Brigid Duffield

Law Office Practice Experience
Since 1984 Brigid has been in private practice concentrating in family law and domestic relations, financial disputes, custody disputes, child representative and guardianship appointments including related matters.

Litigation Experience

• Experience in family law litigation, including contested hearings and settlement conferences.
• Represented more than 1,100 clients involving complex legal issues related to dissolution of marriage, real estate, custody support issues, taxes, pensions, business valuations.  
• Court appointed Guardian Ad Litem in more than 75 child-related matters, custody recommendations upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Management Experience

• More than 30 years as a successful business manager.
• Employed and managed 3 -15 employee staff, calendar, docket, budget and physical plant, ownership of office condominium, and landlord to professional tenants.
• Former Vice President of the Illinois Restaurant Association responsible for Government Affairs and Statewide Lobbying Campaigns. Secured passage of several significant legislative measures favorable to the business operation of both the small independent food service unit as well as the large, multi-unit corporations.

Decision Making Experience  

• Panel Chair, Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission experience overseeing and presiding over hearing and pre-hearing processes regarding lawyer disciplinary matters involving high-level issues and sophisticated counsel, resolving discovery disputes, ruling on pretrial motions, evidentiary matters, ruling on motions and objections and shepherding cases through trial where rules of civil procedure govern.
• Made decisions on appropriate discipline.
• Chair qualified, 18th Judicial Circuit Arbitration Center and Domestic Relations Attorney Fee Cases

Conflict Resolution/Mediation Experience

• Specialized experience and skill, mediated more than 800 family law matters.
• Highly skilled in conflict resolution.
• Proven ability to remain impartial and fair to both sides without prejudice to a situation at hand.
• Proven ability to clarify and focus litigants and lawyers on complex family law issues, goals, discerning ground for agreement, setting aside the role of advocate and serving as a neutral.
• Played a major role in the development of what is now the Illinois State Model, 18th Judicial Circuit mandatory mediation program for family law and the DuPage County Bar Association mediation referral program. 
• Leadership activity in local bar association including 2006/2007 Chair DCBA ADR Committee, 1996/1997 Family Law Committee Chair.

Training and Speaking Experience

• Presented more than 100 seminars to the legal community on a wide range of legal and alternative dispute resolution topics, including the 50-hour family law mediation training, family law, mediation topics and professionalism.
• Developed and presented in excess of 100 food service industry seminars throughout the State of Illinois including but not limited to Food Service Sanitation, Dining and Wining Intelligently versus Driving While Intoxicated, Tip Reporting, Energy Conservation, Minimum Wage, and Immigration for small and large restaurant chains.
• Envisioned and created an Information Resource Center for all aspects of foodservice operations and legal issues.
  
  

Publications and Writing Experience

• Divorce and the Holidays When Its Not Such a Wonderful Life
• Alcohol & Family Law Practice: A Kaleidoscope of Multifaceted Issues
• Family Law Prevention of the Emergency Holiday Motion...is it Possible?  Maybe Yes...Maybe No...But Minimizing the Possibility, Absolutely!
• Family Law Mediation
• Family Law & Client Issues - Educating Families about the Process and the Effect of Divorce
• To Copyright or Not To Copyright for Roundtable Newsletter
• You are the Lobbyist
• The Law: How is it Made, How is it Changed
• What Really Happens: My Story, by Anonymous 
• The Lawyer's Assistance Program - Tough Love for Tough People.
• Wrote, edited and published industry magazine “Illinois Food Service News” as well as monthly membership bulletin

Professional and Personal Development

• Career-long commitment to continued legal and professional education evidenced by attendance at more than 110 seminars, averaging six per year for personal legal development.
• Active membership and participation in professional associations.
• First-hand knowledge and heightened sensitivity to substance abuse issues, addictions and mental health and conflict resolution matters concerning litigants and counsel.