PARTNER
Karnig Kerkonian
Mr. Kerkonian is a seasoned transactional lawyer and a strategic litigator. His transactional experience includes an array of complex corporate transactions including international acquisitions, venture capital, joint ventures and stock/asset sales. His litigation work encompasses a gamut of business contract, fiduciary, statutory and tort claims on behalf of commercial entities in both state and federal courts. Mr. Kerkonian presents regularly on matters of international law, the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights and the application of international law in U.S. courts. He is a vice-chair and board member the Armenian Bar Association.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY - AB in Government, magna cum laude
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL - JD and Law Review
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY (England) - Dipl. in International Law
PARTNER
ELIZABETH AL-DAJANI
Leveraging a career as an appellate law clerk and her interest in cross-border transactions, Ms. Al-Dajani's work specializes in state and federal appellate advocacy as well as Middle East business transactions. She is published on a range of legal issues including intellectual property rights in the Arab Middle East and House of Lords judicial panel decisions interpreting several multinational treaties, English common law and public international law. She serves as an Adjunct Professor at The John Marshall Law School, on the board of the Armenian Bar Association and on the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois.
NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY - BA in Politics & Government, cum laude
THE JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL - JD and Review of Intellectual Property Law
OF COUNSEL
JUDGE SAMUEL DER-YEGHIAYAN (Ret.)
Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan brings more than 40 years of legal expertise to Kerkonian Dajani LLC. Judge Der-Yeghiayan served as a District Court Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for 15 years. Prior to his service at the Northern District, he served as an Immigration Judge in the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review; as Acting District Director for the Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS); Chief Counsel for INS; and Trial Attorney for INS, all in Chicago.
During his career with the Department of Justice, and for 20 consecutive years, he received outstanding performance ratings as a U.S. Justice Department Attorney from several attorney generals of the United States. He also received the Frank J. McGarr Award of the Federal Bar Association as the Outstanding Federal Government Attorney in Chicago as well as the District Counsel of the Year Award from the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Services and the Attorney General of the United States.
EVANGEL UNIVERSITY – BA
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SCHOOL OF LAW (formerly Franklin Pierce Law School) – JD
ATTORNEY
KATARINA DURCOVA
With over seven years of legal practice in Cook County, Ms. Durcova brings to extensive experience in appellate practice and litigation to our firm. Prior to joining Kerkonian Dajani, she served as a Cook County prosecutor. Ms. Durcova also served as a Staff Attorney in the Office of the Cook County Chief Judge of the Criminal Division. In addition to her professional experience, her personal experience has given her a unique passion to fight for hard earned rights. Ms. Durcova immigrated to the United States from Slovakia when she was twelve years old, possessing only rudimentary knowledge of the English language. She diligently worked hard daily to perfect her skills and rapidly mastered the English language. Ms. Durcova uses her passion daily to fight for her clients.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA - BA
THE JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL - JD, cum laude