Thorpe & Rotunno
2011, this law firm donated more than
300 hours of legal work to DuPage
Habitat for Humanity, located in the
western suburbs of Chicago. Led by
the efforts of Michael Quinn, the firm
provided legal counsel for a range of
projects, including multifamily real
estate development, single-family
closings, donations of land and property
and the purchase of an office building.
"[The firm] has responded quickly
and professionally to any request for
assistance, despite the fact that we have
never paid for their services," Brachle
said.
Quinn said his relationship with
Habitat for Humanity began when he
was working at another law firm and
learned they were seeking an attorney
with expertise in real estate, land use
and environmental law. "I do all three, so
I figured it was fate," Quinn said. Since
then, he has become a believer in the
program, which "provides desperately
needed housing in a community where
otherwise there wouldn't be any options
like that."
According to Brachle, Quinn's
support was instrumental in keeping
one family together. One homeowner
a single mother with three children
who worked as a teacher died one
year after purchasing her home due to
complications from breast cancer. Her
sister assumed guardianship of the
children and estate. The firm's attorneys
community service efforts can
make a profound difference in a
community, talk to the executive
director of DuPage (Illinois)
Habitat for Humanity.
Sarah Brachle will tell you about
the hundreds of hours attorney
Michael Quinn of Kubasiak,
Fylstra, Thorpe & Rotunno, P.C.
has donated and how the firm's
work ensured one family who lost
their mother to breast cancer could
stay in their home.
Thanks to their efforts with
Habitat for Humanity, as well as
other nonprofit groups, Kubasiak,
Fylstra, Thorpe & Rotunno of
Chicago, Illinois, won the 2011
Primerus Community Service
Award, as announced at the
Primerus Annual Conference
in October. Primerus names
two finalists in addition to the
winner. This year's finalists are
Rothman Gordon of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, and Hull Barrett, PC
of Augusta, Georgia.
assigned attorney for the children, the
County funders and the family to find
a solution that allowed transferring the
home to the sister. "This has been a
long process that would have cost us
thousands of dollars in legal fees, but
instead, at no cost [the firm] has ensured
that family can stay together despite a
terrible loss," Brachle said.
Quinn said he was most proud of the
firm's award application, though, because
it reflected the dedication of nearly all
the firm's attorneys to community service.
"We are a collection of individuals who
believe that one of our obligations is to
give back to the community," Quinn said.
The firm's other community service
efforts include:
and participated in a mentoring
program for at-risk boys at the
Marillac Social Center on Chicago's
west side for more than 15 years.
cases for the Legal Assistance
Foundation of Chicago.
member of the Poshard Foundation
for Abused Children since its
formation in 1999.
create an exhibit a film about the life
and work of the late Rev. James J.
Close, a Roman Catholic priest and
the long-time president of the Mercy
Home for Boys and Girls.
one of our obligations is to give back to the community."