Joe and Ed attended law school together at Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana where they both graduated with honors and were members of the Indiana Law Journal. They were partners together at Winston & Strawn LLP, one of the nation's premier law firms where they both worked extensively with one of the nation's premier trial lawyers, Dan Webb. Joe and Ed each spent more than a decade defending some of the largest commercial enterprises in the United States. In 2007, Joe and Ed decided to form Zaknoen & Zaknoen LLC.

Joe Zaknoen - "The opportunity to form Zaknoen & Zaknoen LLC with my brother Ed appealed to me at a number of levels. I had spent the past fifteen years at Winston & Strawn LLP defending some of America’s largest corporations. I had worked on a number of the largest civil litigation matters in the nation’s history, including the largest civil RICO action ever tried, United States v. Philip Morris, as well as Engel v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., and State of Washington v. American Tobacco Co.. These cases often were the subject of front-page news stories in the nation’s leading newspapers. While at Winston & Strawn, I had the opportunity to work on trial teams led by Dan Webb, an attorney whom many have characterized as the nation’s best trial lawyer. But the demands of high-stakes litigation followed by lengthy and complex trials took me away from my family and my home frequently, often for months at a time."

"I knew the skills I had acquired at Winston & Strawn LLP could be put to work serving clients in my own community. The individuals and businesses in this community deserve the same level of knowledge, experience, ability, and integrity that my large corporate clients demanded of me, at rates they can afford. I realized I could deliver high quality legal service in my own community at rates my neighbors can afford and still have the dynamic, challenging, and professionally fulfilling practice which I enjoyed at Winston & Strawn LLP."

"The legal issues facing a small business owner or an individual in this community are no less challenging because the dollar amounts involved are lower. A business owner facing litigation or an individual navigating unfamiliar legal terrain each in their own way has just as much at stake as the corporate clients I represented whose legal matters often became front-page national news."

"I also decided to establish a practice here in Flossmoor because doing so would allow me to connect with my community and service the legal needs of my friends and neighbors. The opportunity to participate in community activities, such as attending school board and village government meetings, and, in appropriate cases, to serve on a pro bono basis those in the community whose means are such that they cannot afford an attorney is something to which I have long aspired."

"My goal at Zaknoen & Zaknoen LLC is to continue to deliver high-quality legal services to all my clients, to take on cases the outcome of which will be substantial and meaningful to my clients, and to build a law practice which earns a reputation for fairness, integrity, and results."

Ed Zaknoen - "When my brother Joe and I decided to start our own law firm, I was excited for a number of reasons. We had graduated from law school together and worked together for a number of years at Winston & Strawn LLP on very large civil cases, sometimes spending months on the road. I think we both wanted to have the type of practice where we were more connected to our clients and our communities, where there weren't scores of lawyers involved and billions of dollars at stake. Trying to start your own law firm can be a daunting task but being able to do it with your brother makes it a lot easier. We've always worked well together and we're a good team. I look forward to the two of us being able to bring the same high level of legal representation to smaller and medium sized businesses and to our individual clients."

"I believe I bring a unique blend of experience to the practice of law. Before joining Winston & Strawn, I worked at a small law firm in a smaller market, where I represented individuals in matters that were important to them but where large dollar amounts were not at stake. I also worked for that firm's larger clients. I enjoyed the variety of cases that come with a general litigation practice. The experience I gained at Lucas, Holcomb & Medrea was extremely valuable. For example, I recall one case on which I worked that involved the sale of a parcel of real estate where the contract was literally written on the back of a restaurant check. It was a classic law school scenario that was a real case for us. That's just one example of the wide variety of cases and issues that come your way in a general practice. The ability to handle these varied matters effectively is what makes the practice of law so challenging."

"In 1996, I had the good fortune to join Winston & Strawn, one of the nation's top law firms. It was quite a change from my prior practice. When I joined Winston & Strawn, I had the unique opportunity to work on some of the largest civil cases in U.S. legal history, with some of the best trial lawyers in America. For much of my time at Winston & Strawn, the tobacco cases on which I was working were reported frequently on the front pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. It was an illuminating experience seeing legal and political events unfold from the inside. In those cases we were dealing with virtually the whole modern history of the tobacco industry - there were 50 plus years of facts at issue. In addition, we had to become proficient in complex scientific issues, advertising and marketing issues, issues involving governmental regulations, and others. We faced a variety of claims for relief including fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, antitrust, negligence, and product liability."

"I know what its like to represent an individual client where I am the only lawyer working on the case and to be part of a team of dozens of lawyers working on a massive lawsuit. I believe that this range of experience helps me deal more effectively with the range of situations encountered in the general practice of law."

"I strive to bring all my knowledge and experience to bear for all of my clients, regardless of the amount of money involved. I like the challenge that comes with a general litigation practice - being able to learn about my clients' businesses and to master new areas of the law. I want to continue to work on a variety of legal issues, to work on larger cases, but also to represent individuals with smaller legal mattes. For all my clients, I want to deliver the highest quality legal representation in a friendly, honest, and cost-effective manner."