Principal Mallory Moreno devotes her practice to her passion of advocating on behalf of the aging population and individuals with disabilities, many of whom are unable to speak for themselves. Her extensive experience helping clients find a sense of peace during their moments of crisis, such as losing a loved one, being faced with unforeseen health problems, experiencing family strife or planning for expensive long-term care, are what Mallory finds most rewarding about the practice of law.
Mallory’s practice focuses in adult guardianships, both contested and non-contested, estate and trust administration and litigation, including financial exploitation, will and trust contests, fiduciary disputes, issues of capacity, powers of attorneys, undue influence, financial exploitation, citations and fraud. Clients value Mallory’s compassionate, pragmatic and collaborative approach to resolving issues while she remains conscientious of their unique needs, tailoring plans accordingly. A large portion of her practice is also dedicated to long-term care planning, Medicaid, Medicaid appeals, estate planning, special needs planning and disability law.
Mallory is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), which is an exclusive honor bestowed to a select group of attorneys by the National Elder Law Foundation. As of 2021, there are only 17 CELAs in Illinois providing creative solutions for clients who are faced with elder law issues.
Mallory serves as president of the Illinois Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (IL NAELA), an organization that is closely involved in advancing legislation on behalf of elder law attorneys and their clients, which ensures that she stays abreast of the latest legislative updates in this space. She also chairs many of IL NAELA’s committees. Mallory is also a reoccurring faculty speaker for Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) as well as other organizations. In addition, Mallory serves as co-chair of the young lawyers’ section of the Chicago Bar Association’s Serving our Seniors Committee.
Mallory has been named an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers, which is an honor awarded to fewer than 2% of all lawyers in Illinois. Super Lawyers has named her a Rising Star in Elder Law and she was given the Distinguished Lawyer Designation from the Expert Network, a leading invitation-only network for professionals who have contributed meaningfully to their field, who can demonstrate a distinct perspective on the future of their profession and are considered thought leaders. Mallory was recognized as one of 40 Under 40 to Watch in 2022 in Illinois in by Law Bulletin Media.
Community service plays an important role in Mallory’s life. Mallory, along with a family member who has disabilities, volunteers for the Special Olympics. She believes that her personal experiences involving the challenging issues clients with disabilities face enhance her ability to provide swift and thorough resolutions to legal issues. She also volunteers and is a board member of a not for profit called W.A.L.L.S., Inc. (Working Adults Learning Lifelong Skills), which is a life skills center for adults with disabilities. At Chuhak & Tecson, Mallory serves on the Recruitment Committee.
In her free time, Mallory and her family enjoy outings at the zoo, traveling (when it’s safe), and visiting grandparents, family and friends. Other activities people may find her engaging in include reading, cooking and crafts.
