The Legal Elite: 10 Lawyers Setting New Standards in 2026
By Emily Standley Allard
Sean P. Sullivan
Legal disputes rarely unfold according to a fixed formula, particularly in family law. Sean P. Sullivan has built his practice with that reality in mind. As founding partner of SBK Law Group LLP, he considers the particular dynamics of each matter before determining the most appropriate course forward.
That mindset is particularly important in family law, where legal disputes often involve deeply personal circumstances. Sean sees settlement as valuable when it gives clients greater control over the outcome, but not as an objective…
Continue Reading Sean P. Sullivan Featured In MSN Article

Most dispensary KPIs get looked at once a month, in a meeting, off a spreadsheet somebody built on a Sunday night. By then the answers are archaeology. The dead stock is already dead. The best seller already stocked out. The special that quietly ate your margin already ran its full two weeks.
We run a store. Pekin’s Local Dispensary & Supply in Pekin, Illinois is ours, and every figure below came off its live point-of-sale the morning this was written. What follows is the short list we read before the doors open, what each number catches, and what it looks…
Continue Reading Dispensary KPIs: 7 Essential Numbers We Check Daily

On June 16, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) announced four new interagency agreements, including new partnerships with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Secretary of Education Linda McMahon describes the HHS partnership as a way the Department “will align federal services with the goal of strengthening academic outcomes and supporting individuals with disabilities” and the partnership with DOJ as a way for the Department to “ensure stronger, more coordinated civil rights enforcement and robust protections for student privacy.”Through the interagency agreement with HHS, the Department shifted the administration of its…
Continue Reading Trump Administration Moves Responsibilities Out of the Department of Education

Question:
I am the sole owner of a general practice firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. I have been in practice for 45 years and I am the only lawyer in the firm. I have a receptionist and a paralegal that also serves as my office manager and bookkeeper. I have tried hiring associates over the years, several times, but after spending time training them they eventually go elsewhere. I would like to reduce my workload and eventually retire. How should I approach finding and keeping an associate differently? Thank you for any ideas that you may have.
Response: 
This is a…
Continue Reading Law Firm Associate Recruiting and Retention Strategies in a Sole Owner Firm

Bus Accident News | JO DAVIESS COUNTY, Illinois

One adult and three children were injured in a rollover school bus crash in northwest Illinois on Monday afternoon. According to the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, the bus was operated by the Benton School District, which works cooperatively with the Scales Mound, Illinois, and Schullsburg, Wisconsin, school districts.

Authorities said all students on the bus were accounted for and no serious injuries had been reported. Parents and guardians picking up their children were directed to the Stockton Fire Department, while the public was urged to avoid the crash area as emergency…
Continue Reading 1 Adult, 3 Children Hurt in Northwest Illinois School Bus Crash

Revocable and irrevocable trusts sound similar, but they allow you to manage your property in very different ways. A revocable trust keeps you in charge of decision-making. An irrevocable trust asks you to give up some control in exchange for stronger protection. 
If you own a home, a business, or other high-value assets and you want a solid plan to protect your assets, you should thoroughly understand the difference between revocable and irrevocable trusts. The wrong choice can leave you exposed and prevent your loved ones from inheriting according to your wishes. 
At Gateville Law Firm, our Kendall County estate…
Continue Reading Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts for Asset Protection

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Baseball season is winding down and if you have teams in the hunt, good luck. I actually have three teams in the hunt: Atlanta Braves; Chicago Cubs; and the Chicago White Sox. Also, the NFL starts up this week, and good luck to your teams. This week’s blog entry goes to the dogs quite literally. It discusses three different cases involving the legal universe of dogs and their owners. The three cases discuss the following questions: 1) is it discrimination to deny a person the ability to rent a unit because they…
Continue Reading This Week Goes to the Dogs

Farm estate and succession planning is rarely just about documents. For many agricultural families, it involves land, business ownership, family relationships, retirement, taxes, livestock, equipment, management responsibilities—and the deeply personal question of what happens to a farm or ranch that may have taken generations to build.
That is why Cari Rincker, founder of Rincker Law, PLLC, is conducting an updated national survey on farm estate and succession planning and is asking farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners across the United States to participate.
The goal is straightforward: gather current, real-world information about how agricultural families are approaching estate planning today, what…
Continue Reading Help Shape the Future of Farm Estate Planning: Take Cari Rincker’s Updated National Survey

When family members work together on the farm, disputes over pay, roles, and ownership can become especially difficult because the lines between family and business are often blurred. A son may work alongside his father for decades. One sibling may manage the farm full-time while another owns part of the land but works somewhere else. A daughter may handle the books, marketing, or livestock without ever having a formal job description. Everyone may believe they understand the arrangement, until someone asks who is being paid fairly, who has authority to make decisions, or who will eventually own the farm.
These…
Continue Reading When Family Members Work Together on the Farm: How Mediation Can Resolve Disputes Over Pay, Roles, and Ownership

Business Partner Disputes in Agriculture: Can Mediation Keep a Farm or Agribusiness Out of Court? When owners of a farm, agricultural LLC, partnership, or other closely held agribusiness stop agreeing about how the business should operate, the consequences can extend far beyond an ordinary disagreement. Crops still need to be planted or harvested. Livestock still need care. Loans must be paid. Employees need direction. Contracts must be honored. And a dispute between two owners can quickly affect the value and future of the entire operation.
Litigation is sometimes necessary, particularly when there are allegations of fraud, misuse of company property,…
Continue Reading Business Partner Disputes in Agriculture: Can Mediation Keep a Farm or Agribusiness Out of Court?

Ancel Glink released Episode 109 of its Quorum Forum Podcast: Quorum Forum Ep. 109: The 100-Year Legacy of Euclid.This year marks 100 years since
the United States Supreme Court decided the landmark zoning case, Euclid v.
Ambler Realty. In this episode, we share a recorded presentation from Ancel
Glink’s David
Silverman, FAICP, and ZoneCo’s Sean Suder, as a sneak
preview of their upcoming live plenary session at the APA-IL State Conference
on September 30, 2026! 
Episode Highlights

  • The
    Public Safety Roots of Zoning: Why early 20th-century industrial chaos,
    street accidents involving children, noise, and pollution

…
Continue Reading Quorum Forum Podcast Ep. 109: The 100-Year Legacy of Euclid

Searching Google and TESS for your exact name isn’t a trademark clearance search. Here’s what a real search covers, and what most DIY searches miss.
The post Why Your Google Search Isn’t a Trademark Search (And What a Real One Actually Covers) appeared first on King Patent Law, PLLC.
Continue Reading Why Your Google Search Isn’t a Trademark Search (And What a Real One Actually Covers)

Wisconsin has updated its child labor regulations, prompting employers that hire minors to review their compliance practices.
Effective June 1, 2026, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) implemented Administrative Rule CR 26-015, a comprehensive update to the state’s child labor regulations. The rule revises Chapter DWD 270, repeals Chapter DWD 271, and reorganizes numerous provisions governing the employment of minors and street trades. 
Continue Reading Wisconsin Child Labor Law Update: Compliance Considerations for Employers
Hiring Minors

Car Crash News | Chicago

A car carrying five people crashed into the Little Calumet River in Chicago early Tuesday morning, leaving one person seriously injured and a woman missing.

According to Chicago police, the crash happened around 2:30 a.m. in the 13000 block of South Indiana Avenue. Police said the vehicle lost control, struck a barrier and plunged into the river.

Chicago Fire Department marine unit crews rescued at least one person from the vehicle and transported them to an area hospital in serious condition. Three other occupants managed to escape the vehicle and reach the shore safely.

However,…
Continue Reading A Car Carrying 5 Loses Control and Crashes Into Water in Chicago, Leaving 1 Hurt, Woman Missing

Thanks to CoBanker and writer Sandra Robbins for quoting me in their 8/31/26 article “How to Create an Employee Handbook.” The entire article is below.

An employee handbook compiles company policies, guidelines, expectations, procedures, and pertinent information in one living document that serves as a reference for employees. It is essential for consistent and fair practices, compliance with laws, transparent communication, supporting managers, and educating employees. Employers should strive to have a digital version of the employee handbook as well as printed copies for employees who may not have regular digital access.   
While an employee handbook is not…
Continue Reading I’m Quoted in CoBanker’s “How To Create an Employee Handbook”