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(815) 459-2050 [email protected]

Brad Stewart

Brad Stewart

Zukowski, Rogers, Flood & McArdle
50 Virginia Street
Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014
815-459-2050
[email protected]

PRACTICE AREAS

EDUCATION

  • Northern Illinois University (J.D., valedictorian, 2012)
  • Illinois Wesleyan (B.A., English; B.A., Theatre Arts, 1996)

ADMISSIONS

  • Illinois, 2012
  • U.S. District Court, N.D. of Illinois, 2012

FOLLOW

Brad Stewart focuses primarily on local government law, civil litigation, employment law and personal injury. On the municipal side, Stewart serves as appointed counsel for the Village of Lake in the Hills, Village of Kirkland, and DeKalb Township. Stewart has also been involved in collective bargaining, labor and employment issues, crafting ordinances and keeping local governments apprised of developing areas of law. In this capacity, he developed ZRFM’s Local Government Law Bulletin and launched and hosts its podcast, the Illinois Local Government Podcast. He is also an experienced prosecutor of traffic and ordinance violations.

As it pertains to civil litigation, Stewart has successfully handled dozens of matters pertaining to complex contract disputes, partition actions and fraud claims. Stewart has obtained multiple awards of $1 million for clients through litigation. This is in addition to ongoing work in personal injury matters in which Stewart has obtained more than 100 successful outcomes through settlement, mediation, arbitration and jury trial.

On the financial side, Stewart has represented several credit unions and provides legal assistance in areas ranging from state and federal compliance issues, employment law, and issues regarding proper collection procedures.  He has also assisted in similar matters pertaining to banks.

Stewart has also successfully handled numerous labor disputes, collective bargaining negotiations, unemployment proceedings and situations involving allegations of employment discrimination and wrongful termination for both employees and employers.

He joined the law firm of Zukowski, Rogers, Flood & McArdle in 2011 as a law clerk and became an associate attorney in 2012 after graduating first in his class at Northern Illinois University College of Law. Stewart clerked for Justice Susan F. Hutchinson of the Illinois Appellate Court’s 2nd District.

Stewart is a McHenry County resident and a native of Elmhurst.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Stewart was champion of the 2010 mock trial competition at Northern Illinois University College of Law. He was named the oral advocate runner up in the 2011 International Privacy Law Moot Court Competition at John Marshall Law School. Stewart also earned three writing scholarships: the Lakisha Sarden Scholarship for the Study of Civil Procedure Law, the Justin Pettway Award for the Study of Trial Advocacy and Ethics, and the Alumni Council Essay Award. A board member of Northern Illinois University Law Review, one of Stewart’s articles was selected among the final 10 for the national Scribes Law-Review Award.

PRIOR EMPLOYMENT

Before attending law school, Stewart was a director and branch manager at two credit unions based in the Chicagoland area, both with a presence in McHenry County. At one point, he managed 18 business development officers across the country. He also was the chief executive at a chemical manufacturing company serving the dry cleaning industry. During that time, he was a columnist and contributing editor for the American Dry Cleaner publication.

CIVIC AND CHARITABLE ASSOCIATIONS

Stewart joined the board of directors for Pioneer Center in 2013, the largest charitable entity based in McHenry County. Pioneer has several facets, including services for people with developmental disabilities, homeless individuals, substance abuse issues and victims of sexual assault, among others. Stewart serves on Pioneer Center’s board of governance committee and on its nominating committee.

He served from 2007 to 2011 on the board of Home of the Sparrow, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides transitional services for homeless women and children. The organization, which formerly was based in Crystal Lake, currently is located in McHenry, Illinois. In 2007, Stewart received the Unsung Hero Award for McHenry County through Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital for a series of fundraising events he performed for diabetes research and for his work with Home of the Sparrow.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Illinois State Bar Association, McHenry County Bar Association

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS