Cecilia Hynes Griffin
Cecilia (Leah) devotes one hundred percent of her practice to the area of family law. She handles complex financial estates, including multifaceted business valuations, income determination issues, valuation and division of employee benefits such as stock options and restricted stock, dissipation claims, tracing of marital and non-marital assets, as well as custody, visitation and removal disputes. She has been hired as a consultant and expert witness in family law matters.
During her 28 plus years of practice, Leah has become a strong advocate of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). To that end, Leah has had extensive training in mediation and collaborative law. Whenever possible and appropriate, Leah encourages parties to participate in ADR through which parties can achieve an individualized post-divorce plan for their family. ADR also allows Leah’s clients privacy and confidentiality. However, when necessary, Leah will advocate for her clients aggressively in the courtroom. She has extensive litigation experience and has been a faculty member at the prestigious National Family Law Trial Institute teaching other family law attorneys advanced courtroom skills.
Leah began practicing law in 1990 in the areas of environmental and commercial real estate law. Seeking a more family oriented practice, in 1993, Leah transitioned to family law and has never looked back. After six years of training at a well-known Chicago family law firm, Leah struck out on her own, opening the Law Offices of Cecilia Hynes Griffin. Now known as Griffin McCarthy & Rice LLP, the boutique law firm practices exclusively in the area of family law. Known for its experience, strength and compassion, Griffin McCarthy & Rice LLP has helped thousands of families successfully navigate the divorce process.
Leah is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Admission to this national organization requires extensive oral and written testing, and peer and judicial recommendations. She has served on the Board of Managers of the Illinois Chapter of the Academy and the Family Law Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association. She has been nominated an Illinois Super Lawyer in the area of family law every year for over a decade. She is a frequent lecturer and has authored numerous articles on family law topics. Leah received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and her law degree from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.