Firm Welcomes Three New Associates

featuring Bradley M Ader, Blake Roter, Krista A Smith

Blake Roter
Blake Roter is an associate in the firm’s Litigation group. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Roter served as the law clerk for Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Mr. Roter earned his B.A. in History and Political Science, cum laude, from Tulane University in 2006, and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2012, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, he served as a Managing Editor of the Wisconsin Law Review, and as both a member and coach of the Moot Court Board. Mr. Roter also worked in the Law School’s Consumer Law Clinic and as a Law Student Ambassador. Prior to attending law school, he worked on a variety of political campaigns at the local, state, and national level.

Mr. Roter was a Summer Associate with the firm in 2011. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin. Mr. Roter can be reached at 312/840-7116 or broter@burkelaw.com

Bradley Ader
Bradley Ader is an associate in the firm’s Real Estate group. Mr. Ader earned his B.S. in Business Process Management and Operations Management from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in 2002, and his J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2013. Mr. Ader worked as a Summer Associate with the firm in 2012.

Prior to law school, Mr. Ader worked as a licensed real estate salesperson in the Chicago office of a national commercial real estate brokerage firm that specialized in investment sales of office, industrial, and retail properties.

While in law school, Mr. Ader volunteered as a tax preparer for low income Chicago families through the LadderUp organization and reviewed residential foreclosure files in an investigation for the Office of the Sheriff of Cook County. He received CALI Awards in Administrative Law, Corporate Governance and the Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Professional Responsibility.

During law school, Mr. Ader clerked for a highly regarded firm where he specialized in preparing and filing property tax appeals. He also updated and revised the Illinois chapter of the American Bar Association Property Tax Deskbook and a chapter entitled “Assessment of Taxable Property” in the IICLE Attorney’s Guide to Real Estate Taxation. Mr. Ader can be reached at 312/840-7137 or bader@burkelaw.com.

Krista Smith
Krista Smith joined the firm as a Summer Associate in 2012 and is a member of the Corporate practice group. Ms. Smith earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from New York University in 2008, where she majored in Anthropology (Honors). Ms. Smith was awarded her J.D., summa cum laude, from The John Marshall Law School in 2013, where she was a three-year recipient of the John Marshall Distinguished Scholar Award. During law school, Ms. Smith received CALI awards for Constitutional Law I, Civil Procedure I & II, Criminal Procedure: Police Investigation, and Bankruptcy Law. While attending law school, she served as a Staff Editor for The John Marshall Law Review and was on the Executive Board for the Corporate Law Association.

During law school, Ms. Smith also served as a law clerk for a small Chicago law firm where she worked on various corporate, real estate, and litigation matters. She further served as both a Research Assistant and a Teaching Assistant at The John Marshall Law School for a professor who taught Legal Writing and Property Law. Ms. Smith can be reached at 312/840-7134 or ksmith@burkelaw.com.