Stephen Novack

BIOGRAPHY

Steve Novack, the firm's co-founder, handles cases for a wide range of business corporations, institutions, partnerships, individuals, and some of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the Chicagoland area. During his 30 years of legal practice he has had extensive experience trying cases, both before juries and judges. He has also handled many appeals and has won appeals in the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Circuits, the Illinois Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court.

The companies and individuals for whom Steve has litigated cases reads like a who's who, including notables such as Sam Zell, Fox Network News, the Trump Organization, Bank of America, the United States Government (FDIC/RTC), Jones Lang LaSalle, Sears, Credit Suisse, United HealthCare, Prudential Insurance Co. and Smithfield Properties.  Steve has also represented many notable law firms.

Steve has achieved considerable recognition within the profession, having been selected as one of the Top 100 Illinois Leading Lawyers and listed among Illinois litigators in the international ratings publication, Chambers USA. His current Chambers entry reads as follows:

“A first-rate lawyer with the whole package who consistently achieves outstanding results,” Steve Novack of boutique firm Novack and Macey LLP has been representing national retailers in a number of disputes, as well as one of Chicago’s largest banks in various litigation matters. He is also consistently hired by other law firms facing malpractice suits.

Steve participated in an American Bar Association program being run in cooperation with judges of the Seventh Circuit and Northern District of Illinois to make improvements to the civil jury system. Steve worked on a proposed change to allow attorneys to make interim statements to the jury, rather than be limited to opening and closing statements only. This innovation was successfully tested and is used by many judges.

Steve was born (1946) and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.  He and his wife, Ilene, have four children and five grandchildren and live in Glencoe, Illinois.

EDUCATION

• University of Missouri at St. Louis (B.A. 1968), Magna Cum Laude
• Northwestern University Law School (J.D. 1972), Magna Cum Laude, Order of the Coif; notes and comments editor, Northwestern University Law Review; represented Northwestern University Law School in the National Moot Court Competition

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Illinois
• Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Federal Circuits
• United States District Courts for many Districts throughout the country

SPEECHES AND PUBLICATIONS

• “Javins v. First National Realty Corp. - The Implied Warranty of Habitability and Rent Withholding in Urban Leases,” 66 Northwestern University Law Review, 227 (1971)  
• “Jack Spring, Inc. v. Little; Appeal Bonds; Implied Warranty of Habitability, Defenses to Actions for Eviction -- New Principles of Landlord-Tenant Law,” 66 Northwestern University Law Review, 790 (1972) 

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• REP MCR Realty, L.L.C. v. Lynch, 363 F.Supp.2d 984 (N.D. Ill. 2005)
• Perlman v. Zell, 185 F.3d 850 (7th Cir. 1999)
• Gaffney v. City of Chicago, 302 Ill. App. 3d 41 (1st Dist. 1998)
• Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. v. American Nat. Bank & Trust Co. of Chicago, 93 F.3d 1064 (2nd Cir. 1996)
• Brown v. United Missouri Bank, N.A., 78 F.3d 382 (8th Cir. 1996)
• Bastian v. Petren Resources Corp., 681 F. Supp. 530 (N.D. Ill. 1988)
• Shields Enterprises, Inc. v. First Chicago Corp., 975 F.2d 1290 (7th Cir. 1992)
• Riney v. Weiss & Neuman Shoe Co., 217 Ill. App. 3d 435 (4th Dist. 1991)
• Gaff v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp., 919 F.2d 384 (6th Cir. 1990)
• Ma v. Continental Bank N.A., 905 F.2d 1073 (7th Cir. 1990)
• Bastian v. Petren Resources Corp., 892 F.2d 680 (7th Cir. 1990)