Lawyer Overview

Alan L. Farkas is a trial attorney who concentrates on aviation, real estate, complex torts, and commercial litigation. He began representing clients at trial early in his career, and he has maintained a near unblemished record at trial.

In 2009, Alan was elected Trustee of the Village of Deerfield, Illinois, and he was chosen as one of the Illinois Super Lawyers in 2009 (one of only 5% of attorneys selected each year).

In addition to trial work, Alan has been retained to advise corporations, pilots, airports, and municipalities on regulatory and statutory compliance, formation and organization, and liability protection.

Away from the office, Alan enjoys skiing, scuba diving, running and travel. Alan lives in Deerfield with his wife, Aimee, his daughter Amanda, and his son, Andrew.

The Litigation Counsel of America is an invitation- only trial lawyer honorary society. Membership is limited to 3,500 Fellows, or one-half of one percent of American lawyers. The purpose of the LCA is to recognize deserving, experienced, and highly qualified lawyers, to promote superior advocacy and ethical standards in the practice of law, to assist in community involvement by its membership, and to advance a superior judiciary.

The composition of the LCA is aggressively diverse, with recognition of excellence among American litigation and trial counsel across all segments of the bar. Fellows are selected and invited after evaluation on effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation and trial work, along with ethical reputation. Fellows may include judges, professors of law, governmental attorneys and in-house counsel.

Areas of Practice

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Aviation
• Civil Rights
• Construction Law
• Discrimination
• Employment Law
• Insurance Law
• Land Use & Zoning
• Landlord/Tenant
• Litigation & Appeals
• Personal Injury -- Defense
• Products Liability Law
• Professional Malpractice Law
• Real Estate Law
• State, Local & Municipal Law
• Transportation Law

Representative Cases

• Kosyla v. Grizzoffi, 2002 W.L. 31408898 (C.A. 7 2002)
• Avemco Insurance Co., Inc. v. Elliott Aviation Flight Services, Inc., 86 F.Supp.2d 824 (C.D. Ill. 2000)
• Gupta v. Austrian Airlines, 211 F.Supp.2d 1078 (N.D. Ill. 2002)
• Alves v. Apfel, 18 F.Supp.2d 935 (N.D. Ill. 1998)
• Vorhees v. Naper Aero Club, Inc., 272 F.3d 398 (C.A 7 2001)
• Habdas v. City of Chicago, 2004 WL 354322 (N.D. Ill 2004)
• Ticor Title Ins. Co. v. Mundelius, 887 S.W.2d 726 (Mo.App. E.D. 1994)
• Wilson v. Chater, 76 F.3d 238 (C.A.8 (Mo.) 1996)
• Hoelscher v. Simmerock, 921 S.W.2d 676 (Mo.App. W.D. 1996)
• Mustafa v. City of Chicago, 442 f.3d 544 (7th Cir, Ill. 2006)
• Cress v. City of Chicago, Slip Copy, 2006 WL 218162 (N. D. Ill. 2006)
• Williams v. American Country Ins. Co., 369 Ill. App. 3d 128 (Ill. App. 1 Dist. 2005)
• Bedrossian v. Northwestern Memorial Hosp., 409 F.3d 840 (7th Cir. Ill. 2005)
• Mustafa v. Gawlik, 2004 WL 2108408 (N. D. Ill. 2004)
• Herrick v. Garvey, 200 F. Supp.2d 1321 (D. Wyo. 2000)
• Bennett v. Southwest Airlines Co., 493 F.3d 762 (C.A.7 2007)
• Valley Air Service v. Southaire, Inc., Slip Copy, 2009 WL 1033556 (N.D.Ill. 2009)
• Narkiewicz-Laine v. Scandinavian Airlines Systems, 587 F.Supp.2d 888 (N.D.Ill. 2008)
• Evans v. Lima Lima Flight Team, Inc., 373 Ill.App.3d 407, 869 N.E.2d 195, 311 Ill.Dec. 5 (Ill.App. 1 Dist. 2007)
• Becker v. Rotary Air Force Management, Inc., Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2007 WL 677895 (E.D.Mich. 2007)
• Benson v. City of Chicago, Not Reported in F.Supp.2d, 2006 WL 2949521 (N.D.Ill. 2006)
• Alves v. Apfel, 18 F.Supp.2d 935, 58 Soc.Sec.Rep.Serv. 572 (N.D.Ill. 1998)
• Hoelscher v. Simmerock, 921 S.W.2d 676 (Mo.App. W.D. 1996)
• Wilson v. Chater, 76 F.3d 238, 50 Soc.Sec.Rep.Serv. 124, Unempl.Ins. (C.A.8 (Mo.) 1996)

West Practice Categories

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Civil Rights, Discrimination, Construction Law, Employment Law -- Employee, Employment Law -- Employer, Insurance Law, Litigation & Appeals, Personal Injury -- Defense, Products Liability Law, Professional Malpractice Law, Real Estate Law, Land Use & Zoning, Landlord/Tenant, State, Local & Municipal Law, Toxic Torts, Transportation Law, Aviation

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1993
• Missouri, 1994
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 1993
• U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois, 1998
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 1994
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1995
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2000
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2005
• U.S. District Court Western District of Tennessee, 2005
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 2007
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 2008
• U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma, 2008

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Village Trustee for Deerfield Illinois
• American Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association (past President of the Aviation Law Committee)
• Chicago Bar Judicial Evaluation Committee
• Bar Association of the Central and Southern Federal Districts of Illinois
• Missouri Bar Association
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Missouri Energy Resource Project, 1994 - 1995 (Board Member)
• ABA Annual Moot Court Competition (Judge)
• Licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker
• Chicago Area Business Aviation Association (CABAA) (Former Board Member)
• CABAA Educational Foundation (Board Member)
• Lawyer Pilot Bar Association (Member)
• Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) (Member, Legal Advisory Council)

Classes and Seminars

• Annual Forums at EAA AirVenture on Liability Protection and FAA Enforcement Actions
• Lawyer Pilot Bar Association (LPBA) Annual Board Meeting 2008: Runway Friction Evaluation
• Aviation Insurance Association (AIA) Annual Meeting 2008: NTSB Public Hearings
• Anatomy of an Aviation Case, Chicago Bar Association, 2009

Pro Bono Activities

• C.J.A. Volunteer
• Legal Aid
• Animal Legal Defense Fund
• Friends of Highland Park Deer
• EXIST
• National Wildllife Federation

Past Employment Positions

• Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, 1998 - 2000
• Blatt, Hammesfahr & Eaton, 1996 - 1998
• Ross & Harrington, 1995 - 1996
• Jones, Korum, Waltrip & Jones, 1993 - 1995

Education

• Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri, 1993
  J.D.
• University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, 1990
  B.A., Bachelor of Arts
  Honors: Pi Sigma Alpha
  Major: Political Science

Fraternities/Sororities

• Phi Kappa Sigma

Published Works

• Aviation Law and Tragedy, Sport Aviation, March, 1999
• Changing Your Aircraft, Sport Aviation, July, 1998
• Ethical Considerations-Mastering Real Estate Titles and Title Insurance, National Business Institute, 1996
• Sanctions in the Court of Appeals: the Seventh Circuit Takes Off the Gloves by Alan L. Farkas and Anna M. Panchenko, The Circuit Rider, May, 2007

Address

20 South Clark Street
Suite 1050
Chicago, IL 60603

Phones

312-379-3444

Faxes

312-379-3443

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://vfrlitigation.com