Mr. Hellige is a frequent speaker, and has lectured before many professional and lay groups, including the following: University of Southern California Institute on Federal Taxation; Notre Dame Tax & Estate Planning Institute; Northwestern University Estate Planning Advisory Council Symposium; Estate Planning Council of Greater Miami; Central Arizona Estate Planning Council; Chicago Estate Planning Council; Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education; Chicago Bar Association; Council for the Advancement and Support of Education; National Society of Fundraising Executives; and the Chicago Council on Planned Giving.

Mr. Hellige's extensive professional activities include membership in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; the American Bar Association (Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section); the Chicago Bar Association, where he was chair of the Probate Practice Committee; the Chicago Estate Planning Council; and the Chicago Council on Planned Giving, where he was a member of the board of directors. Mr. Hellige was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2010 in the fields of non-profit/charities and trusts and estates law. He was also selected for inclusion in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Illinois Super Lawyers lists for his estate planning and probate work.*

Mr. Hellige earned his law degree from the University of Notre Dame (cum laude, 1976), where he served as associate articles editor for the Notre Dame Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (B.A., summa cum laude, 1973). He is admitted to the bar in Illinois and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Tax Court.

Mr. Hellige is a member of the charitable advisory council to the attorney general of the State of Illinois and served on its legislative committee from 2001 to 2003. He is a member of the advisory board of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and is the chair of the planned giving subcommittee. He is also a member of the planned giving advisory council of the Newberry Library in Chicago, the professional advisory committee of The Chicago Community Trust and on the planned giving advisory committee of WTTW-Channel 11 public television in Chicago.

*The Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.