Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
Joliet Patch is the only news outlet to regularly bring you exclusives examining the Will County Courthouse civil docket. Here's our latest. JOLIET, IL — Rathbun, Cservenyak and Kozol, "one of the largest, oldest and best recognized law firms in Will County," according to its own lawsuit, has filed an injunctive relief complaint against attorney Michael Lichner and his new LiSi Law. In March of 2023, Joliet Patch published a press release from Rathbun, Cservenyak, and Kozol LLC announcing the promotion of Lichner to law firm partner. Now, according to the Joliet law firm's lawsuit against him, "defendant abruptly resigned on September 17, 2025, at 1:15 p.m. by handing a three-page resignation letter to the managing partner. On September 18, 2025, defendant sent out correspondence to approximately 60 clients requesting them to join him at LiSi Law ... when departing RCK, defendant Lichner took five files with him, which contained settlement moneys in the RCK trust account for weeks to months before his departure without telling anyone about the money or disbursing client funds before his departure." According to the Oct. 15 lawsuit filed at the Will County Courthouse, Lichner became a licensed attorney in 2010 and was employed at RCK as an associate attorney in 2011 and became a non-equity partner in 2023. Lichner then resigned from the Joliet law firm located along Executive Drive, off Essington Road, on Sept. 17. "Mr. Lichner has never acted a lead trial attorney at any jury trial but has instead worked under the direct supervision of Mr. Cservenyak," the lawsuit asserted. Mr. Lichner Deleted The Offer Letters: Lawsuit The lawsuit explains that "while still employed at RCK, Mr. Lichner received settlement offers from various insurance companies related to ongoing claims and injury litigation for RCK clients, which offers he was obligated to convey to the respective clients and to inform his supervisory attorneys at RCK. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Mr. Lichner deleted the offer letters, failed to inform his supervising attorney of the offers, and declined to settle such injury cases while still employed at RCK. "Mr. Lichner formed LiSi Law PC as an Illinois Limited Liability Company on June 23, 2023, and for at least one year prior to his departing from RCK, Mr. Lichner actively undertook precatory steps to furnish LiSi Law PC with RCK clients, client lists, forms and otherwise used RCK property to outfit and equip his competing law firm," the lawsuit reveals. On Monday evening, Joliet Patch contacted LiSi Law seeking reaction from Lichner. A woman who answered the phone on behalf of LiSi Law, later spoke with Lichner and notified Joliet Patch, "he is aware of the lawsuit and is looking forward to his day in court." According to the lawsuit, "Mr. Lichner has also mimicked and appropriated RCK's advertising, including on his website, by claiming credit for successful verdicts and settlements which were actually obtained by RCK and in particular by Mr. Cservenyak. The foregoing settlements and verdicts constitute a means by which RCK truthfully promotes itself and Mr. Lichner's palming -off of such successes as his own is untruthful, is a type of unfair competition and deceptive practice which dilutes the value and effectiveness of the advertising undertaken by RCK ..." Plaintiff: LiSi Law LLC and Mr. Lichner Are Intentionally Using Materially False And Misleading Advertisements The lawsuit brought forward the former Rathbun, Cservenyak and Kozol lawyer indicates that Lichner and his LiSi Law "includes a claim of credit" for the following cases: $7.6 million for a trucking collision $1.3 million for a rear-end collision $933,731 for a right of way collision $872,500 for a traumatic brain injury $715,000 for a dog attack $650,000 for a semi-truck collision $575,000 for a pedestrian accident $505,000 for a dog bite incident $500,000 for an ATV accident $500,000 for a rear end collision $486,294 for a motorcycle accident $425,000 for a slip and fall accident $380,000 for a red-light collision $325,000 for a fall injury $320,000 for a slip and fall. $300,000 for a bicycle accident $285,000 for a fall injury $280,000 for a bicycle accident $275,000 for a head-on collision $250,000 for a train accident $231,000 for a dog attack $185,000 for an ATV accident $130,00 for a T-bone collision According to RCK's lawsuit, "the foregoing were actually matters where RCK was hired by the respective clients, the work was performed by RCK, the cases were funded by RCK, managed by RCK, and the results obtained were actually obtained by RCK — and not LiSi Law LCC or Mr. Lichner. " From page nine of the 14-page lawsuit, "LiSi Law LLC and Mr. Lichner are intentionally using materially false and misleading advertisements and claims to the detriment of RCK, misleading the public in general about the true successes of RCK, are attempting to dilute and palm-off the successes of RCK as its/their own ... RCK has no adequate remedy at law to stop either LiSi Law LLC or its sole member, Michael Lichner, from falsely claiming as its or his own successes those successes which actually belong to RCK, nor does RCK have an adequate remedy at law to protect against the ongoing and deceptive practices and misappropriation of RCK's reputation, advertising and successes." Plaintiff RCK Demands Judgment In Its Favor Against Defendant Lichner: Andreano In June 2023, Lichner registered with the Illinois Secretary of State and listed himself as the business owner and LiSi Law LLC and the address of the business was his personal residence in Homer Glen, the lawsuit noted. "Defendant has renewed the corporation each year thereafter. Furthermore, defendant Lichner has maintained his own website willcountyinjurylawyer.com for over the past five years, listing plaintiff's office in Joliet and its satellite offices in Plainfield and Naperville, none of which were his own offices. Defendant Lichner also registered himself as a business on Google, listing that business's office with the address of RCK's office in Joliet." On behalf of Rathbun, Cservenyak and Kozol, downtown Joliet attorney Frank Andreano of Andreano Law has asked that Will County's judges enter "a preliminary and permanent injunction against both Lichner and LiSi Law LLC and for him and them to be ordered to cease and desist from its false and deceptive advertising and for all such other and further relief this court deems proper, just and fit." The lawsuit also advises Will County's judges that, "egregiously and in bad faith, defendant Lichner intentionally acted adversely to the interests of plaintiff RCK and acted in a manner contrary to his role at plaintiff RCK and for his own personal gain by his misconduct. Plaintiff RCK has been injured by defendant Lichner's numerous breaches of his fiduciary duties in an amount exceeding $75,000. Plaintiff RCK demands judgment in its favor against defendant Lichner in an amount in excess of the jurisdictional minimum of $75,000 and such amount as the court or jury may determine along with its costs of suit ..."
