Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, General Litigation, Personal Injury
Licensed in Illinois since: 1973
Education: University of Illinois College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2009 - 2025 Call today:
630-366-0837
Ekl, Williams & Provenzale LLC
901 Warrenville RoadSuite 175
Lisle, IL 60532 Visit website
Details
A former First Lieutenant and member of the United States Marine Corps, Terry A. Ekl is a founding member of Ekl Williams & Provenzale LLC. In both criminal and civil cases, he is a tireless advocate for his clients. He has over four decades of law practice and experience in the felony trial division of the Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Ekl has represented a long list of professional athletes, government employees, municipalities and corporations such as Google, Koch Industries, Suntory Industries and Navistar International, Inc. Politically engaged and active in the community, he is a fellow for the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of several professional organizations such as The Chicago Bar Association and the DuPage County Bar Association.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Mr. Ekl earned a degree in political science in 1970 before attending the University of Illinois where he obtained a Juris Doctor in 1973. In several high-profile cases, he has obtained successful settlements and verdicts in civil rights cases, wrongful death cases and malicious prosecution cases.
Mr. Ekl is admitted to practice in Illinois, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, the United States Supreme Court, the Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Supreme Court of Illinois. As a volunteer football and baseball coach, the vice president of the West Suburban Foundation for Disabled Veterans and the chairman of the DuPage Family Fun Days to benefit special Olympic athletes, Mr. Ekl shows his investment in the local community and his clients.
Practice areas
Criminal Defense, General Litigation, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff- 60% Criminal Defense
- 20% General Litigation
- 20% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1973, Illinois
Professional Webpage: http://eklwilliams.com/our-team/partners/terry-ekl/
- Vice President of the West Suburban Foundation for Disabled Veterans, 2005 – present
- Volunteer football coach at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School, 2004 – present
- Volunteer football coach at St. Michaels grade school, 2000 – 2003
- Volunteer baseball coach Wheaton Park District, 1995 – 2002
- Chairman, DuPage Family Fun Days to Benefit Special Olympic Athletes, 1996 – 1998
- President, DuPage Bar Foundation, 1997 – 1998
- Chicago Bar Association Defense of Indigent Prisoners Committee, 1982 – 1984
- Chairman Criminal Law Committee, 1992
- Member Judiciary Committee, 1994 – 1996
- Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, 1997 – 1999
- 2nd Vice President DuPage County Bar Association, 1995 – 1996
- President of DuPage County Bar Association, 1996 – 1997
- DuPage County Bar Association:
- Committee member of the Illinois Supreme Court Illinois Pattern Jury Instruction (Criminal IPI) from, 2003 – present.
- Member of the Upstate Illinois membership committee for the American College of Trial Attorneys from 2009-present.
- Assistant State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County, Illinois, Felony Trial Division, 1973 – 1977
- Federal District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2007
- Federal District Court, Central District of Illinois, 2006
- United States Supreme Court, 1987
- Federal Trial Bar, Northern District of Illinois, 1983
- Federal District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1973
- Supreme Court of Illinois, 1973
- State of Illinois 1973
- Inductee as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, 2006
- President Delta Upsilon Fraternity
- All-Big Ten Academic Football Team 1968 -1969
- Fellow-American College of Trial Lawyers, 2006
- In 1983, hired as a Special Assistant State’s Attorney for Cook County to conduct an investigation into allegations of misconduct in the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
- Representation of House Minority Leader Lee Daniels and the House Republicans in the 2000 Redistricting which included trial before a three judge panel and appeals filed before the Illinois Supreme Court.
- Represented former Marshall High School boys basketball coach. Lamont Bryant, who received $500,000 from the Chicago Board of Education as a result of his wrongful termination as basketball coach.
- In 2013 conducted an investigation into allegations that the DuPage County Sheriff relating to allegations that promotions and discipline of deputies was related to political contributions.
- In 2013-14 conducted an investigation of the Lake County Jail related to the deaths of two inmates.
- In 2008 conducted an investigation at the request of the Village of Park Ridge into allegations of misconduct within the Park Ridge Police Department.
- Represented the Chief of Police of Mt. Prospect and the Village of Mt. Prospect in connection with allegations of racial profiling. This representation included the defense of the underlying claims filed in Federal Court, an internal investigation into the alleged pattern of racial profiling of motorists by Mt. Prospect police officers, defense of a class action law suit and an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice into the allegations of racial profiling.
- Special Assistant State’s Attorney in DuPage County to represent DuPage County in the Federal civil rights litigation filed in connection with the Jeanine Nicarico murder case.
- One of seven attorneys appointed as Special State’s Attorney to represent former DuPage County State’s Attorney and DuPage County Sheriff’s Police Officers in the DuPage Seven. A jury verdict was reached and the defendants were acquitted of all charges filed against them. People v. Knight, 18th Judicial Circuit Court Number 96 CF 2589.
- Represents the family of one of the thirteen young people who died in the Lincoln Park porch collapse tragedy
- Currently represents the family of a young boy who, while unarmed, was shot sixteen times by four Chicago Police officers.
- Represents eleven young girls victimized by Michael Cardamone, their former gymnastics coach in a civil action.
- Current representation of various plaintiffs against the Chicago Police Department alleging violations of the Federal Civil Rights Act
- Represented former Edgar County State’s Attorney, Michael McFatridge, in a civil rights action in the Federal District Court, Central District of Illinois, 2006. This case involved an allegation of the wrongful conviction of two murder defendants.
- Represents a group of plaintiffs who have sued the LaSalle County Sheriff in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois as a result of a policy of illegal strip searches.
- Represented Peter Burchard, the former Village Manager of Naperville, who was sued in Federal Court by Councilman Richard Furstenau. The allegations were ultimately dismissed.
- Representation of Western DuPage Recycling and Transfer Station application for siting in DuPage County, Illinois
- Chemical and toxic tort litigation matters. Lead attorney in the matter filed on behalf of the employees of the DuPage County Courthouse, entitled Bostick, et al. v. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassumbaum, Inc., et al., Circuit Court Number 92 L 1695.
- Represented Louis Bianchi, the elected State’s Attorney of McHenry County who was indicted by a special prosecutor in two separate cases. The first case went to trial in March of 2011 and the judge entered a directed finding of not guilty on all charges. The second case was tried in August of 2011 and Mr. Bianchi was found not guilty following a directed finding by the judge.
- Represented John Harris, the former Chief of Staff to impeached Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich. Mr. Harris was indicted in connection with corruption efforts of Governor Blaojevich. Mr. Harris was sentenced to two years probation and ten days incarceration in connection with his role in Blagojevich’s attempt to sell the senate seat of Barack Obama.
- In the fall of 2012, was lead counsel in representing Karolina Obrycka in a Federal civil rights suit against Chicago police officer Anthony Abbate and the City of Chicago. Karolina Obrycka, while working as a bartender, was savagely beaten by Abbate who was off-duty at the time. In what has been described as a landmark decision, the jury found that there was a long-standing and pervasive “code of silence” within the Chicago Police Department to cover-up police officer misconduct.
- Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale, Illinois.
- Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Political Science, 1970
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2009 - 2025
