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Work Comp Boot Camp

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Friday, October 2, 2020
Chicago (UBS Tower) & Live Webcast


 *Petitioner’s Perspective
**Respondent’s Perspective



8:00 – 8:35            Registration

8:35 – 8:45            Welcoming Announcements

8:45 – 9:15          An Overview of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation System and Practice Issues before the Commission
(0.5 Professional Responsibility pending approval)
Understand a basic summary of worker compensation law, including a description of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, an outline of worker benefits under the Act, and an introduction to issues and practice before the Commission.
Francis J. Lynch, Wolter, Beeman, Lynch & Londrigan, Springfield, Program Moderator

9:15 – 10:15          The Basics of Evaluating a Case:  What Do We Need to Prove and How Do You Prove It?
Get a Petitioner’s and Respondent’s perspective on how to evaluate whether a case is compensable.  Review the case law and the basics of all workers’ compensation cases, including jurisdiction, statute of limitations, accident, medical causation, employer/employee relationship, average weekly wage, the benefits a person would be entitled to and more. 
Catherine K. Doan, Rubin Law Group, Ltd., Chicago *
Jeffrey T. Rusin, Rusin & Maciorowski, Ltd., Chicago**

10:15 – 10:30            Break

10:30 – 11:30        Getting the Case Ready for Trial
(1.0 Professional Responsibility pending approval)
What do we have to prove, how do we prove it, what are we asking for, and how do we prepare witnesses for trial?
Hayley K. Graham, Anesi, Ozmon, Rodin, Novak & Kohen, Ltd., Chicago*
Jennifer L. Rizk-O’Lynnger, Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry, P.C., Chicago **

11:30 – 12:30        Evidentiary Issues/Rules of Evidence    
(1.0 Professional Responsibility pending approval)
What types of evidence do we admit at hearing and how do we get it in? What types of experts do we use and when do we take depositions?
John J. Castaneda, Castaneda Law Office, Chicago*
Andrew L. Rane, Garofalo, Schreiber, Storm & Grant, Chtd., Chicago**

12:30 – 1:15           Lunch on your own

1:15 – 2:15            The Appellate Process in Workers’ Compensation
(1.0 Professional Responsibility pending approval)
Learn about reviewing decisions from the Commission through the Appellate Court.  Gain a general understanding of procedural considerations including standards of review, deadlines, and the required briefs and filings.
Zbigniew J. Bednarz, Horwitz Horwitz & Associates, Chicago*
Michelle L. LaFayette, Ganan & Shapiro PC, Chicago**

2:15 – 2:30             Break

2:30 – 3:30            Settlement
(1.0 Professional Responsibility pending approval)
James E. Tyrrell, Ross Tyrrell Ltd., Chicago*
Candice E. Drew, Wiedner & McAuliffe, Chicago**

3:30 – 4:30               Managing a Case, Clients and Arbitrators
(1.0  Professional Responsibility pending approval)
Learn about common pitfalls affecting work comp cases and how to avoid them. Get strategies benefiting both petitioners and respondents.
Philip A. Bareck, Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, Chicago*
Heather deBettencourt, Hennessy & Roach, P.C., Chicago**

4:30                              Adjourn

Contributors

  • Francis (Frank) Lynch

    Wolter, Beeman, Lynch & Londrigan, Springfield

    Frank Lynch was born and raised near Rockford, Illinois. He attended Boylan High School and Southern Illinois University. He graduated from SIU in three years with University Honors, appointment as the Student Presenter at the Departmental Colloquium on American fiction, and a Bachelor’s Degree in English. While attending Southern Illinois University School of Law, he authored two articles which were published in the Southern Illinois University Law Journal, and became a lead articles editor for the journal in his third year. Lynch received his JD in 1983. 

    Frank worked as a litigator in the firm of Studach and Lynch, an in-house insurance defense law firm attached to First Financial Insurance Company and Special Insurance Services in Springfield, Illinois. In 1986 he became an associate with the Springfield office of Heyl, Royster, Voelker and Allen, a state-wide insurance defense firm. He practiced insurance defense litigation in the fields of automobile, premises, liquor, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, architectural malpractice and civil liability. He was made a partner in that firm in 1994. In 1997, two Springfield Plaintiffs’ attorneys, Bruce Beeman and Randall Wolter, asked Frank Lynch to join them in a Plaintiffs Litigation and Tort practice. Wolter, Beeman, Lynch & Londrigan now serves Springfield, Illinois as a general litigation firm, concentrating in Plaintiffs trial work. The firm cases include: automobile accidents, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, professional liability, uninsured and underinsured motorist claims, premises liability, products liability, personal injuries, workers compensation injuries, liquor and DRAM shop liability and general jury trials. Frank has obtained numerous seven figure verdicts and settlements. With Bruce Beeman, he obtained the highest jury verdict in Sangamon County history for over $24,000,000.00 arising out of an automobile accident. Frank has been a lecturer, speaker and author for the Southern Illinois University Law Journal, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the Illinois Defense Research Institute, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. Through the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education he has written on issues of evidence, trial procedure, discovery, and Illinois Workers Compensation Commission practice and procedure. Frank was selected the 2014 Volunteer of the Year for IICLE. 

    He has been named an Illinois Leading Lawyer by the Leading Lawyers Network, an Illinois Super Lawyer by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, and one of the top lawyers in Illinois as published in Chicago Lawyer. He has received the highest peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and as a result of his rating, Wolter, Beeman, Lynch & Londrigan is an AV rated law firm. He is a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, and a Barrister of the Lincoln/Douglas Inn of Court. Frank is a member of the National Association of Eagle Scouts. He is a past board member, trustee member, and board president of the Springfield YMCA. For several years he served as a community fund panel volunteer for the Springfield United Way. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Springfield United Way. Lynch also serves as the president of the Board of Directors for the Sangamon County Emergency Food and Shelter Program. He was recently named by The Central Illinois United Way as Board Chair for 2017-2018.

  • Catherine Krenz Doan

    Rubin Law Group, Ltd., Chicago

    Catherine Krenz Doan is a principal with Rubin Law Group, Ltd. She concentrates her practice in the area of workers’ compensation law. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse with highest honors and received her law degree from IIT-Chicago Kent College of Law magna cum laude. She is a member of the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Catherine was a notes and comments editor for the Chicago Kent Law Review. She has authored various articles for IICLE, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. Catherine is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. Catherine has been a member of the WCLA Board of Directors since 2017.

  • Jeffrey T. Rusin

    Rusin & Maciorowski, Ltd., Chicago

    Jeffrey T. Rusin is a Partner at Rusin & Maciorowski Law Firm in the Workers' Compensation Department. Jeffrey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 2007. Jeff majored in History and minored in pre-law. He also played soccer for the Hawkeyes. Jeff earned his J.D. cum laude from Northern Illinois College of Law in 2010 and was admitted into the Illinois Bar that same year.

  • John J. Castaneda

    Castaneda Law Office, Chicago

    John J. Castaneda concentrates in the areas of workers' compensation and personal injury law as Castaneda Law Office. He has 32 years of experience handling Illinois workers' compensation claims. During his career, he has briefed and argued many cases before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, various Circuit courts and the Appellate Court of Illinois. Mr. Castaneda's leadership position in the field of workers' compensation includes serving as past president - and first Hispanic President - of the Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association. He also served as a director of the association, and is currently editor of the organization's newsletter.

    Mr. Castaneda is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and Workers' Injury Law and Advocacy Group. He has been selected for the tenth year as an Illinois Super Lawyers, described by the publisher as "a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement." Since 2010, Mr. Castaneda has been listed in Best Lawyers in America, "the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession." In addition, Martindale-Hubbell, "the authoritative resource for information on the worldwide legal profession," has rated Mr. Castaneda AV® (very high to preeminent) for both legal ability and professional ethics.

    Mr. Castaneda received his Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree from Loyola University of Illinois, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota, where he served on the editorial staff of the Law and Inequality Journal. He was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1987 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1995.

    Mr. Castaneda has lectured for the Illinois State Bar Association on "Worker's Compensation Basics"; lectured on "Repetitive Carpal Tunnel Syndrome under recent legislative changes" for judicial training of the Arbitrators and Commissioners; lectured in "Litigation Techniques for the Difficult Workers' Compensation Cases" for NBI TM and lectured on behalf of the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education in March 2014, February 2015, October 2016, and September 2018.

  • Andrew L. Rane

    Garofalo Schreiber & Storm, Chtd., Chicago

    Andrew L. Rane joined the firm of Garofalo, Schreiber and Storm upon graduation from Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he graduated cum laude, in 1994. He became a partner in 2001 and a Shareholder in 2005. His primary practice area is Workers’ Compensation; he represents employers and carriers before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission. His primary venues include McHenry County, Winnebago County, Cook County and Rock Island County, though he also represents clients in other venues throughout the state.

    Andrew is proud to have been honored by his peers with a BV rating in the Martindale-Hubbell directory as a distinguished lawyer with very high ethical standards. He has also earned the Client Distinction award from Martindale-Hubbell. Recently, he was named a Leading Lawyer by his peers.

    He was an elected Board Member for the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association and recently served as President of the Association (2014). Prior thereto, he served as Vice President for 1 year and served as secretary for 2 years. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association for several years prior to being elected an officer.

    Over the years, Andrew has been a frequent lecturer on all aspects of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. He has conducted seminars before carriers, brokers, trade organizations, individual employers and several times on behalf of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. He has also contributed a book chapter on the trial process and general procedures before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission published by Lexis-Nexis. Andrew was honored at NIU Law as the Recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Administrative Law. He began his trial work in the Kane County D.U.I. Court as a third year law student pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 711.

  • Michelle LaFayette

    Ganan & Shapiro PC, Chicago

    Michelle LaFayette is a partner with the Ganan & Shapiro, P.C., a mid-sized-workers’ compensation defense firm with offices in Peoria and Chicago, Illinois. Michelle handles workers’ compensation claims on behalf of employers and insurance companies in Illinois. Michelle received a B.A. in history/political science from Illinois College in 1995 where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Michelle earned her J.D. is from DePaul University College of Law in 2000. Michelle was admitted to the Illinois Bar in November, 2000. Michelle is a past-member of the Illinois State Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Law Section Council, having served as a past-Chair to the Council. She is currently a member of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association Board of Directors. Outside of work, Michelle is an avid reader, has interests in history, especially American history, and is a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Blackhawks and Green Bay Packers.

  • James E. Tyrrell

    Ross Tyrrell Ltd., Chicago

    James E. Tyrrell practices with Ross Tyrrell, Ltd. in Chicago where he has been concentrating in the area of workers’ compensation since 1994. Prior to that he was a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to the Felony Trial Division. Jim graduated from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1985 and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1982. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association and the Chicago Bar Association. He served on the Chicago Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Committee as Vice-Chair in 2009-2010 and as Chair in 2010-2011.

  • Philip A. Bareck

    Katz Friedman Eagle Eisenstein Johnson & Bareck, Chicago

    Philip A. Bareck has been with Katz Friedman since 1991 and became a partner in 2003. His practice concentrates on representing employees in workers’ compensation and occupational disease cases before the Workers’ Compensation Commission and Illinois Circuit and Appellate Courts. He has spoken on workers’ compensation topics for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) and Chicago Bar Association, and is a frequent speaker at Union meetings, Labor/Union seminars, and Labor Law/Workers’ Compensation Workshops in Illinois. He has been a frequent speaker on Illinois Workers’ Compensation Reform, authored an article concerning the 2011 Workers’ Compensation Reform Bill captioned “Workers’ Compensation Reform Arrives” in the September 14, 2011 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and was also quoted in the Chicago Tribune Business Section on the 2011 changes to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.

    Phil is currently an Adjunct Professor at IIT-Chicago Kent College of Law teaching Workers’ Compensation Law. He has been selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer the last seven years (5% of the attorneys in Illinois), included in Best Lawyers in America, and awarded inclusion in Top Trial Lawyers (American Trial Lawyers Association top 100 Trial Lawyers for Illinois), Top Attorneys in Illinois and America’s Most Honored Professionals. He was also named to 2016 Best Lawyers in Workers Compensation Law.

    Phil has written faculty material for IICLE presentations on utilization review under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act as well as permanent and total disability benefits. In addition, he authored “Physical, Mental and Vocational Rehabilitation Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act”, “Establishing Accident: The Arising Out of the Employment Element” and “Advanced Workers’ Compensation in Illinois” and has published an article in the Summer 2007 Illinois Trial Journal “Jurisdiction in Illinois Workers’ Compensation Cases: The 2006 Mahoney Decision.” He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois in 1988 and obtained his law degree from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law with high honors in 1991.

October 2, 2020
Fri 8:35 AM CDT
UBS Tower One N. Wacker Drive 2nd Flr Conference Center Chicago, IL 60606

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Duration 7H 55M

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