Making A Difference For Dads
Our Chicago based law firm has a demonstrated record of success on behalf of fathers in custody disputes arising in divorce and paternity cases, in related matters such as domestic violence protection orders, and in post-decree matters such as child abduction, parent relocation and modification of child support orders.
Biography
As the father of a young adult, Andrey B. Filipowicz realizes that the cases litigated by the firm have a value greater than any monetary award. Mr. Filipowicz is an aggressive and tireless advocate for the rights of fathers and children..
Mr. Filipowicz, a graduate of Northwestern University, earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago in international relations. He speaks fluent Spanish and Ukrainian and is conversant in German, Russian and Polish. He received his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 1984.
Mr. Filipowicz is a distinguished member of the Trial Bar for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and is licensed to practice law in Illinois, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Seventh Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has represented firm clients in appeals in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon and in the United States Supreme Court.
Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd., Mr. Filipowicz concentrated his practice in the fields of family law, federal litigation, and appellate practice. He has litigated highly complex federal civil cases, and prior to joining the firm secured jury verdicts in federal civil cases in excess of $1 million.
Mr. Filipowicz was honored by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children "in recognition and appreciation for outstanding commitment to the protection of children and the knowledge of the Hague Convention on the civil aspects of international child abduction." He has helped reunite many fathers with their children in this country and worldwide.
Mr. Filipowicz has been selected to serve as a member of The United States Central Authority's Attorney Network, a group of skilled lawyers who are referred Hague Convention cases by the U.S. Department of State, Office of Children's Issues.
Mr. Filipowicz was selected by his peers in the legal community as an "Illinois Super Lawyer" after an extensive nomination and polling process conducted by Law & Politics.
Mr. Filipowicz was invited by the White House Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships as an expert resource to join White House staff and others to participate in the first White House Town Hall Meeting on Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families.
CASE VICTORIES:
- Coordinated legal efforts in the U.S. and China to recover a kidnapped child in Shanghai.
- Won custody case for Iraqi War veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Successfully reversed an Indiana trial court's decision as to the allocation of client's Marine Corps pension in Indiana Court of Appeals.
- Won an important Illinois Appellate Court ruling on back child support. Case was reversed, remanded and settled.
- Hague victory: Reunited Polish father seeking return of his daughters to Poland.
- Hague victory: Reunited Mexican father seeking return of his son to Mexico.
- On the first day of a trial, Mr. Filipowicz got an abusive mother to admit she hit the client's child on multiple occasions and admitted that she is severely mentally ill and unable to take care of herself, let alone the child. At the close of the mother's testimony, the judge granted the client custody due to Mr. Filipowicz's sharp cross-examinations.
Education
- DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
- Juris Doctor - 1984
- Northwestern University, Illinois
- University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
- Masters Degree in International Relations
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1984
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1989
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1990
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1986
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1996
Practice Areas
- Family Law
- High Net Worth Divorce
Honors
- Illinois Super Lawyer
Professional Associations
- United States Central Authority’s Attorney Network, Member
Languages
- English
- Spanish
- Slavic
- German
- Russian
- Polish
- Ukrainian