#VABLaw congratulates Shareholder @Aurora Austriaco on receiving the 2025 National Filipino American Lawyer Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
This award is given to distinguished Filipino American attorneys whose lifelong contributions have significantly shaped the legal profession and the Filipino American community.
Aurora exemplifies this distinction perfectly. We couldn't be prouder.
Please join #VABLaw in congratulating @Aurora Austriaco on her appointment to the newly established Illinois Accountability Commission (IAC)!
Appointed by Governor JB Pritzker, the IAC is an independent board tasked with documenting the conduct of federal law enforcement agents and recommending actions to hold the federal government accountable as they conduct military-style operations in Chicago, collar counties, and throughout the state.
Thank you for your commitment to the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois, Aurora! Your VAB team is so proud of you!
#VABLaw is excited to sponsor, attend, and present at the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Two of our hashtag#VABulous Partners will serve on CLE panels during the conference. Erica Byrd's session, "Boilerplate Provisions & Hidden Risks in Asset-Based Lending Agreements," will provide an in-depth examination of key contractual clauses, common pitfalls, and best practices for structuring ABL agreements that minimize lender exposure. Jennifer Novoselsky's session entitled "Hot Topics in Antitrust Law" will discuss significant recent changes in the practice area. We look forward to seeing you in L.A.!
A big thank you to Noah Jackson for serving as our summer intern in 2025! Noah wrapped up his work with VAB on Friday and returns this week to Howard University for his Senior year, majoring in journalism with a minor in economics. Noah performed wonderful work for VAB on a number of substantive research and writing assignments, firm presentations, and administrative projects. We wish you the best this year and beyond, Noah – any law school would be lucky to have you enter as a first year student in fall 2026!
#VABLaw Shareholder Aurora Austriaco was excited to serve as a panelist following The Chicago Bar Association MCLE "50 Marketing Tips in 60 Minutes" presented by Ross Fishman, JD, CEO of Fishman Marketing. Joining Aurora on the panel discussion will be Ray Koenig, Member at Clark Hill Law and Moderator John C. Sciaccotta, Member of Aronberg Goldgehn. The four will discuss personal branding, LinkedIn, AI for lawyers, and more.
#VABLaw is thrilled to add Billing Specialist and Bookkeeper Octavia King to our small but mighty administrative team. She brings large law firm experience and a winning attitude, making her a VABulous fit for our practice. Welcome Octavia!
#VABLaw is pleased to announce that Jack Casey is joining their growing team. Jack’s experience with the City of Chicago Department of Law will allow him to hit the ground running as he joins VAB’s commercial litigation and internal investigations practice groups. Welcome Jack!
We would like to congratulate Aurora Austriaco, Susan Patel & Michelle Lura White on hosting the 2nd Annual Asian Women's Summit last month!
The attendance was remarkable, with participants from both within Illinois and out of state! The speakers were amazing and spoke on topics ranging from Doing Business with the Government, Challenges and Opportunities in the Food and Restaurant industry, Understanding the Next Gen, Business and Serial Entrepreneurs, Navigating Corporate America, Quantum Computing and a keynote discussion on Board Readiness.
#VABLaw is happy to announce that we are sponsoring DRI’s 2025 Employment and Labor Law Seminar! Our very own Sandy Morris has been working hard in her role as a Program Chair.
We are honored to have our very own Aurora Austriaco in a line up that includes these exceptional women who served as past CBA Presidents as they share their thoughts on how to be the best leader and best attorney you can be.
We were honored to sponsor and attend this year's SOUP & BREAD event benefiting BEDS Plus Inc. last weekend! Their mission is to help vulnerable individuals stabilize their lives through housing and supportive services. hashtag#VABLaw's Susan Valentine continues to serve as their Board Vice President and greatly appreciates everyone who attended and supported this fundraiser.
Learn more about Beds Plus Care at: https://beds-plus.org/
We are thrilled to announce that this powerhouse will be joining our team! Jennifer Novoselsky joins VABLaw as a Partner. Jen is an experienced litigator who handles commercial, financial, and securities litigation and arbitrations.
Jen defends financial institutions and public and private corporations in a variety of commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts, including claims for securities fraud, defamation, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition, business torts, and violations of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act. Jen also has extensive experience representing broker-dealer firms in FINRA arbitrations, serving as lead counsel in more than 50 proceedings in the past 5 years. She handles industry and customer disputes, including those involving claims for fraud, unsuitability, churning, unauthorized trading, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent supervision, and Form U-5 expungements with claims for defamation and/or tortious interference.
A #VABulous round of applause to Susan Valentine, Aurora Austriaco, Lydia Bueschel, Sandy Morris and Erica Byrd for being included on the "Illinois Super Lawyers" list and to Reena Sikdar and Deborah Imafidon for their inclusion on the 2025 "Illinois Rising Stars" list!
Honored and happy that our own Aurora Austriaco will be joining her fellow National Conference of Bar Presidents past presidents on this exciting panel presentation as they celebrate NCBP’s 75th Anniversary!
Way to go team! hashtag#VABLaw's Susan Valentine, Lydia Bueschel, Erica Byrd and Sandy Morris were all selected as 2025 Leading Lawyers by leadinglawyers.com, with Aurora Austriaco receiving the added honor of being asked to serve as an Advisory Board Member. Leading Lawyers are recommended by their peers to be among the TOP LAWYERS in a given practice area. Less than 5% of all lawyers licensed in each state have received this distinction. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eKnfWErM
VAB is excited to announce that Reena Sikdar has been promoted to Partner as of January 1, 2025. We can't think of a better way to kick off the new year. Cheers to Reena!
Aurora Austriaco was invited to be one of four panelists at the Onyx Strategic Partners’ Women’s Power Luncheon. The powerful panel also included Marie Lynn Miranda Arielle Johnson, MPA and was moderated by Heather Ireland Robinson. There were a wealth of knowledge shared regarding career growth, effective leadership and believing in yourself. Audrey Boyle shared insights on the importance of self-branding in today’s marketplace. The day featured committed leaders like Sharif Walker, MAOL Chartay Robinson Darlene Oliver Hightower Pier Rogers, PhD Tamara Reed Tran Dee Atkins Hiba Anjum Angila M. Faison Susan Doig Mary Beth Johnson Barbara Deer Marty Gutierrez Vincent Price Kimberly Casey Blue Pacheco-Cornejo Cynthia Withers Turnquest Katrina Waddy Bianca Cotton Mironda Ross Maya Green MD, MPH, HIVMA, AAHIVS, FACHE Karen Calloway Melanie L. Brown Eddie Francisco Kristina Hamilton Elizabeth Fulmer Stephanie Glover-Douglas.
Go listen! On the October 24th episode of The Chicago Bar Association's podcast @theBar, our very own Aurora Austriaco got to speak with Hosts Maggie Mendenhall Casey, Deputy Corporation Counsel of the Torts Division for the City of Chicago and Tracy Brammeier, Partner at Clifford Law Offices about her experience serving as an elected delegate at the 2024 DNC. Aurora outlines the process and responsibilities involved in becoming a delegate and shares highlights and impactful moments from the convention.
@theBar is a Chicago Bar Association Podcast that can be found on the Legal Talk Network. You can listen to this episode titled, "Who Picks Your Presidential Candidate, Anyway? — A Conversation with DNC Delegate Aurora Austriaco" here: https://lnkd.in/epCzRm_x
You're all stars in our book! A big thanks to The Adler Planetarium for presenting at the informal gathering of Chicago-area National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) law firms and supporters that VAB hosted last night. It was a great way to see our NAMWOLF friends, celebrate all that Chicago (and the universe!) has to offer, and hear about the out-of-this-world work that the Adler is doing. Thank you Michelle B. Larson, PhD, President and CEO of the Adler Planetarium, Ryu Mizuno, Chief Revenue Officer, and Nancy Gerrie, Vice Chair of the board of Trustees.
VAB Law is so proud that Aurora Austriaco will be one of four esteemed panelists for the Women's Power Luncheon presented by Onyx Strategic Partners on October 28th at the Griffen-Bourdeau Design Center. Speaking alongside are Arrielle Johnson, CEO of Business Leadership Council, Heather Ireland Robinson, Executive Director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago and Marie Lynn Miranda, Chancellor of the University of Illinois Chicago.
