Charles (“Chuck”) Adler is of counsel to SWK Attorneys At Law. His extensive experience as a business owner and real estate developer provides a valuable perspective to his legal practice.
Chuck concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial debt restructuring and strategic business planning. He previously worked for many years at Altheimer & Gray focusing on real estate and also spent time at Epstein, Grosby and Adler, and Marks, Marks and Kaplan..
Throughout his career, Chuck has also owned and developed several real estate projects, including small shopping centers and commercial and residential lofts. These endeavors enable him to advise his clients on their legal issues while simultaneously addressing their ongoing practical business and real estate needs.
Illinois, 1968
U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois
J.D. - University of Michigan Law School, 1968
B.A. - University of Wisconsin, 1965
Email: CAdler@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-260-3085
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-adler-97a0a154/
Illinois, 2016
Supreme Court of Illinois, 2016
Northern District of Illinois, 2017
J.D. - University of Miami School of Law, 2016
B.A. - State University of New York at Binghampton - 2012
Email: TChakos@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-260-3075
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-chakos-b83182128/
David Cohen is one of the founders at SWK Attorneys At Law’s predecessor firm. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial litigation matters. He has been the responsible attorney for commercial collection matters for Xerox Corporation for the State of Illinois since 1993.
David represents both debtors and creditors in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 cases. His experience includes assisting debtor clients from initial consultation through bankruptcy discharge. For creditors, David assists the client from the initial claim analysis and presentation through trial or other adversary proceedings (if required). In all aspects of the representation, David strives to provide clients with cost-effective solutions to bankruptcy.
In addition, David strongly believes in the importance of volunteer work. To that end, he created and taught a nine-session money management program in the Northwest Suburbs for low-income and food pantry recipients and is a member of the Bankruptcy Court Pro Se Help Desk.
Illinois, 1986
U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
Federal Trial Bar for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
J.D. - The John Marshall Law School, 1986
B.S. - Northern Illinois University, 1978
Illinois State Bar Association
Email – DCohen@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial – 224-260-3082
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-e-cohen-b759713/
Paulette Kirschner is the Chief Executive Officer of SWK Attorneys at Law. She also works alongside the attorneys to provide strategic business planning directly to clients. Paulette possesses vast experience navigating the challenges facing distressed businesses and entrepreneurs which has made her a valuable resource at the firm.
Paulette assists clients with mergers and acquisition transactions, financing, and general business decision-making. Her 35 years of experience includes negotiating with creditors, acting as an in-house human resource specialist, and facilitating clients' matters as they work with the firm to untangle complex financial difficulties and strategize for the future.
Member of Turnaround Management Association
Fellow: Leadership Illinois; Board Member 2010
B.S. - University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1967
Email: PKirschner@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-260-3073
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulette-kirschner-8649778/
Daniel Klapman brings over 20 years of valuable commercial litigation experience to SWK Attorneys At Law. He began his practice in the public sector with six years of investigative and prosecutorial experience at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He served in several different divisions including felony review where he trained and supervised many junior attorneys before moving to private practice in 2003.
Dan’s combined knowledge of the law, business, and economics allows him to serve as a trusted advisor to his individual and business clients, and to devise litigation strategies to effectively present his clients’ positions, whether to opposing counsel, judge or jury, so as to efficiently resolve complex disputes on behalf of his clients. He serves clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies in complex litigation cases before state and federal courts. Dan has represented clients in matters including shareholder and other disputes, fiduciary duty cases, commercial contract claims, fraud, intellectual property claims, trade secret litigation, estate and trust issues, ERISA litigation with a focus on withdrawal liability, construction disputes, landlord-tenant cases, and general complex commercial litigation.
Illinois, 1997
U.S. District Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Supreme Court of Illinois
J.D. - Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1997
B.A. - University of Illinois, 1994
Email: Dklapman@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-260-3087
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-klapman-2a1b801/
Mark Lenz is an attorney at SWK Attorneys At Law representing clients in real estate and financial matters with a focus on transactions involving public sector financing, recovery grants, tax credits, and other grants. He also represents clients undertaking commercial and industrial projects and has recently begun to represent Veterans groups in Wisconsin, Michigan and Southern California.
Mark’s broad knowledge and expertise in government practices and procedures include experience with tax increment financing, low-income housing tax credits, state affordable housing credits, tax-exempt bond financing, HOME Investment Partnership Program, Section 811 financing for housing for the disabled, and environmental sustainability initiatives. He has been practicing law for over 35 years and has spent 15 of those years in private practice. Prior to that, he was an attorney for the City of Chicago for 18 years. Mark was a critical member of the “City’s team” in the development of the New Homes for Chicago Program and the Green Homes for Chicago Initiative. He also represented the City of Chicago on several prominent developments in which tax increment financing was provided, which projects included the redevelopment of the Oriental Theater, the Carbon and Carbide Building, the Carson Pirie Scott Department Store Building, and the Goodman Theater.
Illinois, 1986
Michigan, 2005
J.D. - University of Texas, Austin, 1985
B.A. - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1979
Real Estate Investment Association
Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Beta Kappa
United States Green Building Council
International Association of Korean Lawyers, Central Regional Governor
Email: MLenz@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-260-3077
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-lenz-8b9a491a9/
Allen Shapiro is a founding partner of the predecessor of SWK Attorneys At Law. He has over 40 years of experience representing clients with all aspects of their legal needs.
Allen has also acted as general counsel to financial institutions and is particularly familiar with banking regulations and the complexities of mergers and acquisitions in the banking industry. He regularly counsels both debtors and creditors with respect to loan restructuring, business reorganization, and other financial transactions and regularly advises distressed businesses, seeking to help them avoid bankruptcy and secure new sources of funding.
Illinois, 1974
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Illinois Supreme Court
U.S. Tax Court
J.D. - University of Chicago, 1968
B.A. - Northwestern University, 1965
Email: AShapiro@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-260-3076
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-shapiro-837038277/
Robert (Bobby) Strauss brings over 20 years of valuable experience to SWK Attorneys At Law. He serves as a trusted advisor to his clients, counseling individuals and businesses on a variety of issues.
Bobby has substantial experience in representing investors and entrepreneurs. He handles a myriad of commercial, real estate and private equity transactions and serves as counsel to many healthcare professionals and practices, including physicians, dentists and related specialists, and veterinarians, as well as acting as outside counsel to a variety of businesses. Bobby’s practice also focuses on the representation of national, regional, and community banks and private lenders in lending transactions, workouts, forbearances and commercial foreclosures. He also serves as general counsel to a multi-family real estate developer as well as to a payment facilitator.
Illinois, 2000
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
J.D. - Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law, 2000, with Honors
B.S. - Biology and Pre-Medicine - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1995
Email: RStrauss@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-616-5077
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsstrauss/
Joey Waldman is a founding partner of SWK Attorneys At Law’s predecessor. She maintains a broad-based transactional practice that concentrates in the areas of real estate, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, asset protection and estate planning. Joey has extensive experience representing clients in the acquisition, sale, leasing and financing of both commercial and residential real estate properties.
Joey routinely assists distressed clients to find workable solutions to immediate financial crisis. She negotiates with lenders, represents lenders and debtors in the loan workout process, and structures complex financial and real estate transactions for asset purchases, assumptions of debt, deeds in lieu and other matters.
Illinois, 1999
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
J.D. - DePaul University College of Law, 1999
B.A. Political Science - University of Iowa, 1996
Email: JWaldman@swkattorneys.com
Direct Dial: 224-260-3074
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-waldman-8632319/