Michael H. Erde has been practicing law in Chicago for over 39 years. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association and a former chairman of their estate tax and elder law committee, the Chicago Bar Association's Probate Committee, and the Illinois Bar Association's Trust Committee. He is a certified Elder Law Attorney, certified by the National Elder Law Foundation (the Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certification) and he was a member of the Illinois Alliance for Aging. He is on the board and Treasurer of the Greater North Shore Estate Planning Council, and formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Irene Josselyn Center for Mental Health. He was a founder of the Chicago Bar Association Asset Protection Committee and chairman of its Elder Law Committee.

Mr. Erde has been an instructor/lecturer on Estates, Elder Law, Guardianships and trusts at numerous accounting, religious, corporate and educational institutions, and has made presentations for the U.S. Customs Service, the Controller of the Currency, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Business Institute, on television, and for a major cruise line. He is the author of numerous articles on Elder Law, Medicaid, Trusts and Asset Protection.

In addition, Mr. Erde previously managed over 40 commercial and residential real estate properties. Prior to going into private practice, he was a trust officer of the Exchange National Bank (now Bank of America) and a member of the tax department of an accounting firm. Mr. Erde currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois and is married with two daughters. He was a member of the Ravinia Festival Community Relations Commissions. He volunteers for the Chicago Bar Association Senior Will Program. He has been appointed by the probate court of Cook County as Guardian Ad Litem on Guardianships and as special administrator on probate (decedent) matters. He was chairman of the ISBA Business and Financial Planning Committee.  Nominated as a Super Lawyer in Elder Law by his peers.

Visit Michael Erde's Blog at:  http://mhe-ederlaw.blogspot.com 

Year Joined Organization

• 1980

Areas of Practice

• Elder Law
• Estate Planning
• Guardianships
• Probate & Estate Administration
• Business Organizations

Litigation Percentage

• 15% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certification/Specialties

• Certified Elder Law Attorney, NELF (Supreme Court does not recognize NAELA certification)
• Real Estate Broker, Illinois, 1972

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1969
• U.S. Federal Court, 1969
• U.S. Tax Court, 1973

Education

• University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois, 1968
  J.D.
  
  
• John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois
  Master in Tax Credits
  
  
• Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, 1965
  B.S.
  Honors: Dean's List
  
  

Published Works

• Probate, Northwest Sub Bar Journal
• Trustee, Individual or Bank, Northwest Sub Bar Journal
• New Developments in Estate Planning, Probate, Taxes, Northwest Suburban Bar Journal
• Trustees Individuals or Institutions, Northwest Suburban Bar Journal
• Frogs, Dogs (as pet therapy) & Chimpanzees & the Elder Law Attorney, ISBA Elder Law Journal
• How I Become an Elder Law Attorney, ISBA Elder Law Journal
• Elder Abuse Article, ISBA Elder Law Journal
• How to Make a Summary Care Plan, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) - Special Needs Trusts

Representative Clients

• Devon Bank (As Executor & Trustee)
• Bank of America formerly La Salle National Bank (As Guardian)
• Pro-Pak Packing Company
• Sadie Kravitz, Real Estate Development

References

• Judge Michael Jordan
• Judge Lee Preston
• Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund- Dennis Norton
• Melvin Gottlieb
• Alex Gruzmark
• Barbara DeCaster

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Lecturer, Elder Law, Medicare and Elder Law, Living Trusts, Asset Protection and Tax in Probate, National Business Institute, Half Moon Company LLC and Lorman Education Services including Top 10 Estate Planning Techniques & More in 2008
• Lecturer, Estates and Trusts, Local Adult Education Programs
• Lecturer, Trusts, Centel Company
• Lecturer, Trusts, People's Court
• Lecturer, Trusts, Various CPA Firms
• Lecturer, Trusts, Senior Citizens Centers
• Lecturer, Trusts, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund
• Guest Lecturer, Wills, Trusts and Estate Taxes, Holland-America Cruise Lines
• Estate Planning and Elder Law, Television and Radio Appearances
• Lecturer, Seminar on Planning for Disabled Beneficiaries, Families of Children with Down's Syndrome
• Lecturer, Seminar on Estate Planning & Asset Protection, Lake County Apartment Owners Association
• Lecturer, Seminar on Estate Planning, U.S. Customs and Environmental Protection Agencies
• Presenter, Senior Citizens Law Day and Law at the Library, Chicago Public Library
• Lecturer, Seminars on Y2K, Elder Law Attorney and Internet Websites
• Lecturer, Seminars on Estate Planning, Multiple Sclerosis Society's Law Day Meeting
• Lecturer, Seminars on Supplemental Needs Trusts, Advocates Behind Legal Education
• Lecturer Attorneys Guarantee Title on Medicaid & Elder Law

Honors and Awards

• President Chamber Commerce Award
• Champion of Alzheimer Research Award

Professional Associations and Memberships

• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  Member and Counsel for Advanced Practitioners
  
  
• Northwest Suburban Bar Association, 1986
  Probate Forms and Suburban Practice Committee
  
  
• Edgebrook and Sauganash Chamber of Commerces, 1994 - Present
  Director and Counsel
  
  
• Peterson-Pulaski Industrial Council
  Director and Counsel
  
  
• Lake County Apartment Owners Association
  Director and Counsel
  
  
• Chicago Bar Association
  Member, Senior Citizens Will Program
  
  
• Illinois State Bar
  Member, Committee on Trusts
  
  
• Northwest Suburban Bar Association (NWSBA)- Chairman, Committee on Wills, Trusts, Probate and Elder Law and Board of Governors
  
  
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  Member
  
  
• Illinois Alliance for Aging and Ravinia Festival Community Relations Commission
  Member
  
  
• Irene Josselyn Center for Mental Health
  Member, Board of Directors
  
  
• Attorneys' Title Guaranty Fund
  Agent
  
  
• Cook County Guardianship Proceedings
  Guardian Ad Litem
  
  
• Lake County Adoption Cases
  Former Guardian Ad Litem
  
  
• Northwest Community Mental Health Center
  Member, Advisory Board
  
  
• Illinois Bar Association
  Member, Section Committee in Elder Law
  
  
• Illinois Bar Association, 2001 - 2002
  Chairman, Business Advice & Financial Planning Section Council
  
  
• Chicago Bar Association, 1998 - 1999
  Chairman, Elder Law Committee
  
  
• Chicago Bar Association, 1999
  Member, Nominating Committee
  
  
• Chicago Bar Association, 2000
  Founder and Chairman, Asset Protection Committee
  
  
• Illinois State Bar Association
  Vice Chairman, Business Advice and Financial Planning Committee
  
  
• Chicago Bar Association
  Former Chairman, Probate Committee
  
  
• Illinois Department on Aging
  Member, Elder Abuse and Neglect Program Multidisciplinary Team
  
  
• Greater North Shore Estate Planning Council
  Member, Board of Directors, Treasurer
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Lake County, Illinois, Guardian Ad Litem, 1990
• Exchange National Bank (now Bank of America), Trust Officer
• Arthur Andersen, Tax Department

Ancillary Businesses

• Licensed Real Estate Broker
• Manager of over Thirty Units of Real Estate;
• Exchange National Bank, Former Trust Officer
• Arthur Andersen, Former Member of Tax Department
• ARAG Prepaid Legal Services
• Volunteer Auctioneer for Charities (SP)

Fraternities/Sororities

• Phi Alpha Delta
• Zeta Beta Tau

Birth Information

• April 28, 1943, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America