Howard W. Feldman
Founding PartnerContact Howard
Phone: 217-544-3403
Fax: 217-544-1593
Email: hfeldman@feldmanwasser.com
Areas of Practice
Alimony & Spousal Support
Divorce
Prenuptial Agreements
Estate Planning
Family Law
Litigation & Appeals
Real Estate Law
Construction Law
Criminal Law
Howard Feldman focuses his practice on matrimonial law issues including large family law estates and complex custody matters. He also concentrates on complex construction matters including bid disputes and building problems. About 90% of his practice involves litigation, including general complex civil litigation.
Howard is known for putting people first. That’s why he fought for seven years in the infamous legal trial against the Illinois Department of Transportation when it fired 16 IDOT employees for their political affiliation. And when numerous Illinois prison inmates and their families came to him alleging mistreatment by the corrections system, Howard was happy to take on the government repeatedly to protect their civil rights.
Howard considers himself a problem-solver when dealing with people and the law. For example, in the Illinois construction industry, where he has an impressive track record, Howard is well-known for cutting to the heart of matters and achieving business-friendly resolutions quickly. He has an in-depth regulatory knowledge acquired from his background as a general counsel and a special assistant attorney general for the Illinois Capital Development Board, which oversees all state construction projects. He is an active member of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys.
Peers respect Howard’s compassion and empathy for clients, his outstanding service, and his admirable professional ethics. For these reasons, Howard served as an appointed adviser to the revision of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, which regulates parenting time, out-of-state relocation and same-sex marriage. Since 2003, he has been a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
His desire to provide high-end, superior-quality legal services to ordinary businesses and individuals — not big corporations — is the principled commitment that makes Howard W. Feldman one of the most highly regarded central Illinois attorneys.
For more insights about Howard’s practice and the trust others have for him, please read this 2010 Leading Lawyers Magazine article.
Honors and Awards
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, fellow, 2003-present
- Leading Lawyers, Construction Law, Family Law, 2003-present
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1973
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
- 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- Indiana University at Bloomington School of Law, J.D., 1973
- Purdue University, B.S., 1968
Cases and Results
- Negotiated, tried and settled numerous multiparty construction disputes throughout Illinois.
- Successfully acted as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association in construction matters and prosecuted and defended mechanics lien issues arising out of construction disputes.
- Among his high-profile civil rights cases are some involving the prison system. In the federal jury trial of Meyers v. DeMarco, he obtained a judgment against the Sangamon County Sheriff’s office for their deliberate indifference to an inmate of the Sangamon County Jail. He brought another lawsuit against the sheriff’s office that resulted in a significant settlement for the grieving mother of a deceased inmate.
- In Whitlow v. The Illinois Department of Transportation, Howard, colleague Carl Draper, and a FeldmanWasser team relentlessly pursued justice for 16 Department of Transportation employees who were fired for their Republican party affiliation. Ultimately, IDOT awarded the employees compensation for their lost time and distress, reemployment with IDOT, and full payment of all their legal fees.
- Howard has defended complex federal financial criminal matters.
- In Waldrop v. Fisher, when the verdict he won for a mother seeking to move her child out of state was overturned on appeal, he argued to overturn the appellate decision before the Illinois Supreme Court. Because of the case, non-married parents with child custody now must seek court permission before relocating out of state.
- Howard regularly appears before the 4th District Illinois Appellate Court. Recently, he succeeded in having a trial court’s award of spousal rehabilitative maintenance in a long-term maintenance trial overturned. The appellate court directed that the award become permanent maintenance.
Professional Memberships
Illinois State Bar Association
- Board of Governors, 2000-present
- Assemblyman, 1988-1989
- Committee on Administrative Law, Chairman, 1980
- Forum Committee on Construction Law, 1979
Sangamon County Bar Association
Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys
American Bar Association
Employment
- FeldmanWasser, founding partner, 1987-present
- Private practice, 1982-1987
- Capital Development Board, general counsel, 1979-1982
- Office of the Illinois Attorney General, assistant attorney general, 1973-1979
Publications
Handbook on Illinois Administrative Law, chapters on Illinois Court of Claims Civil Service Commission, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education