Illinois Sanctions

Summaries of recent disciplinary decisions of the Illinois Supreme Court

Mr. Eberhardt, who was licensed in 1982, was suspended for five months and until he completes the ARDC Professionalism Seminar and pays monetary sanctions imposed in an underlying federal case. He engaged in conduct intended to embarrass, burden, and harass persons employed by, and affiliated with, the Village of Tinley Park by filing meritless legal claims against them, filing duplicative and voluminous lawsuits, and improperly suing defendants in their individual capacities for conduct they undertook on behalf of the Village. The suspension is effective on April 10, 2025.

Mr. Pierard, who was licensed in 2016, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court, and until he completes the payment of restitution as required by a deferred prosecution agreement that he entered into with federal authorities. He engaged in multiple acts of deceit over five years and committed wire fraud in connection with a cryptocurrency scam, all while working as a prosecutor for the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office. A suspension until further order of the Court is an indefinite suspension which requires the suspended lawyer to petition for reinstatement after the fixed period of suspension ends. Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board.

Mr. Adrian, who was licensed to practice law in 1983, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court. He served as a Circuit Judge in the 8th Judicial Circuit from 2010 until he was removed by the Illinois Courts Commission in 2024. During judicial disciplinary proceedings arising out of his entry of a not guilty verdict in a sexual assault case, he submitted false information and testified falsely before the Judicial Inquiry Board, and he testified falsely before the Illinois Courts Commission. A suspension until further order of the Court is an indefinite suspension which requires the suspended lawyer to petition for reinstatement after the fixed period of suspension ends. Reinstatement is not automatic and must be allowed by the Supreme Court of Illinois following a hearing before the ARDC Hearing Board.

Mr. Ravago, who was licensed to practice law in 1998, was suspended for one year arising from his criminal conviction for unlawful use of an electronic tracking device. He had placed a series of tracking devices in or on the car of a woman with whom he was involved in a romantic relationship so that he could monitor her movements and surveil her without her knowledge. The suspension is effective on April 10, 2025.

Ms. King, who was licensed in 2005, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after five months by a two-year period of conditional probation. She filed a medical malpractice complaint on behalf of two clients in 2021 but never attempted to serve the defendants, resulting in dismissal of the case in 2023. She also failed to adequately communicate with her clients. Eventually, she offered to personally settle the matter with her clients, but she did not advise them to seek independent counsel about the settlement. The suspension is effective on April 10, 2025.

 The Pierard matter was reported on by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Pierard, who was not licensed or registered as an investment advisor or commodity pool operator, participated in a scheme to defraud approximately 21 investors from September 2017 to September 2022, the indictment said.

He obtained approximately $139,500 from the 21 investor victims while telling them their funds were not at risk, the indictment said.

Pierard’s cryptocurrency trading became “increasingly unprofitable” and he failed to inform the investors of the loss, instead telling them that the trading was profitable.

Pierard lost all of the money he had received by late 2020 and he ignored the investors when they tried to withdraw their purported gains and investment principal from him, the indictment said.

In January 2024, Pierard entered into an 18-month deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

Numerous conditions were agreed to between Pierard and prosecutors, including Pierard paying $124,500 in restitution to the victims.

(Mike Frisch)