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| Robert V. Borla - Attorney | ||
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Robert V. Borla Biography In 1967 when I became an attorney I saw a painting in a lawyer's office that greatly influenced my career. The painting was of a cow. Pulling on the tail was an English gentleman who was labeled "Plaintiff." Pulling on the horns was a similarly dressed person who was labeled "Defendant." Beyond the cow in the regal black robe and wig was the Judge and sitting on a milking stool milking the cow was a person labeled "Lawyer." The title of the painting was "Litigation." A copy of that painting is in our reception area. Since then I have always kept my focus on what is best for the client and not what is best for the firm. I do not believe attorneys should make a decision for a client but rather should explain the options available and the legal ramifications of those options. The client can then make an intelligent and knowledgeable decision. I have tried to keep our practice human and personal. I do not use file numbers, I use our clients' names. I refuse to install a voice mail system. I prefer to have a real person answer the phone. I have evening hours for appointments since many of our clients cannot come to the office during the workday. Many times at the conclusion of a conference I am told by the client that they are glad they talked with me and that they feel better for doing so. I may not have told them what they wanted to hear or I may not have devised a brilliant legal ploy but I did advise them the easiest, least costly, least time consuming, practical solution to their problem. I do not "milk the cow." I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1964. My law degree was obtained from University of Illinois Law School at Champaign, Illinois. My wife Trish (who is also a vital part of the firm) and I have been married for 1969. We have three children and eight grandchildren. I handle most of the transactional work in the office, i.e. sales of businesses, real estate transactions, etc. I also do estate planning wills and trusts. I am a past Chairman of the DuPage County Real Estate Law Committee, former General Counsel to the DuPage Board of Realtors (now known as the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors) and a frequent speaker at seminars on real estate and estate planning topics. |
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| John C. North - Attorney | ||
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John North Biography People in the legal profession frequently refer to themselves as lawyers, attorneys or counselors. I prefer the term counselor. The best legal advice that can be given is how to avoid legal problems. I no longer do any criminal work because a criminal attorney's role is "reactive" (client's main concern is 'how do I get out of trouble, i.e. jail') rather than "proactive". There are, of course, numerous instances where a client comes to me already facing legal problems. I see my role in these circumstances as aiding the client in minimizing the existing problems and avoiding the creation of new ones. The legal professional's job is to give advice and I believe the term counselor most accurately fits that job description. Closely associated with this role of counseling is the role of educating the client. Clients need to make informed decisions. To do this, they need not only legal advice but an understanding of the basis for that advice. I believe that a client can make those decisions only when they are fully informed. I graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois and from the Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago-Kent College of Law. I was admitted to practice in 1978 and served as a captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps. I live in Downers Grove with my wife Kathy and I have two sons, Julian and Trevor. I concentrate my practice in civil litigation, which includes all forms of civil court work, i.e., divorce, business and construction disputes, probate, contested probate and transactional work which includes contracts, business sales and real estate work. |
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