Jerry Holisky and John Sciaccotta Co-Founders of the Chicago Bar Association's New Business Divorce and Complex Ownership Disputes Committee

08.30.18

Jerry Holisky and John Sciaccotta are co-founders of a new Chicago Bar Association Committee, the Business Divorce and Complex Ownership Disputes Committee. Jerry and John will serve as the Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, for the inaugural year of the Committee.

The Business Divorce and Complex Ownership Disputes Committee was created to address the legal issues that arise when the relationships among owners of business organizations break down to the point where a business separation or a lawsuit are the only practical solutions.

The new Committee will explore topics such as squeeze-outs, freeze-outs, shareholder rights, oppression, deadlock, dissolution, court-ordered buyouts, alternative remedies, business valuations, and other contests for corporate control.

“Having been active in the ABA’s Business Divorce committee and seeing the significant popularity and participation, I thought that having a CBA Business Divorce committee would truly benefit the bench and bar in this important area of the law,” said John.

“The initial response has been overwhelmingly positive and we hope that CBA members will join the committee and be active participants.”

The Business Divorce Committee will hold its first official meeting at noon on Monday, September 17, 2018, at CBA Headquarters, 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL.

The committee’s focus will be “cross-disciplinary,” according to John, with content, speakers and discussions of interest for both business lawyers and trial attorneys. The committee will study practice under the various business entity statutes (primarily Illinois and Delaware), keep members informed of case law and statutory developments, and make recommendations for changes in the law, including those related to civil practice.

Other members of the committee include: William Conlon, Sidley & Austin; William Gantz, Dentons; Judge Thomas R. Mulroy, Circuit Court of Cook County; Prof. Bud Murdock, Loyola University School of Law; Terri Mascherin, Jenner & Block; Andrew Vail, Jenner & Block; Brian Haussmann, Tabet, DiVito & Rothstein; Thomas Jersild, Mayer Brown; Michele M. Jochner, Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck; John Levitske, Sr., Ankura Consulting; Mitchell Marinello, Novack & Macey; Eugene Murphy, Jr., Murphy & Hourihane; Elizabeth Bleakley, Bleakley Law LLC, and Sean Auton, Horwood Markus & Berk.

About Jerry Holisky

Jerry Holisky is Co-Managing Member of Aronberg Goldgehn and a seasoned business lawyer who concentrates his practice on the legal concerns of closely held companies and their owners. He concentrates a considerable portion of his practice on ownership and management disputes. In a wide range of contested transactions over the past 25 years, he has represented majority owners and management as well as employees and individuals holding a minority interest in the enterprise. Having analyzed these disputes from both sides, Jerry strongly believes that the best result is nearly always a transactional solution that preserves and maximizes the value of the business enterprise. As a result, Jerry frequently structures, negotiates and closes transactions designed to resolve complex ownership disputes.

In addition, Jerry functions as outside general counsel for many businesses, serving as their principal legal adviser. He has extensive experience in business formations, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate finance, and a wide range of commercial agreements. He also advises clients on structuring complex business relationships, including joint ventures.

About John Sciaccotta

John Sciaccotta focuses his practice on litigation, arbitration and business counseling matters with a special emphasis on complex civil trial and appellate cases brought in federal and state courts throughout the United States. John has also been appointed by the American Arbitration Association as an Arbitrator and Lawyer Neutral to adjudicate various claims and disputes in arbitration.

For many years John has provided results-oriented and value-driven legal counsel and advice to public and privately held businesses, lenders, employers and individuals. In these and other concerns, he has experience dealing with numerous industries and business activities.

John actively serves in leadership roles with bar associations and community organizations. In addition to the CBA’s Business Divorce Committee, and among others, he is on the Chicago Bar Association’s Board of Managers, The DePaul University College of Law Dean's Council and is Co-Chairman of the Cook County Retention of Judges Lawyers Committee.



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