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LARA A. CLEARY is a partner with the Chicago law firm of Whitted, Cleary & Takiff, LLC, where her areas of practice include child welfare, mental health and other disability law, special education, confidentiality of information and representation of individuals, hospitals, schools and mental health professions. Ms. Cleary is a previous lecturer for National Business Institute in her areas of practice. Prior to becoming an attorney, she was a special education teacher. Ms. Cleary earned her B.S. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association (former member, Education Law Section Council). BRUCE E. de'MEDICI is an accomplished attorney with more than 25 years of experience representing clients in commercial transactions in state and federal bankruptcy courts, as well as in non-judicial insolvency settings. He is currently a partner in the law firm of Belongia, Shapiro & Franklin, LLP. Mr. de'Medici focuses his practice on representation of lenders and other creditors, bringing his experience to bear on optimizing their recovery on delinquent loans and accounts. His other clients include chapter 11 debtors, bankruptcy trustees, vendors, lessors, and other parties both in an out of judicial settings. Mr. de'Medici's experience extends to representation of participants in mergers and acquisitions, enforcing negotiable instruments, avoiding preferences, and utilizing the protections of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and applicable law to reorganize clients' operations, preserve their assets, and resolve their business operations. Mr. de'Medici was a member of the bankruptcy trustee panel for the Northern District of Illinois for ten years. He received his B.A. degree, with Distinction, from the University of Michigan and his J.D. degree from Wayne State University Law School. KEVIN B. GORDON is a partner with the Chicago law firm of Scariano, Himes and Petrarca, Chartered, where his practice includes work in the areas of student rights, special education, school finance, construction, real estate, litigation and general school law. Mr. Gordon is a frequent speaker on student discipline, residency, privacy, and business issues. Mr. Gordon was admitted to the bar in Texas in 1996, where he practiced school law before joining the firm. He was admitted to practice in Illinois in 1999. He a member of the Executive Committee of the Illinois Association of School Attorneys. Mr. Gordon earned his B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University. MAUREEN A. LEMON is a partner in the Naperville law firm of Ottosen Britz Kelly Cooper & Gilbert, Ltd., where she practices in the areas of special education law, school law, and labor and employment law. She has 17 years of experience working in special education and school law. Ms. Lemon is a previous lecturer for National Business Institute in her areas of practice. She has been an adjunct professor of School Law at Northern Illinois University at DeKalb, and frequently speaks on special education issues to various professional and educational groups. Ms. Lemon earned her B.S. degree in finance, with highest honors, from the University of Illinois, her B.S. degree in economics, with highest honors, from the University of Illinois, her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois, and her M.Ed. degree in Educational Administration from the University of Illinois. She is a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys and the Illinois State Bar Association.
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