery in excess of $2.5 million dollars.

Mr. Slowikowski is a member of CAI and ACTHA and regularly speaks at ACTHA and CAI conferences and programs on various association topics. Mr. Slowikowski has published articles on association topics in some industry publications including Condo Lifestyles and Common Interest magazines, and has been a contributor to The Chicagoland Cooperator. Recently, he authored the article featured on the cover of the October 2019 issue of Condo Lifestyles (“5 Tips To Help Make Your Association Better”).

Mr. Slowikowski is a member of the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, a member of the Bar of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the DuPage County Bar Association and the Northwest Suburban Bar Association. Mr. Slowikowski has been selected by peers and added as a member of the Leading Lawyers Network.

MARSHALL N. DICKLER, is the senior member of the firm.
Mr. Dickler’s practice encompasses representation of condominium and homeowner associations in all matters including litigation, commercial and residential real estate transactions and litigation, corporate acquisitions, divestitures, operations and litigation, healthcare organization operation and litigation, zoning and collections.
Mr. Dickler is a sustaining member of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and has lectured, taught and participated in national and regional conferences and conventions since 1977, addressing many subjects dealing with condominiums, homeowners associations, corporate, real estate, insurance and tax matters. Mr. Dickler is a former director and past president of the CAI-lllinois Chapter and a former trustee of the CAI- National Association. CAI conducts an annual National Law Seminar, and Mr. Dickler was a member of the Seminar faculty. He is a member of the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). He is a member of ACTHA and has spoken at their programs. Additionally, Mr. Dickler is the author of three chapters on Condominium and Homeowners Association Litigation for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE). Mr. Dickler has lectured statewide on the subject matter of these chapters to members of the Illinois Bar, and he was a special advisor to the IICLE, as to its real estate publications and lectures. Mr. Dickler has many years of experience providing all aspects of legal assistance in business and financial advice to small and large businesses and corporations and was and is counsel to a number of major For-Profit and Not-for-Profit organizations in healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, hospitality and construction. He has been counsel to and performed work for a major national collection agency. He is counsel to a national medical products supply company.
Mr. Dickler is admitted to the Illinois Bar; he is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States Appellate Court for the Seventh Circuit, the Federal Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois and the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Northwest Suburban Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association and American Bar Association. Mr. Dickler has been selected by peers and added as a member of the Leading Lawyers.
In addition to being an attorney, Mr. Dickler is an electrical engineer by education and experience. Mr. Dickler practiced as an electrical engineer for six (6) years and during part of that time, attended law school at John Marshall in Chicago, Illinois. He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and has practiced as a patent attorney. Mr. Dickler’s practical engineering background is of great value in understanding technical problems involved with the construction, operation, reconstruction and repair in structures such as multi-unit residential buildings.

Joan Berg, a Partner with Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell Glazer LLC, received her undergraduate degree (Chemistry) from Loyola University of Chicago and her law degree from IIT – Chicago Kent College of Law. She is licensed to practice in Illinois and its courts, including the U.S District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Joan services clients in commercial real estate, lending, and corporate transactions. Her experience continues to be recognized as an Illinois Leading Lawyer, and within the Leading Lawyer Top 100 Women in Real Estate. Joan’s experience spans community association representation, as well as commercial real estate construction, development, land use, acquisition, disposition, and leasing.

In her community association work, Joan has represented developers, lenders, and community associations. Her construction and development experience include industrial, manufacturing, multi-family, and single family development in Illinois, New York, and California. She is often called upon to consult on complex air rights and title matters. Her land use knowledge adds depth to analyses with clients.

Joan represents lenders and borrowers with respect to asset-based and real estate-based financing. Leasing is another component of Joan’s real estate transaction experience. She regularly represents landlords and tenants in office, industrial, and retail leasing environments.

Providing general corporate representation for her clients is another aspect of Joan’s practice. She is counsel for her real estate developer and investor clients, as well as small and mid-sized businesses. In addition, Joan provides counsel to various non-profit and religious organizations. She provides counsel to a Christian denomination in the administration of its seminary, and its publishing endeavors. Joan is Co-Legal Advisor for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, a six-state region of the Greek Orthodox Church. In addition, she is a member of the Legal Committee for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

 Areas of Practice

Dawn, a principal with Keough & Moody, P.C., joined the firm in 2000 (then known as Knuckles & Jagel), where she started as a law clerk and then, as an attorney. Dawn concentrates her practice on the representation of community associations. In that regard, she assists boards in all areas of association governance, including drafting and amending governing documents, providing legal opinions, reviewing policies for compliance with applicable laws, and reviewing contracts. Dawn strives to provide proactive and practical advice to her clients.

Education and Admissions

Dawn received her J.D. degree, with honors, from Chicago Kent College of Law. She received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from North Central College in Naperville. Dawn was a member of the History Honor Society at North Central College and was a recipient of the CALI Award of Excellence in Criminal Procedure at Chicago Kent College of Law.

Dawn is admitted to practice law in all state courts in the State of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Industry Involvement

Dawn presents and writes for the firm, as well as industry groups, such as CAI-Illinois' Chapter, Condo Lifestyles, and Association of Condominium Townhome and Homeowners Association (“ACTHA”). She has also presented at the CAI National Law Seminar. In addition, Dawn has contributed to IICLE's ("Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education") book related to Condominium Law

 Areas of Practice

Gabriella, a principal with Keough & Moody, P.C., joined the firm in 1996 and began her representation of community associations. Gabriella is primarily responsible for litigation related to community associations, which varies from breach of contract to seeking declaratory and/or injunctive relief. Gabriella’s practice also concentrates on representing community associations in non-litigation related matters, which includes providing Boards of Directors with opinion letters, drafting amendments to the Association’s governing documents and drafting rules and regulations. She provides all areas of legal counsel to community associations within the Chicagoland area.

Education and Admissions

Gabriella received her J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law after graduating Cum Laude from Loyola University of Chicago. Gabriella is admitted to practice law in all state courts in the State of Illinois. She is also admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Gabriella is a member of the Federal Trial Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, and DuPage County Bar Association.

Gabriella was admitted to the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). CCAL is a prestigious group of attorneys practicing community association law in the United States. Approximately 200 attorneys have been granted membership in the College.

Industry Involvement

Gabriella was the co-chair for the Chicago Bar Association’s Condominium Subcommittee from 2015 -2022. Gabriella also presents and writes for other industry groups including MCD Media, and Condo Lifestyles. Gabriella has been involved in CAI-Illinois' Chapter. In the past, she was the co-chair of several Committees. Gabriella also contributes written articles for CAI's Common Interest Magazine and speaks at various CAI Chapter Programs, including her presentations at various Legal Forums and trade shows. For the past seven (7) years, she has served as a member of the Planning Committee for the CAI National Law Seminar. She has also presented at the CAI National Law Seminar, including as recently as in February 2024, and in 2023. Since 2020, Gabriella has been a member of the CAI CCAL Amicus Curiae Committee. Finally, Gabriella has contributed to IICLE's ("Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education") book related to Condominium Law. She has also presented for IICLE and the National Business Institute ("NBI") on issues related to community associations, as part of the continuing education they offer for Illinois attorneys.