TANYA STANISH, SENIOR PARTNER: SCHILLER DUCANTO & FLECK LLP

Tanya Stanish describes her profession as a family crisis manager, otherwise known as a divorce lawyer. Practicing more than 25 years, she has become a highly experienced negotiator and formidable litigator who represents a wide array of clients, from high-profile executives and Chicago’s talented athletes and music artists to spouses with generational wealth and stay-at-home parents. Her work includes every aspect of complex and high-net-worth family law, including executive compensation plans, trusts and businesses interests, and high-conflict child custody and parenting issues. Stanish’s combination of litigation and settlement expertise is rare among family law attorneys. When settlement fails, she has the skills and ability to handle complex cases in the courtroom that many lawyers find difficult to present. She’s also taken over many cases from other divorce attorneys who prefer not to litigate against a contentious spouse or aggressive opposing counsel. “I am often sought out to represent a client who has a difficult spouse or a litigious attorney on the other side and sometimes you have to fight fire with fire,” Stanish says. “While my litigation skills are preeminent, I successfully negotiate most of my cases to resolution to the client’s satisfaction. Only a handful of cases need the courtroom.” Her strong integrity helps a client get to a resolution by way of facts and law. Stanish appreciates the many “best lawyers” awards she has received for her work as an attorney, but what’s most important to her are the letters and notes of appreciation from clients for the work she’s done for them. “They really touch me because I know that I have made a positive difference in someone’s life and have gotten them through one of their toughest times,” Stanish says.

For more information, visit sdflaw.com/team/detail/tanya-stanish/bio.