Michael L. Ralph, Sr. is a shareholder of the law firm of Ralph, Schwab, Gartner & Schiever, Chartered. His practice is focused upon contract law; construction law; debtors’ and creditors’ rights; mortgage foreclosure proceedings; bankruptcy proceedings; financial and business transactions; and litigation related to the above in state, bankruptcy and federal court, as well as non-judicial workouts. From 1972 to 1976, Mr. Ralph served as a judge advocate in the United States Marine Corps, performing duties as a prosecutor, defense counsel and military judge in over 350 trials. Mr. Ralph also performed duties as an Article 32 Investigating Officer, and provided legal assistance to military service members and their families.
Following Mr. Ralph’s military service, he served as a bankruptcy trustee in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. Throughout his civilian practice career, Mr. Ralph has represented debtors, creditors, and bankruptcy trustees in bankruptcy proceedings under Chapters 7, 11 and 13. Mr. Ralph has also served as a judicially appointed receiver, and has represented judicially appointed receivers, entities under receivership, and creditors in such proceedings. Mr. Ralph has represented non-judicial assignees in assignments for the benefit of creditors transactions, and business entities and creditors involved in assignments for benefit of creditors transactions.
Mr. Ralph has made presentations to groups including the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the Lake County Bar Association, the Association of Illinois Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, the Milwaukee County Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee, the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and various industry panels. He is a past chairman of the Lake County Bar Association Debtors and Creditors Rights Committee, the American Bankruptcy Institute and a member of the following bar associations: Lake County, Illinois, Wisconsin and the American Bar Association. Mr. Ralph is admitted to practice in the States of Illinois and Wisconsin, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and Western District of Wisconsin, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Mr. Ralph received his J.D. from Marquette University Law School in 1972, and received his B.A. from Carthage College in 1969.
Education:
Carthage College
Marquette University Law School
Distinctions:
Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps
Prosecutor, Defense Counsel, Military Judge
Article 32 Investigating Officer, Legal Assistance Officer
Chairman of the Lake County Bar Association Debtors And Creditors Rights Committee
Memberships:
American Bankruptcy Institute
Lake County Bar Association
Illinois Bar Association
Wisconsin Bar Association
American Bar Association