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Our firm has a rich and textured history, and we’re proud of the many years that it has existed to serve the legal needs of individuals and businesses in this area. Formed in 1963 through the joining of the successful solo practices of John A. “Jack” Leifheit of DeKalb and Daniel L. Cliffe of Shabbona, this firm has the distinction of being DeKalb County’s oldest continuous law firm.
The firm began its existence in a small upstairs office on Second Street in DeKalb, Illinois where Attorneys Leifheit and Cliffe practiced together until 1967. They moved a few blocks west to a new building located at 151 West Lincoln Highway at that time, which offered the opportunity to expand the firm. Douglas R. Engel, a Hinckley resident and graduate of DePaul University Law School, was hired in 1968, and attorney Charles H. Iskowich of DeKalb joined the firm in 1970. The firm set its course during the 1970's as a full service, general practice law firm with these four highly regarded attorneys until 1977, when Jack Leifheit became a Judge in DeKalb County. Dan Cliffe retired in 1983, and Doug Engel left the firm in 1986 to spend the next twenty years on the bench as a Judge for the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit. Charles Iskowich, who faced serious health concerns during the course of his life and practice, nevertheless maintained an office at the 151 West Lincoln Highway building during these years and lent his experience and lively sense of humor to the succeeding members of the firm until his death in 2000.
In 1979, Keith L. Foster, a Shabbona resident and graduate of Chicago-Kent School of Law, began his career with the firm. He rapidly became a partner and assumed a leadership role, gaining a reputation as a particularly incisive thinker on behalf of his clients and taking on high profile cases which have found their way into academic law casebooks in the process. His skill was publicly acknowledged in receiving the designation of “DeKalb’s Best Lawyer” in the survey-driven DeKalb County Magazine in 1990. Mr. Foster has acted as the firm’s managing partner since the mid 1980's and maintains a vital and diverse practice while guiding the business and technical interests of the firm.
Kevin E. Buick returned to his northern Illinois roots in the late 1980’s after spending his high school and college years out west in the communities of Vail, Boulder and Silt, Colorado. He joined the firm as a clerk during law school, gained a position as an associate attorney in 1990 after passing the bar and became a partner in the firm in 1994.
Marcy L. Buick, originally from Normal, Illinois, married Kevin shortly after the two had completed law school at Northern Illinois University. After spending several years developing trial skills as an Assistant Public Defender in Kane County and doing work for the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office, she joined the firm in 2000, becoming a partner in 2004.
In 2004, Douglas R. Engel returned to the firm in an Of Counsel capacity. In addition to his time spent on the bench in DeKalb County and his earlier service as Assistant State’s Attorney, he was a key player in the success of the firm during its infancy. Doug Engel’s wisdom, insight and understanding of the legal process have proven an asset to the firm on countless occasions.
Timothy J. Conklin, joined the firm in 2006. Tim, originally from Rockford, graduated from NIU's College of Law with high honors in 2004 and has brought energy and creative insight to the firm through his business background, honed while obtaining his MBA at NIU concurrently with his legal studies.
Melissa Irick joined the firm in January of 2008, having spent the years after her graduation from law school at Traveler's Insurance Company. Melissa has brought a new dimension to the firm's family law practice, and she leads the firm's efforts in that regard while also maintaining a general civil litigation practice that benefits from her past work in the insurance field.
In recent years, the firm has begun to compartmentalize in an effort to better serve clients by bettering our staff development processes and client services while continuously upgrading our technological resources. In 2005, Tracey Gallegos was named as Firm Administrator to coordinate and manage the administration of the firm. Tracey manages a highly competent group of legal assistants and otherwise handles the firm’s business affairs. Because technology continues to gain greater importance in the effective delivery of legal services, Scott A. Foster was hired as IT coordinator to design and maintain the various interrelated systems in the office allowing the firm to provide cutting edge service to its clients.
This law firm has seen many different nameplates hanging over its door through the years. One thing that has not changed, however, is the absolute commitment on the part of each and every lawyer and staff member associated with this law firm to devote themselves entirely to interests of the firm’s clients...as it has been from the earliest days of Jack Leifheit and Dan Cliffe’s practice. The Foster & Buick Law Group LLC honors its past, while looking forward to its expansive and promising future in the firm’s new Frank-Lloyd Wright inspired office building located in Sycamore’s Prairie Professional Park.
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