Enter legal issue and location
Lisle Criminal Lawyer
Overview
Terry Ekl is a founding member of the law firm of Ekl, Williams & Provenzale and has over 40 years of experience representing public and private sector clients in federal and state litigation. Throughout his career, Terry has distinguished himself as a tireless advocate for his clients in both civil and criminal cases. Terry has obtained successful verdicts and settlements in numerous high profile cases including, “code of silence” cases against the City of Chicago, wrongful death cases, civil rights cases, and malicious prosecution cases. Terry’s career has also focused on defending those wrongfully accused and he has successfully represented elected officials, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and municipalities in criminal and civil actions.
Throughout his career, Terry has not only stood out in his legal community as a zealous advocate for his clients but his fair, practical and common sense approach has also been sought out by counties, local municipalities, and law enforcement agencies to conduct internal investigations and recommend policy reforms.
Terry is a former president of the DuPage County Bar Association, a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Illinois Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
About Terry A. Ekl
Current Employment Position(s)
- Partner
Languages
- English (Primary)
Practice Areas
- Criminal
- Civil Litigation
- Criminal Defense
- Litigation & Appeals
- Car Accident
- Civil Rights
- DUI/DWI
- Personal Injury
- Wrongful Death
Representative Clients
- Brad Staubitz
- Chris Chelios
- City of Chicago
- City of Naperville
- City of St. Charles
- County of DuPage
- Dennis Sevard
- Derrick Rose
- Ecolabs, Inc.
- Ed Olczyk
- Google, Inc.
- John Harris, the former Chief of Staff to impeached Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
- Koch Industries
- Lamont Bryant, Former Marshall High School, boy’s basketball coach
- Lee Daniels, House Minority Leader
- Louis Bianchi, the elected State’s Attorney of McHenry County
- Michael McFatridge, Former Edgar County State’s Attorney
- Navistar International, Inc.
- OfficeMax, Incorporated
- Starlin Castro
- Suntory Industries
- Tomy, Inc.
- Town of Cicero
- Village of Mt. Prospect
- Western DuPage Recycling and Transfer Station
- DeKalb County
- McHenry County
- Lake County
Representative Cases
- Karolina Obrycka v. Chicago police officer Anthony Abbate and the City of Chicago (2012)
- Bostick, et al. v. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassumbaum, Inc., et al., Circuit Court Number 92 L 1695
- People v. Knight, 18th Judicial Circuit, Court Number 96 CF 2589
- Peter Burchard v. Richard Furstenau
- Lamb v. Combs et al., 17 cv 50280 (Northern District of Illinois)
- McCullough v. DeKalb County, 17 cv 50116 (Northern District of Illinois)
- Navistar v. Fernandez, 2009 WL 9091041 (2nd District App.)
- Bianchi v. McQueen, 2016 Il App (2nd) 150646 (2nd District App.)
- opez v. City of Chicago, L 9648 (2006)
- lstory Simon v. Northwestern University, 15-CV-1433
- Holmes v. LaSalle County, 13-CV-6997
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1973
- Supreme Court of Illinois, 1973
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1973
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1983
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1987
- U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois, 2006
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2007
Other Affiliations
- American College of Trial Lawyers, 2006 (Inducted as a Fellow)
- American College of Trial Attorneys, 2009 - Present (Upstate Illinois Membership Committee, Member)
- Illinois Supreme Court Illinois Pattern Jury Instruction (Criminal IPI), 2003 - Present (Committee Member)
- DuPage County Bar Association, 1996 - 1997 (President)
- DuPage County Bar Association, 1992 (Criminal Law Committee, Chairman)
- DuPage County Bar Association, 1995 - 1996 (2nd Vice President)
- DuPage County Bar Association, 1997 - 1999 (Judiciary Committee, Chairman)
- DuPage County Bar Association, 1994 - 1996 (Judiciary Committee, Member)
- Chicago Bar Association, 1982 - 1984 (Defense of Indigent Prisoners Committee)
Classes and Seminars
- Loyola University Law School lecture, Loyola Law School, 2015 - Present
- Lake County Inns of Court Presentation, Fred Foreman, 2016 - Present
- Association of Government Lawyers speech, Joseph Birkett, 2004 - Present
Pro Bono Activities
- President, DuPage Bar Foundation, 1997 - 1998
- Chairman, DuPage Family Fun Days to Benefit Special Olympic Athletes, 1996 - 1998
- Vice President of the West Suburban Foundation for Disabled Veterans, 2005 - Present
- Volunteer Baseball Coach Wheaton Park District, 1995 - 2002
- Volunteer Football Coach at St. Michaels grade school, 2000 - 2003
- Volunteer Football Coach at Wheaton-Warrenville South High School, 2004 - Present
Past Positions
- Assistant State’s Attorney’s Office, Felony Trial Division, Cook County, Illinois, 1973 - 1977
- Connolly & Ekl, P.C., Clarendon Hills, Illinois 60514, Partner, 1978 - 1988
- Connolly, Ekl & Williams, P.C., Clarendon Hills, Illinois 60514, Partner, 1988 - 2006
- Ekl Williams PLLC, Lisle, Illinois 60532, Partner, 2006 - 2011
- United States Marine Corp. Reserve, First Lieutenant, 1969 - 1973
- Cook County, Hired as a Special Assistant State’s Attorney, 1983
Education
- University of Illinois College of Law, Illinois, 1973
J.D. - Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale, Illinois
- Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 1970
Honors: All-Big Ten Academic Football Team 1968 -1969
Honors: President Delta Upsilon Fraternity
Major: Political Science
Fraternities and Sororities
- Delta Upsilon
Fees
Accepts Credit Cards
Office Information
Address
901 Warrenville Rd.Suite 175 Lisle, IL 60532
Phone
Fax
- 630-654-8318
Websites
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About Terry A. Ekl
Included on the 2025 Illinois Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2024 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2013 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2012 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2011 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2010 Illinois Super Lawyers list
- 2009 Illinois Super Lawyers list
Honors
- Inductee as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, 2006 - Present
- Member of the Upstate Illinois membership committee for the American College of Trial Lawyers, 2009 - 2018
- Member of the Illinois Supreme Court Pattern Jury Instruction Committee, 2003 - 2016
- President of the DuPage County Bar Assoc. , 1996 - 1997
- Super Lawyer, 2014 - 2018
When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.
Write Your Review
Fields marked with an * are required
Map Location
How do I choose a lawyer?
Consider the following:
- Comfort Level
- - Are you comfortable telling the lawyer personal information? Does the lawyer seem interested in solving your problem?
- Credentials
- - How long has the lawyer been in practice? Has the lawyer worked on other cases similar to yours?
- Cost
- - How are the lawyer's fees structured - hourly or flat fee? Can the lawyer estimate the cost of your case?
- City
- - Is the lawyer's office conveniently located?
Not sure what questions to ask a lawyer?
Here are a few to get you started:
- How long have you been in practice?
- How many cases like mine have you handled?
- How often do you settle cases out of court?
- What are your fees and costs?
- What are the next steps?
Want to check lawyer discipline?
It is always a good idea to research your lawyer prior to hiring. Every state has a disciplinary organization that monitors attorneys, their licenses, and consumer complaints. By researching lawyer discipline you can:
- Ensure the attorney is currently licensed to practice in your state
- Gain an understanding of his or her historical disciplinary record, if any.
- Determine the seriousness of complaints/issues which could range from late bar fees to more serious issues requiring disciplinary action.