KAREN L. LEVINE, PARTNER
klevine@millershakman.com
(312) 759-7210
Karen L. Levine

Ms. Levine’s practice centers around handling disputes between individuals – primarily entrepreneurs – in both the business and personal arenas. In the personal arena, Ms. Levine concentrates on complex, high net worth divorce cases. She brings to these cases a business litigator’s perspective. Further, Ms. Levine’s former career as a social worker, where she worked in crisis intervention, helps her understand the emotional strain of a divorce. In the business arena, Ms. Levine concentrates on partnership disputes, disputes in close corporations and other disputes between individuals that once had close, personal working relationships. Ms. Levine also handles litigation involving business litigation matters. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Selected Engagements

Represented numerous high net worth divorce clients in cases involving among other things, valuations of closely held businesses, trust issues, tracing of funds to establish that various assets are non-marital property, custody issues, breaches of fiduciary duty, and maintenance issues.

Represented partner/investor in various real estate ventures in a suit against the general partner of these ventures, who breached his fiduciary duties to the partner and the ventures and fraudulently concealed his wrongdoing.

Successfully represented investor in a claim against a fund manager for breach of fiduciary duty, securities fraud, and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act.

Successfully defended the executor of an estate in a three-and-a-half week jury trial in the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Successfully defended an officer of a closely held company in a jury trial in Dallas, Texas in a claim brought by another officer, his former wife, for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and a variety of other claims.

Successfully represented the board of directors of a closely held manufacturing company and two beneficiaries of a trust against several suits brought by various other trust beneficiaries.

Successfully represented the estate of a thirteen-year-old child in a suit against the City of Chicago and a police officer for the negligent manner in which the officer stored his service revolver that led to the death of the child.

Represented the trustee in a series of suits brought by various beneficiaries.

Represented a manufacturer in a claim for intentional wrongful death in Ohio.

Represented the Friends of Meig’s Field in a suit against Mayor Daley for the closing of Meig’s Field Airport.

Education

B.A., Grinnell College, 1974
Graduated with honors

M.A., University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, 1976

J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 1986
Graduated cum laude
Order of the Coif

Articles and Symposium Editor of the Northwestern Law Review

Experience

Admitted to Illinois Bar, 1986

Law Clerk to the Hon. Justice Seymour Simon, Illinois Supreme Court, 1986-1987

Associate and partner at Novack and Macey LLP, 1987-2010

Partner with this firm, 2010

Adjunct faculty member of Trial Practice at Northwestern University School of Law

Memberships and Committees

Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Chicago Council of Lawyers, Co-Chair of the State Judicial Evaluator Committee

The Jewish Child and Family Services, Executive Board Member

Selected Publications and Presentations

“Irrevocable Trusts and Family Limited Partnerships in Matrimonial Litigation” SRR Journal, Fall 2013. Written with Arthur W. Friedman.

“Business Valuation – Financial & Trust Issues in Divorce 2014,” presented mock direct examination of business valuation expert, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education; January 2014.