Five local attorneys have been named to the The National LGBT Bar Association's Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 Class of 2012. (Forty attorneys across the country compose this year's class.) The local honorees are:
Anneke Diem (Quarles & Brady LLP): Diem practices in the firm's corporate-services group. Among other things, her practice focuses on representation of clients in the sale and acquisition of businesses as well as the raising of capital by clients in private-securities offerings.
Michael Jarecki (Law Office of Michael Jarecki): Jarecki is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), a professional immigration bar of nearly 11,000 attorneys and law professors. He also chairs AILA's national working group for LGBT immigration issues. Additionally, Jarecki founded the AILA Chicago Chapter's LGBT Committee, in which he co-chaired 2007-2009.
Givonna L. Long (Ulner & Berne LLP): Long's practice areas involve complex business litigation; consumer and commercial litigation; and broker-dealer and investment litigation. She has represented a wide range of clients in disputes involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, securities fraud and breaches of non-competition, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements.
Joseph M. Manicki (Sidley Austin LLP): Manicki is a partner in the firm's employee-benefits group. Among other things, he counsels clients in a wide variety of industries with respect to the design, implementation and administration of employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements.
Jeremy Protas (Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP): At this law firm, Protas prosecutes and secures patents in diverse technologies including process control, wireless communication, software development and retail systems. He also has a scholarship in his name that awards $1,000 to an LGBT law student interested in a career in patent law.
In related news, the National LGBT Bar Association will hold its Allies for Justice Awards Ceremony Friday, Aug. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr. (at the American Bar Association's annual meeting). Equality California Interim Executive Director Laurie Hasencamp will be honored.