aa@akllaw.com

Algis K. Augustine graduated from Notre Dame in 1966, and the Law School of the University of Illinois in 1969. After graduating from law school, he entered private practice as an associate of Crowley, Barrett and Karaba until August of 1974.

From August 1974 through May 1979, Mr. Augustine was the Chief Regulatory Attorney for what is now called the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, where he was responsible for regulating over 600,000 professionals. In May of 1979, Mr. Augustine founded the law firm now known as Augustine, Kern and Levens, Ltd. He also served for five years on the Inquiry Panel for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission in Illinois, resigning in 1990.

Mr. Augustine currently represents primarily health-related professionals, such as doctors, dentists, nurses and so on, but has represented many different professionals with licensing and governmental problems in over thirty states and he is a nationally recognized speaker on professional disciplinary matters. He is an active member in good standing of the Illinois bar (1970) and is admitted to practice in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is also admitted to practice and in good standing in the States of New York (1982) and Colorado (1986).

jlevens@akllaw.com

Jeffrey B. Levens, earned his B.A. from the University of Illinois in 1971 with distinction in political science and a minor in journalism, while working as a reporter for the student newspaper, the Daily Illini, and other papers. After graduation, Jeff was a legislative intern in the Illinois Senate; then attended Loyola College of Law (Chicago), earning his Juris Doctorate in 1975.

In the late ‘70s, Jeff prosecuted professional license violations for the agency now known as the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. His supervisor then was his partner now: Al Augustine.

In 1980, Jeff and his friend, the late Timothy D. Sturm, founded Sturm & Levens, a general practice firm in Springfield, Illinois. Jeff practiced administrative law and represented some of the most successful realtors in the city in real estate and licensing matters, while also representing clients in wide ranging legal matters. He has conducted many jury and bench trials and, ever mindful of the expense to clients and relative uncertainty of litigation, is a skilled negotiator.

Jeff chaired the Springfield Human Relations Commission and Fair Housing Board, and in 2009 successfully defended a large Illinois real estate agency against allegations of racial discrimination before the Department of Human Rights.

Jeff is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court (1986); the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (1983); the federal district courts for the northern (1987), central and southern districts (1978) of Illinois; the Eastern District of Wisconsin (1994); and the State of Illinois (1975). He is a Law Member of the American College of Legal Medicine. He has authored more than 150 appeals in Illinois, New York and Tennessee, has argued many of them, and twice successfully opposed petitions for writ of certiorari to the U. S. Supreme Court.

jaya@akllaw.com 

Jaya F. Venkataramani earned her B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, from The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business, in 2002.  She then attended The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, graduating in 2006.  While in law school, she was an Associate Editor of The Ohio State Law Journal (2004-2006), participated on the First Amendment Moot Court Team (2005-2006), and received the CALI Award for Excellence in Employment Law (2005). 

David H. Dziura earned his B.S. from the University of Illinois in Chicago with high college honors in chemical engineering. He was president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (2001-02) and vice-president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2001-02). David then attended DePaul University College of Law, graduating in 2008 with a certificate in Intellectual Property: Patents. While in law school, David was a staff writer for the DePaul University Journal of Art, Technology & Intellectual Property Law (2007-08), and received a CALI Award for Excellence in Litigation Strategy: Civil (2008).