Meet the Attorneys

Michael A. Settanni focuses his practice on commercial and residential real estate, estate planning & administration, as well as providing counsel to new and established businesses and charitable organizations.

Having grown-up working in a small family business, he is dedicated to the needs of the small-business owner. From forming new entities, to negotiating and drafting agreements, to representing the business in litigation, he is a trusted resource that understands the stresses and demands faced by entrepreneurs.

Prior to joining Otto & Settanni, P.C., Mr. Settanni practiced in a Chicago firm in the areas of civil and criminal litigation. During that time, he served as second chair in a felony jury trial involving corruption within the City of Chicago; helped achieve the largest animal cruelty settlement in Illinois history at the time; and successfully recovered a disputed six-figure insurance policy for clients.

Representative matters include:

• Successfully recovered proceeds of disputed insurance policy in dispute between deceased insured’s family members.
• Represented estates before the Probate Court in the Circuit Court of Cook County and administered revocable and irrevocable trusts.
• Counseled clients on the estate planning process, and prepared estate plans featuring wills, revocable & irrevocable trusts, annual gifts, and estate tax minimization.
• Formed business entities for start-up companies in industries as diverse as construction, food service & hospitality, real estate investment, and retail sales.
• Negotiated and drafted contracts for clients in the fields of software development & support, construction, property management, food service & hospitality, investment, and e-business.
• Represented commercial landlords in forcible entry & detainer (eviction) matters, and drafted and negotiated leases.
• Advised buyers & sellers of residential real estate, and represented them at closing.

He is a member of the Estates & Trusts section of the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Probate Law and Trust Law committees of the Chicago Bar Association.

Contact Michael A. Settanni today for assistance with the following practice areas:

• Estate Planning
• Estate & Trust Administration.
• Business Formation & Small Business Counseling
• Corporate Law
• Condominium Law
• Litigation
• Real Estate

Education:

J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, 2009

B.A., University of Iowa, 2006

Bar Admissions:

Illinois, 2009

Professional Memberships:

Illinois State Bar Association (Estates & Trusts Section)

Chicago Bar Association (Probate & Trust Law Committees) 

Civic:

Overture Council for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra 

For almost 40 years, Frederick J. Otto has been advising individuals, business, and charitable organizations. He brings a rare and valuable perspective to client matters, holding advanced degrees in both taxation and intellectual property.

Representative accomplishments during his career include: 

• Negotiating and closing various multimillion dollar deals involving the sale of corporate assets in the chemical, medical, and computer fields.
• Assisting clients in developing raw ideas into companies with multimillion dollar yearly revenues in fields as diverse as cellular tower construction, general contracting, chemicals, manufacturing, and excavating.
• Recovering over $600,000 for clients defrauded in a securities transaction.
• Preparing public offering for an oil and gas developer that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as multiple state securities departments.
• Counseling clients in estate planning, and estate and trust administration. He has served as a trustee for several client’s trust agreements, and has been responsible for investing portfolios as large as $10 million.
• Serving as general counsel to chemical research and development company. 
  

Mr. Otto is proud to be both a Park Ridge resident and business owner. Contact him today to discuss your legal issues. He concentrates his practice in the following areas:

• Estate Planning
• Estate & Trust Administration
• Business Formation & Small Business Counseling
• Corporate Law
• Securities
• Patents, Copyrights, & Trademarks
• Real Estate Law

Education:

LL.M., Intellectual Property, John Marshall Law School, 1990

LL.M., Taxation, DePaul University College of Law, 1983

J.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1973

B.S., Mathematics & Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1971

Certifications:

Certified Public Accountant, 1981

Bar Admissions:

Illinois, 1973

Nebraska, 1973 (Inactive)

U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (1984)

Courts:

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (1991)

Federal Tax Court (1984)

Publications:

Who owns the copyright in software after CCNV v. Reid? Mertens Law of Federal Income Taxation Highlights, September 1990.

Civic:

Rotary District Governor, District 6450 (“Birth Place of Rotary”), 2000-2001

Rotary Recreational & Vocational Fellowship of Law, Chairman, 1998-2005; Secretary 2007-Present

Paul and Jean Harris’ Home Foundation, trustee and museum founder.