History of the Firm
In 1978, David P. Peskind founded the Peskind Law Firm after leaving the law firm of Tyler, Peskind, Solomon and Hughes. The Peskind Law Firm was located in Aurora, Illinois and David worked primarily in Kane, Kendall, DuPage and DeKalb counties. Initially, he was a sole practitioner, concentrating his practice in civil and domestic relations litigation. Having practiced law since 1960, David’s peers as well as the judiciary regarded him as a tough but principled advocate for his clients.
David’s son, Steven, joined the firm in 1985. Steven graduated from DePaul Law School in Chicago and concentrated his practice in commercial litigation and family law. The practice expanded with Steven’s addition and it continued to grow throughout the 1980s. Steven had the good fortune of David’s tutoring in the skills of negotiation and courtroom advocacy.
In 1991, without warning, David died of a heart attack at age 56 while playing tennis at a bar association outing. Steven was unexpectedly elevated to firm manager. In response to the tragedy, Steven changed the direction of the firm from a general civil litigation firm to a firm that concentrated exclusively in the area of divorce and family law. In recognition of David’s many contributions to the advancement of family law, the annual Kane County Bar Association Family Law Seminar was renamed the “Peskind Family Law Seminar”.
Steven closed the Aurora office in 1995 when he moved the firm to Geneva, Illinois. It operated there until 2006 and significant developments occurred during that time. In 1998, Steven was elected president of the Kane County Bar Association. In 2003 and again in 2004, Steven had the opportunity to argue before the Illinois Supreme Court in two different cases that significantly affected a custodial parent’s right to move from the State of Illinois and the constitutionality of the Illinois Parentage Act, respectively.
In 2005, Gregory Maksimuk joined the firm. He had recently graduated from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago (David’s alma mater as well). Gregory was a legal prodigy and quickly developed into an exceptional lawyer. The firm outgrew its limited space in Geneva and in 2006 moved to the Leroy Oakes Business Park in St. Charles. That year, the prestigious American Law Institute, whose mission is to improve the law and the administration of justice, elected Steven as one of its only 2,000 members. Also, in recognition of his published legal writing, the legal writing honor society, “Scribes,” admitted Steven as a member.
In 2007, the firm continued to excel. Gregory published an article on child support in the influential Illinois Bar Journal. Attorney General Lisa Madigan then invited him to present his paper to the assistant attorneys general. Later that year, after a grueling admittance process, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers elected Steven a member. The Academy is universally regarded as the most exclusive organization of family lawyers in the nation.
2008 was another year of achievement for the Peskind Law Firm. Vazken Kazandjian, who graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Law, joined the firm and quickly became one of the rising young talents in the profession. The President of the Kane County Bar Association appointed Greg to chair its New Lawyers Division and he was also honored by the KCBA as that year’s “Outstanding New Lawyer”. Later that spring he traveled to Denver, Colorado to attend the week-long American Bar Association Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute, known as the pre-eminent family law trial training program in the nation. Steven was recognized as a “Super Lawyer” and was appointed by the state House of Representatives Minority Leader, Tom Cross, to serve on a legislative commission to review and suggest improvements to all Illinois family laws.
The firm continued to expand its influence in 2009. Steven Peskind was appointed to the ABA family law publications board and was also named a faculty member of the ABA Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute. Gregory Maksimuk was named a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers. Vazken Kazandjian attended the associate training program sponsored by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Vazken also presented a seminar on electronic evidence in divorce cases.
In May of 2010, Steven taught divorce trial skills at the Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute held in Denver, Colorado. In November, he was the keynote speaker for the Oklahoma Bar Association’s annual meeting, speaking on the evolution of the practice of family law in the 21st century. Gregory was appointed to both the Kane County Bar Association Board of Managers and the Illinois State Bar Association Assembly. Vazken spoke on the legal implications of children born to unwed parents and also published an article in the Kane County Bar Journal regarding offers of proof.
2011 was a transformative year for the firm. Gregory left the firm and Emily Magnuson, a recent graduate of the Loyola University School of Law joined. Vazken attended the Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute held this year in Boulder, Colorado. As a faculty member, Steven again taught there. Vazken conducted his first substantial trial regarding the removal of a child to a different state. Despite having minimal preparation time, he secured a successful outcome for the client. Steven continued his active participation in various professional organizations. In August he was appointed editor of the Fall 2012 edition of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Journal, which will focus on custody issues. In late 2011 he finished his book, “A Family Lawyer’s Evidence Handbook” to be published in the spring of 2012 by the ABA Family Law Section Publishers. Steven also spoke on the topic of “Authentication of Digital Evidence” at a seminar hosted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
