Criminal Law

• Wrongful Death
  Successfully obtained declaratory judgment in favor of an insurance company for a local municipality that had denied coverage for a settlement of a wrongful death claim made by a law enforcement officer (its sheriff) directly with an estate of a decedent, and not authorized by the municipality.
• Robbery
  Obtained summary judgment on behalf of police department accused of excessive use of force during arrest of suspect in attempted robbery, despite substantial injuries to suspect from handcuffing procedures and bruising to head and arms.
• Assault
  In our residential premises liability practice, we have defended homeowners in lawsuits brought in connection with slip-and-fall accidents, trip-and-fall accidents, ice- and snow-related accidents, dog bite incidents, public nuisance claims, and allegations of assault and battery.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Mr. Mulherin has over 40 years of experience focused primarily in the areas of financial services, corporate law, health care, and specialized litigation.
• Business Disputes
  MRV’s business law practice regularly provides assistance to businesses of all types and sizes, ranging from individual and closely-held businesses to Fortune 100 and multi-national companies. MRV also assists foreign business entities as well as domestic businesses and individuals who become involved in foreign business ventures. In addition, we have a long-standing relationship and regularly provide assistance to many not-for-profit corporations.
• Construction Contracts

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  Mr. Varchetto has represented insured and self-insured employers in Workers' Compensation claims through all levels at the Industrial Commission, appeals to the Circuit Court, and in the Appellate Courts. He regularly lectures to Risk Managers on topics related to Workers' Compensation Claims, and works closely with medical poviders practicing Industrial Medicine to enhance the relationship between the medical community providing services in Workers' Compensation matters and the employers of those injured workers. Mr. Varchetto is regularly called upon to provide coverage opinions to insurance carriers on issues pertaining to Workers' Compensations and Employer's Liability coverages.
• Employment Discrimination
  The employment law practice has defended business clients as diverse as municipalities, car dealerships, pet care centers, interstate trucking companies, paper product manufacturers, and employment agencies. The type of cases our attorneys have defended include allegations of sexual harassment, racial and national origin discrimination, age discrimination, ADA violations, retaliation claims, Section 1983 civil rights violations, free speech violations, and many other causes of action arising out of employment.
• Employment Contract
• Sexual Harassment
  Obtained summary judgment in U.S. District Court on behalf of an employer defending a sexual harassment suit. Plaintiff claimed she was sexually harassed, but employer received summary judgment on Ellerth defense because employee did not comply with the company’s written policy for making a sexual harassment claim.

Property Law

• Premises Liability
  MRV takes pride in its vast premises liability practice, having extensive experience representing clients in both commercial and residential premises-based liability actions. In our commercial premises liability practice, we have successfully defended national retailers, shopping mall owners and management companies, grocery store chains, fuel stations, hotels, restaurants, recreational and amusement properties, child care centers and other local business proprietors. These matters have involved such issues as slip-and-falls and trip-and-falls, to allegations of malicious prosecution, false arrest, failure in security measures, liquor liability, and defects/ hazards in and around the commercial premises. MRV takes pride in its aggressive defense of these premises liability actions, namely our dispositive motion posturing from the onset of the litigation, our thoroughness through the discovery process, and our preparedness for trial of these matters.
• Construction Litigation
  Defended one of the nation’s largest residential/commercial lessors of housing units in connection with a mold remediation claims issue and with complaints in units due to alleged construction defects. Retention of experts with numerous areas of specialty resulted in dispositive motions defeating the plaintiffs’ claims and protecting a large self-insured retention involving corollary coverage-related issues.
• Real Estate Transactions
  In addition, Mr. Rehfeldt has an extensive real estate practice, having represented clients in residential and commercial real estate transactions for the past 32 years. His duties as a real estate attorney include the preparation and issuance of title insurance policies on behalf of his clients through Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., a bar related title insurance company. Mr. Rehfeldt is a long-standing member of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc.
• Land Use and Zoning
• Property Damage
  Attorneys at MRV face the many and varied challenges presented by defending personal-lines automobile cases on a daily basis. Our attorneys handle matters ranging from defending property damage subrogation matters for minimum-limits carriers to death and catastrophic injury cases under umbrella coverage. In addition to lawsuits, MRV regularly defends claims for uninsured and underinsured motorist benefits.
• Condominium Law
  Established new condominiums and implemented condominium conversions, with respect to residential, commercial and light industrial properties on behalf of both corporate and individual clients.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Represented national general contractor in catastrophic personal injury litigation arising from numerous alleged OSHA violations that involved complex tenders of defense to several insurance carriers. The result was a favorable resolution prior to trial, utilizing funds of other parties’ insurance carriers to protect a large self-insured retention of the client by several targeted tenders.
• Medical Malpractice
  Since completing advanced training as a mediator, Mr. Varchetto has been providing mediation services in medical malpractice, tort and commercial litigation matters.
• Social Security Disability
  Prepared a special needs trust for an elderly couple with an adult, mentally disabled child. The trust set aside a share of the couples’ estate for the benefit of the child, while preserving the child’s right to receive Social Security disability payments.
• Disability Discrimination
  Obtained a not guilty verdict in a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiff alleged racial and disability discrimination against a suburban municipality. Defense argued the plaintiff was unable to perform the physically demanding job, which was a bona fide basis for discharge. The jury agreed.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  In addition to estate planning services, MRV also provides a broad range of estate administration services, including the probate of wills, the administration of trusts, and the preparation and filing of federal estate tax returns, state inheritance tax returns, and state and federal income tax returns for both estates and trusts. The estates administered by MRV range in size from the relatively simple and modest, containing only an asset or two, to the very large and complex, with assets ranging in value up to $20 million.
• Wills
  MRV’s estate planning attorneys are well versed in the federal estate tax laws, state inheritance tax laws, and state and federal income tax laws applicable to trusts and estates. Many of the wills and trusts that we draft are designed to minimize or eliminate these taxes. Other wills and trusts are designed to provide financial management services for minor children, disabled adults, or other beneficiaries whom our clients believe to be temporarily or permanently incapable of managing their own financial assets.
• Trusts
  For those of our clients who wish to leave part or all of their estates to mentally or physically disabled beneficiaries, we often draft trusts known as “special needs” trusts. A special needs trust is designed to provide financial assistance to a disabled beneficiary without jeopardizing that beneficiary’s eligibility for benefits under various “need-based” governmental assistance programs, such as Medicaid and/or Social Security.
• Power of Attorney
  Mr. Rehfeldt has also practiced for many years in the areas of probate, estate planning, and federal income taxation. His estate planning practice includes the preparation of wills, revocable and irrevocable living trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, powers of attorney, and living wills. He has lectured on the topics of post mortem estate planning, federal income taxation of real estate, federal income taxation of estates and trusts, and other estate planning related topics at seminars throughout the DuPage County area.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  Pursued and recovered judgments and judicial sales of property with respect to commercial mortgage foreclosure actions throughout the state of Illinois.
• Tax Law