| "The Practice that Makes
Perfect": Family Law Pioneer Rinella and Rinella Celebrates 75th Anniversary  CHICAGO Rinella and Rinella, Ltd., the oldest firm that exclusively
practices family law in Illinois, is turning seventy-five years old this year.
A true pioneer in the field of family law, Rinella and Rinella has represented a wide
range of clients from business tycoons, television celebrities and sports stars to
small-business owners, professionals and homemakers.
"Our firm was the first to take matrimonial law out of the area of sole
practitioners," says Bernard Rinella, a senior partner with the company. "In the
early 1930s, large firms didn't handle divorce cases. Even in the '40s, a family law firm
was almost unheard of. It was revolutionary."
Rinella's parents, Samuel and Kathryn Rinella, founded the law practice in 1932, at a
time when family law was still a fledgling field. "They created an atmosphere
conducive to tranquility for people going through hard times," Bernard Rinella
explains. "When clients came in, the firm would provide special rooms where they
would feel more comfortable discussing their marital problems."
Over the course of their careers, the Rinella's expanded the firm while developing
matrimonial law as a force in the legal industry and raising the field's standards: Samuel
Rinella co-founded the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and served as its
second president, while Kathryn Rinella was the president of the Women's Bar Association
of Illinois.
Today, the firm is still going strong, with eight attorneys and a stellar reputation as
one of the nation's premier family law firms. "Without a doubt, we've been very
influential," adds Bernard Rinella. "Many firms have mirrored our approach. Now
there are many large firms exclusively practicing in this field."
With experience and a commitment to growth, Rinella and Rinella also has staff members
with tax, accounting and business expertise to accommodate the escalating complexity of
financial issues in family law matters. The firm's lawyers are past and present officers
in the family law sections of local Illinois and American Bar Associations and the
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. They frequently write and lecture on matrimonial
law issues and have won numerous awards and recognitions, including citations in The Best
Lawyers in America and the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Super
Lawyers and Lending Lawyers.
Bernard Rinella whom the AAML chose as "Fellow of the Year" in 2004 and
who has been named one of America's top ten divorce lawyers by Town and Country carries
on his parents' tradition of top-quality legal representation for all clients. While the
firm has worked for a Who's Who of high-profile names over the years, it extends its
philosophy to everyone in its diverse clientele.
"We provide good service at a reasonable price," Rinella says, "while
always taking into consideration the client's needs." Whether the client is a
celebrity or an ordinary working person, the firm always works to achieve the best
possible results with the least animosity between the conflicting parties.
Rinella and Rinella plans to acknowledge its anniversary with an in-house celebration
in December.
"We wish to continue for another 75 years providing good representation." |
