Larry R. Kane

Partner

lkane@davisfriedman.com
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Larry Kane is direct: "This is a hard business." But he adds, "I tell my clients that any time both parties can agree the case is over. The difficult thing is getting them both to agree, and that always takes too long."

In practice more than 45 years, Kane observes of his profession, "A lawyer is a legal salesman. We're selling our client's position to the other side and to the court. How do you sell something? You figure out what's most important to your client and what's most important to the other side."

He recalls a case in which he was representing the husband. "And no matter what happened, I knew the wife wanted to keep the big, huge house in Evanston. The husband got so many more things that were much more valuable. But while the case was pending, he couldn't see that. Eventually, he was very happy," he says with a chuckle. He adds that even in cases that are successful, the results can be mixed. "In order to come to a fair agreement, everyone has to be a little unhappy."

Among his achievements, Kane was the leader in drafting legislation for Illinois in 1991 that changed the way maintenance is awarded, and that clarified property settlement awards in family law cases. Before then, matters were far different. "Below I-80, ex-spouses didn't pay maintenance. There was a threshold that had to be met that was prohibitively difficult to achieve."

Looking back on his career, Kane misses the standards of collegiality and courtesy that used to prevail in legal work. He still upholds the traditions he considers fundamental, particularly in mentoring.

"I love being a lawyer, despite everything, including opponents and clients who lie. If someone wants to play games, I know how to respond . . . but I always try to do what I think is right. And I get very upset if someone doesn't want to do the same thing. My goal is to see both clients walk together down the aisle with their children. The kids suffer enough, no matter what happens in court, and I would like each case to go reasonably well enough for the parents to be able to put aside everything else for the sake of the children."

Admitted to the Bar

1965, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Education

University of Illinois, B.S., 1962

DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 1965

Professional Memberships

Fellow American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Illinois Chapter:
President, 1986-1987
Board of Managers, 1980-1996 and 1999-2005
Admissions Committee, 1988-1994, 1998-2009
Seminar Chair, 1997-1999 and 2004

National Chapter:
Chair Forensic Resource Guide Committee, 1995-1998
Chair, Certified List Committee, 1986-1988
Member, Focus on Forever Committee, 1998-2003

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Board of Directors (2000-2006) and volunteer (1994-present)

Cook County Circuit Court Domestic Relations Management Advisory Committee and Executive Committee, Member, 1986-1993
Chair, Calendar Management Subcommittee, 1986-1993

Hearing Officer, Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, 2002-present

Accomplishments and Publications

Consulting Editor, Nichols Illinois Civil Practice, Family Law Volume, 1999

Lecturer, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Illinois State Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association, 1980-present

Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America; Leading Lawyers of Illinois Super Lawyers; 100 Top Attorneys in Illinois