Firm Welcomes New Partners

featuring Alexander D Marks, Shana A Shifrin , Andrew D LeMar, Rachel D Wanroy

Each year at Burke, Warren, Firm partners nominate senior associates with seven to eight years of experience and growth within the firm for partnership, and then gather to discuss, evaluate and vote on the nominees. We are pleased to announce and present Burke, Warren’s newest firm partners: Andrew LeMar, Alex Marks, Shana Shifrin and Rachel Wanroy.

Andrew D. LeMar
New Partner Andrew D. LeMar has defended numerous class actions and individual suits involving state and federal claims as a member of the Firm’s Litigation and Class Action Defense practices. He also has experience with mass accident class actions, securities fraud class actions, trademark, corporate director liability, employment law, torts, unfair competition, and deceptive trade practices.

Mr. LeMar is passionate about volunteer work and regularly serves at the Chicago Legal Assistance Foundation's Pro Se Litigant Help Desk at the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. He has also participated in the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago's "Lawyers in the Classroom" program, which sends attorneys to elementary school classrooms to enrich students’ understanding of our constitution and legal system. Mr. LeMar expresses his dedication to his alma mater by serving on the board of the Chicago Chapter of the Indiana University Alumni Association.

When asked about his experience at Burke, Warren, Mr. LeMar said, “Having worked at other firms before Burke, Warren, I feel that I have finally found the firm that I was looking for and where I wanted to become a partner.”

Mr. LeMar received his B.A. in History and a minor in Criminal Justice, with honors, from Indiana University in 2000. He was awarded his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Indiana University School of Law in 2003, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Indiana Law Journal.

Alexander D. Marks
New Partner Alex Marks works in the Firm’s Litigation group, where he handles commercial disputes in both state and federal court, with a further focus on labor and employment cases. 
Mr. Marks has consistently obtained successful results for clients in matters ranging from obtaining summary judgment in a federal action brought against a national bank under the Right to Financial Privacy Act, to procuring a settlement for a prison inmate who maintained a 
Section 1983 Civil Rights claim.

About his time with Burke, Warren, Mr. Marks states, “I have a tremendous amount of respect for the individuals I work with, both on a professional and personal level.  The quality of work performed is second to none, and such work product is matched by the integrity and character of the office.  I feel both privileged and humbled to be a part of such a well-respected firm.”

Mr. Marks is also committed to his volunteer work in several Chicago organizations, including the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Young Professional Board; the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago’s “Lawyers in the Classroom” program; the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Law Project; and the Statewide Advisory Group for the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.  He also maintains a fervent commitment to his alma mater, by serving on the Alumni Board of the University of Illinois College of Law, and volunteering for the University’s grassroots advocacy network, “Illinois Connection.”

Mr. Marks was named an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2012, placing him in the state's top 2% of up-and-coming attorneys under the age of 40.  He currently serves as the Inaugural Chair on the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee.

Mr. Marks received his B.S. with high honors in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001. He was awarded his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2004, where he was awarded Rickert Awards for excellence in oral advocacy and trial advocacy.

Shana A. Shifrin
New Partner Shana Shifrin concentrates on class action defense of banks, mortgage lenders, and related entities in the Firm’s Litigation and Class Action Defense practices.  Ms. Shifrin defends class actions and individual suits involving state and federal claims, as well as claims for violations of state consumer protection statutes. She also has experience in health care insurance and RICO class actions, health care insurance contract disputes, professional liability, trust and estate litigation, and other complex commercial disputes.

Ms. Shifrin maintains a commitment to pro bono work, having devoted a significant portion of her practice to matters that include a first-degree murder trial, a petition for a stay of execution to the Supreme Court of the United States, post-conviction hearings, and appeals in the Illinois Appellate Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Ms. Shifrin reflects, “I have only been at Burke, Warren since July 2010, but it felt like a perfect fit from the day I started. I am inspired by the challenging matters I work on every day, and the wonderful colleagues I can rely on for support.”

Ms. Shifrin received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000, graduating with B.A. degrees in History and French. She graduated from Northwestern University School of Law with a J.D. degree in 2003, where she was a Senior Editor on the Journal of International Law and Business and worked in the Bluhm Legal Clinic. Ms. Shifrin has also been named an Illinois Super Lawyer Rising Star.

Rachel D. Wanroy
New Partner Rachel Wanroy’s experience in the Firm's Real Estate practice includes representing landlords and tenants in retail, industrial and commercial leasing matters and negotiating the acquisition, financing and sale of retail and commercial properties. Ms. Wanroy has worked on several major redevelopments of existing shopping centers, including properties in Minneapolis and Kansas City, which have involved tax increment financing (TIF), and the negotiation of a long-term extension and redevelopment of a grocery store anchor tenant. She also works with the Archdiocese of Chicago in leasing and tenant financing matters.

Having served successfully for two years on Burke, Warren’s Marketing Committee, Ms. Wanroy moved to the Firm’s Summer Associate Program Committee, stating, “I want to help find candidates who fit the culture of the firm and who will hopefully grow with the firm and stay for many years, eventually becoming partners themselves.  I also enjoy mentoring younger attorneys and I think I can help the current summer associates assimilate and find their footing in the Firm.”

Ms. Wanroy is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Governing Council of the Joffrey Ballet Auxiliary Board.

Ms. Wanroy received her B.A. from Tulane University in 2000 and her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2004.