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Bios/CV's
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PDF of
Gunnar J. Gitlin's c.v.
Curriculum
Vitae
 Gunnar
J. Gitlin has exclusively practiced in divorce and family law cases
for the past two decades, having been a fellow of the American Academy
of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1996. Mr. Gitlin's practice has been limited
to family law since his graduation in 1987 from Loyola University of Chicago
Law School. Mr. Gitlin received his B.A. in English Literature from Kenyon
College in 1984.
While in law
school, Gunnar J. Gitlin began developing a family law database of Illinois
case law which involved analyzing virtually every opinion involving Illinois
matrimonial law opinion since 1977. He has created a state of the art
database of Illinois family law cases -- Gitlin
on Divorce Online Research System -- to which many of the leading
family lawyers and judges in Illinois subscribe.
Upon graduating
from law school, he worked for a large family law firm in Chicago -- Schiller,
DuCanto & Fleck. In 1989, Gunnar J. Gitlin became an associate
of Gitlin & Burns and thereafter became a partner of Gitlin & Gitlin (his
father's firm -- now known as Gitlin Busche & Stetler.). In
2002, Gunnar J. Gitlin established his own law firm, The Gitlin Law Firm,
P.C.
Attorney Gitlin
is a frequent lecturer to family lawyers both statewide and nationally.
He was named by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education
as one of five Illinois family lawyers for their 21st Century Master Teacher's
Program. In January of 2007, Attorney Gitlin was awarded the Michael
S. Cohen award "for continuing commitment and contribution to the
professional education of matrimonial lawyers." In 2007, Attorney
Gitlin was given the President's Special Recognition Award by the Illinois
Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Mr. Gitlin was
also selected in 2003 through 2008 by Leading Attorney Network, Inc.
The
Leading Lawyer Network is a group of lawyers selected by their peers within
their given fields. Mr. Gitlin was also selected by Super
Lawyers® as chosen by their peers
and through the independent research of Law & Politics. The
list of 2008 Illinois Super Lawyers is based on surveys of more than 47,000
lawyers in Illinois. Mr. Gitlin has also be selected by his peers
to be included in the 2007 through 2009 editions of The Best Lawyers
in America®. Best
Lawyers in America is based on 1.8 million evaluations by lawyers
through the United States.*
Mr. Gitlin has received
an AV®
peer review rating from Martindale
Hubble, their highest rating. 
*
Mr. Gitlin has been a Fellow
of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1996. The American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers consists of almost 1600 family law
attorneys in 50 states. Appointment to the Academy requires passage
of written and oral examinations.
Mr. Gitlin
is also a fellow of the Collaborative
Law Institute of Illinois and a member of the International Academy
of Collaborative Professionals. He is chair of the McHenry County
Collaborative Divorce practice group. The DePaul University Center
for Dispute Resolution has certified that Mr. Gitlin has completed their
40 hours of instruction in Family and Divorce Mediation Training.
Further details
regarding Mr. Gitlin's professional background follow:
Lecturer:
Faculty -- American Academy
of Matrimonial Lawyers, Institute for Matrimonial Law Associates
- 2003, Chicago, Illinois Program: Business Valuation 101/102 and
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders:
- 2002, Chicago, Illinois Program: Pension Plans and Drafting of Qualified
Domestic Relations Orders. Co-chairman for 2002 program.
- 2001, Chicago, Illinois Program: Business Valuation 101/102 (a primer
on business valuation issues in divorce cases). Co-chairman for 2001
program.
- 2000, Chicago, Illinois Program: Preparation for Trial Preparation:
The Trial Notebook. Co-chairman for 2000 program.
- 1999, Fort Worth, Texas Program: Preparing the Client for Mediation
and Custody Evaluation.
- 1997 - Chicago Program: Presentation for Common Assets Program Retirement
Benefits and How to Effectively Draft QDROs; and Business Valuation
Primer.
Gitlin on Divorce Family
Law Seminars
- 2006, Woodstock, Illinois: Case and Statutory Law Update,"
July 21, 2006 at Bull Valley Golf Club.
- 2007, Woodstock, Illinois: Case Law Update 2007 for the
"Gitlin on Divorce" Family Law Seminar regarding Advanced
Financial Issues, April 25, 2006, at Woodstock Opera House Annex.
- April 19, 2008 seminar: "Settlement of Child Custody
Cases." Chicago, Illinois. DePaul Univ. School of
Law.
Illinois Attorney's General
Family Law Seminar
- Child Support Enforcement QDROs: Advanced Issues. May
2007, Springfield, Illinois.
American Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers -- HotTips from the Experts - Sanibel, Florida, March 4, 2002
Program
- "Minority Interest Discounts and Lack of Marketability Discounts
- 101."
Law
Education Institute, Inc & BNA Books, National Continuing
Legal Education Conference:
- "Advanced Issues Involving Pension Plans and Drafting QDROs - QDROs
102" January 2003 Conference, Snowmass, Colorado
- "Business Evaluation Premiums and Discounts." January 2001 Conference,
Vail, Colorado.
- "Custody Litigation and Psychological Testing." January 1999, Vail,
Colorado.
- "Removal Trends: An Analysis and Update of Original Illinois Bar
Journal Article regarding Removal," January 25, 1999.
- Child Support and Maintenance: Trends in Illinois law and
Sophisticated Issues in Determining Income for Purpose of Support
and Maintenance. May 15, 2003
Northern Illinois Law Review
Symposium
- Current Issues in Child Custody Law: Member Symposium Faculty:
Panel Discussion: “Have Kids, Might Travel: A Guide to Successfully
Litigating and Resolving Illinois Relocation Cases” March 24, 2005.
DeKalb, Illinois. Other Members of Panel included: Joseph DuCanto,
Steven Peskind, and Hon. Stephen Sullivan.
Winnebago Bar Association:
- "Child Support Presentation -- New Legislation Re Child Support
and Income Withholding," Joint Presentation with Dennis Casty of FinPlan,
November 16, 1999.
- "Trends in Maintenance Award: The Trend Toward Reviewable Maintenance
and Permanent Maintenance" and "Trends in Custody Cases: A Comprehensive
Analysis Joint Versus Sole Custody Awards," April 20, 1999.
- "Clauses no Marital Settlement Agreement Should be Without."
Fifth Annual Family Law Conference, March 22, 2006, Springfield,
Illinois.
- Attorneys’ Fees: An Analysis of Illinois Case Law Seven Years
After the Leveling the Playing Field Amendments." April
7, 2005, Chicago; and April 21, 2005, Urbana, Illinois.
- "Attorneys’ Fees: An Analysis of Illinois Case Law Seven
Years After the Leveling the Playing Field Amendments."
April 7, 2005, Chicago; and April 21, 2005, Urbana, Illinois.
- Presenter for "Judge's Panel." Business Valuation,
Financial, and Tax Issues Affecting Divorce. January 2005.
Deerfield, IL. Joint program with the American Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers, the IICLE and Trenwith Valuation, LLC A BDO Seidman, LLP,
Affiliate Company.
- Full day Master Teacher Program titled, "Gunnar Gitlin on Child
Support and Maintenance." August 2004. Chicago and
Springfield, Illinois.
- Business Valuation, Financial and Tax Issues Affecting Divorce 2004.
Deerfield, IL: "Case Law Update Regarding Sophisticated Issues
Regarding Property, Maintenance and Other Financial Issues in Divorce
Cases." Program in association with the Illinois Chapter
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
- "Current Issues and Developments in Child Custody Jurisdiction:
The UCCJEA is coming!" December 17, 2003 (Chicago) Program
titled "Successfully Analyzing, Negotiating, and Trying Your
Child Custody Cases."
- "Jurisdictional Issues in Divorce: Jurisdiction and venue;
UCCJA, UCCJEA, PKPA, and personal jurisdiction versus subject matter
jurisdiction." April 4, 2003 (Urbana) and April 9, 2003
(Chicago).
- "Case Law Update 2001-2002 and Trends in Illinois Family Law Cases."
April 2002, Chicago and Springfield, Illinois.
- One of five Illinois family lawyers selected as Master Teacher for
the Twenty-First Century Master Teacher Program by the Illinois Institute
for Continuing Legal Educations -- June 2000.
- Moderator of Key Issues in Child Custody Seminar - Springfield and
Chicago, Illinois programs. Lecturer: Preparing Your Client for Mediation
and Custody Evaluation - March 13, 1998 and March 25, 1998.
- "The Shrinking of Child Custody Cases: The Use of Mental Health
Experts - - Preparing Your Client for the Contested Custody Case,"
1996. Springfield, Illinois program.
- Drafting of Marital Settlement Agreements Workshop, Illinois Institute
for Continuing Legal Education:
- Program Chair for 2006 Workshops: September 15, 2006 in
Urbana; September 22, 2006 Chicago and November 20, 2006.
- Third Chicago program - February 24, 2000;
- Springfield, Illinois program - March 25, 1999;
- Second Chicago program - February 26, 1999; and
- First Chicago Program (original program) - November 20, 1998.
Effective Solutions:
- Litigation Issues 1997 -- Business Valuation Case Law Update, 1997.
DePaul University Graduate
School of Taxation:
- An Overview of Recent Business Valuation Cases and Issues in Divorce,
February 17, 1997.
Illinois State Bar Association
Family Law Section:
- Mid-year meeting 1997: "Leveling the Playing Field Legislation -
Contribution Petitions and Final Fee Hearings."
American Bar Association
Family Law Section:
- Mid-year meeting 1997: Hot-Tips by the Experts program - "Key Books
in Every Divorce Lawyer's Library."
Illinois Chapter American
Association of Matrimonial Lawyers:
- Numerous presentations including:
- October 9, 2006. 2006 Case and Statutory Law Update. Oak
Brook, Illinois (Committee chair for program).
- October 10, 2005. 2005 Statutory Law Update and New Supreme
Court Rules / Case Law Update for full day seminar in Oak Brook,
Illinois. (Committee chair for program).
- Case Law Update 2002. Presented in August, 2002, including trends
in Illinois removal and maintenance cases.
- Case Law Update 2002. Presented in April, 2002.
- Case Law Update 2002. Presented in February, 2002.
- Financial Matters in Divorce 2002: January 2002 Program: "Business
Valuation Discounts and Other Issues Affecting Valuation of Closely
Held Businesses."
- "Top Cases Year 2000," November 7, 2000.
- "Treatment of Depreciation and Business Expenses in Determining
Net Income According to the Child Support."
- Illinois Chapter American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Matrimonial
Law Update to DuPage County Family Law Section:
- "The Revolution that Wasn't -- Leveling Two Years Later." October
7, 1999.
- "Venue in Divorce Cases: What is Residency," June 2, 1998.
- "Top Ten Cases 1998 - A Case Law Review 1998"
- "Qualified Domestic Relations Orders and the Department of Labor's
QDRO Handbook; Analysis of the Marriage of Wenc
decision and Issues in Drafting QDROs regarding defined benefit
plans." May 5, 1998.
- "Joint Custody in Illinois / 1998 Tax Worksheets;" February 3,
1998.
- "Top 10 1997 Cases," January 1998.
- "Maintenance and Property Spreadsheets: An Analysis of Illinois
Case Law," December 1997.
McHenry County Bar Association:
- Numerous presentations including:
- Case Law Update, 2008, McHenry County Bar Association, Crystal
Lake Illinois.
- Joint Program with McHenry County Bar Association and Lake
County Bar Association: Basic and Advanced Training for
Guardian ad Litems: "Custody Jurisdiction: A
Primer on the UCCJEA and the Hague Convention." March
2008.
- Case Law Update, April 13, 2007, Crystal Lake, Illinois.
- "Collaborative Law and Collaborative Practice 101 for McHenry
County Lawyers," Group Presentation. April 7, 2006, Crystal
Lake, Illinois.
- UCCJEA Update 2004: A Short Review of the Uniform Child
Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.
- UCCJEA Update 2004: A Short Review of the Uniform Child
Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.
- Case law update 2003: A Review of New Illinois' Case and Statutory
Law in 2003.
- Attorney's Fees Under the Leveling the Playing Field Act Five
Years Later (2002).
- Case law update 1997-1998: Review of Top Ten Cases 1997.
- Family Law Form Changes in Light of Amendments to the Supreme
Court Rules, 1996.
- Tips re Drafting Qualified Domestic Relations Orders, 1994.
- Attorney's Fees under Section 508 of the Illinois Marriage and
Dissolution of Marriage Act, 1992.
- Family Law and Federal Taxation, 1990.
Author:
- Illinois
Institute for Continuing Legal Education's Child Custody Litigation
Handbook's Settlement of the Child Custody Case: The Art
of Custody Warfare, 2004 Edition (updated 2006).
- Illinois
Institute for Continuing Legal Education's Illinois Family Law
Practice Handbook's Business Valuation Chapter. 2004 and 2000
Editions (updated 2006). Co-Author.
- Illinois
Institute for Continuing Legal Education's Child Custody Litigation
Handbook's Supreme Court Rules Custody Rules 2006 Edition.
Co-Author with Paulette Gray of the Gitlin Law Firm.
- "Appellate Review in Domestic Relations Cases: The Elusive Final
and Appealable Order," Illinois Bar Journal, August 2000. Vol. 88,
No. 8. Co-Author with Chris S. Haaff. (Revised
2008)
- Co-Author: "Post-Eckert Trends in Child Removal: A Review
of Appellate Cases," Illinois Bar Journal, February 1996.
- Contributing author to "Gitlin on Divorce -- Case Reports"
(1988-2001) and Gitlin
on Divorce: A Guide to Illinois Matrimonial Law (1997) - comment
in Gitlin on Divorce cited with approval in IRMO Wisniewski,
675 N.E.2d 1362, Gitlin on Divorce Reports, (4th Dist. 1997).
- Author: "Leveling of the Playing Field Statute" and Forms supplement
to Gitlin on Divorce: A Guide to Illinois Matrimonial Law
(1998).
- Author: "QILDRO Legislation" supplement to Gitlin on Divorce:
A Guide to Illinois Matrimonial Law (1998).
- Author: "Division of Retirement Benefits -- Portions of Plans
Constituting Marital and Non-Marital Property" supplement to Gitlin
on Divorce: A Guide to Illinois Matrimonial Law (1998).
- Author: "Notices for Income Withhold Statute" and Forms supplement
to Gitlin on Divorce: A Guide to Illinois Matrimonial Law
(1998).
- Author: "Business Valuation in Divorce - What is Double-Dipping
and How is it Quantified?", American Journal of Family Law,
Volume 11, Number 2, Summer 1997. Cited in Bibliography in Valuing
Small Business & Professional Practices, Third Edition, 1998,
Marital Dissolution Chapter.
- Author: "Bull Market Raises Stakes in Marital Property Splits" Chicago
Daily Law Bulletin, Lawyer's Forum, August 23, 1999 and August 24,
1999 -- Two Part Article.
- Chapter Author: Tax and Financial Planning Strategies in Divorce,
Business Valuation in Divorce, Second Edition by Bruce Richman.
Developed:
- Gitlin
on Divorce Online Research System - previously a CD-ROM database
of every significant Illinois family law case since January 1, 1987.
Originally developed in 1988 and comprehensively updated - 1997 -
2001. It is now available online.
- Comprehensive spreadsheet analyzing every significant post-Illinois
Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act maintenance case.
Bar Membership:
- McHenry County, Lake County, Kane
County, Illinois State and American Bar Associations
Bar Activity:
American Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers Activity:
National
- Member:
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Admissions Procedures
Committee: (1997-2001 and 2003-2005)
- Institute for Matrimonial Law Associates (1998-2003)
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Journal Committee (2003-2005).
- Family that Practices Family Law Together Committee (2000-2001).
- Co-Dean:
- Institute for Matrimonial Law Associates (1999-2000, 2000-2001,
2001-2002).
Illinois Chapter American
Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers:
- Board of Directors: (1997-2004). Board of Directors:
(2006-2007).
- Chairman, New Case Law Committee (1997-1998).
- Chairman, Continuing Legal Education Committee (2005 through
2007).
- Program Chairman for First and Second Annual Family Law Seminar
for Experienced Family Lawyers, 2005 and 2006 (October 10, 2005 and
October 9, 2006)
- Member: Continuing Legal Education Committee (1998-2001); Legislation
and Lobbying Committee, (1998-1999) and various other committees.
Graduate:
Published Opinions:
- IRMO
Brackett, 309 Ill.App.3d 329, 242 Ill.Dec. 798, 722 N.E.2d
287 (2nd Dist. 1999). Case of first impression in Illinois prohibiting
a maintenance award in lieu of a property interest in a pension plan.
Also, significant case addressing issue of rehabilitative versus permanent
maintenance.
- IRMO
Hines, (2nd Dist., March 22, 2005).
Member --
- To become a member of the Illinois Appellate Lawyer's Association,
a lawyer must have substantial experience in a number of appeals.
In fact, Attorney Gitlin has been successful in each of the appeals
in which he has been involved.
The Gitlin Law
Firm, P.C.
663 E. Calhoun Street, Woodstock, IL 60098
(815) 338-9401
* The Martindale-Hubble
Peer Review Icon, above, is a service mark of Reed Elsevier Properties
Inc., used under permission from Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., in accord
with the terms and conditions established by Martindale Hubble.
The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications
of specialties in the practice of law. Any certificate, award or
recognition is not a requirement to practice law in Illinois. |
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