Ken Johnson, Managing Partner
ken@johnsonblumberg.com
Ken has acquired over 20 years of experience representing fortune 500 companies. His legal experience includes corporate and family based immigration law; collections and foreclosures law; and energy and utilities regulatory law. As Managing Partner at Johnson, Blumberg & Associates, he is directly responsible for all day to day staff, client, and firm-wide issues. Kenneth oversees the Immigration Department, the Energy and Utilities Regulatory Department and all post-judgment matters for the firm. Under his leadership, Johnson, Blumberg & Associates has become the “go-to” firm for legal opinions when complex questions arise. Ken has worked hard to create a culture that places value on excellence and diversity. His insistence on these principals has made Johnson, Blumberg & Associates one of the most desirable places to work in this industry. Ken is also very active in various bar associations and community initiatives, including being a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, serving on the CEO Council for Chicago United, as well as being a board member of the LINK Unlimited Scholars Mentorship Program. Kenneth Johnson graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Psychology and Political Science. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa Law School in 1993 and was a member of the Law Review. Ken is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan.
Andrew Houha, Partner
andrew@johnsonblumberg.com
Andrew has operated as the Firm’s senior attorney in charge of strategic operations since he came on board in 2008. He has served as the Firm’s lead Wisconsin trial attorney and manager of the Bankruptcy department and currently functions as the Data Administrator, responsible for implementing and modifying the Firm’s database. He has over twenty years of bankruptcy and foreclosure experience, beginning with his time as an Associate Attorney for the law firm of Joseph Wrobel Ltd in 1993, where he became fully versed in all aspects of real estate closing and eviction matters, both tenant and landlord side. From 1999 until 2007 he operated as a senior-level attorney for Fisher and Fisher (now Fisher and Shapiro, LLC). He built out much of Fisher’s bankruptcy case management software. An integral part of the bankruptcy practice. Andrew also acted as a lead facilitator and panelist at US Foreclosure Network (USFN) mortgage default servicing seminars, speaking on a wide range of bankruptcy topics. Andrew was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1993 and is licensed in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin federal courts.
Karla Moore-Stepter, Contested Litigation Attorney
karla@johnsonblumberg.com
Karla graduated from The John Marshall Law School in May 2007. Admitted to the Illinois State Bar on November 8, 2007 and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on April 27, 2010, she is also a member of Lawyers for the Creative Arts and Chicago United. Karla has been an Attorney at Johnson Blumberg & Associates LLC for over 5 years and currently serves as the Supervising Litigation Attorney.
Andrew Kraemer, IN Managing Attorney
akraemer@johnsonblumberg.com
Andrew Kraemer has served as the Indiana Managing Attorney for Johnson Blumberg since October of 2013. He began as a law clerk for the Honorable Harry C. Des Jr., United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Indiana, after he was admitted to the state bar in 1989. From 1994 through 1996 he worked as in-house counsel for the Thomas Group, where he dealt with compliance and corporation matters, including real estate closings. In 1996, he started at Unterberg & Associates, a large mortgage foreclosure firm based in Merrillville, Indiana, until 1999 when he left for an attorney position at Burke, Costanza & Cuppy, LLP (now Burke, Costanza & Carberry). At Burke, he provided creditor representation in Chapter 7, 11, and 13 bankruptcy cases while also working in civil litigation. Most recently he maintained his own solo practice, specializing in mortgage default, where he regularly represented Johnson, Blumberg & Associates, LLC, as local appearing counsel. He also has experience in eviction cases in Lake County Indiana. Andrew is a Valparaiso Law School graduate and holds both an Associate and Bachelor of Arts degree, from Highland and Augustana College respectively. He served as Chair for the Indiana State Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights Section in 2009 and 2010. Andrew has lectured on bankruptcy and foreclosure Continuing Legal Education seminars and currently serves as Master of the Bench on the Calumet American Inn of Court, a national society promoting civility amongst attorneys.
Kenneth Bach, Bankruptcy Attorney
kennethb@johnsonblumberg.com
Ken is a bankruptcy attorney at Johnson Blumberg, and has been focusing on contested cases. His prior experience includes criminal appeals and environmental administrative law. He graduated from the Indiana University School of Law in 2008 with his Juris Doctor after receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2003. He is affiliated with the Chicago Bar Association and is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Erik Blumberg, Managing Partner
erik@johnsonblumberg.com
Erik is a co-founder and managing partner of Johnson, Blumberg & Associates, LLC. Erik has more than twenty years of litigation experience representing creditors in state and federal courts in Illinois and Indiana, handling routine and contested default litigation matters, compliance issues, housing code litigation, title claims, mechanic’s lien litigation, and real estate closings. Throughout his career, Erik has been a panelist at various default servicing industry conferences, and he regularly trains lenders and servicers on compliance matters and other relevant topics in default litigation. Erik graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and he received his Juris Doctor from the Indiana University School of Law in 1994. Erik is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Indiana.
Robert Blumberg, Senior Attorney
rob@johnsonblumberg.com
Robert has more than 15 years of legal experience and ten years of direct experience in the default services field. Prior to joining the firm he worked at a Fortune 500 financial services firm. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin in 1992 as well as of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1995, Robert Blumberg is licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois since 1998 and in Iowa since 2006. At Johnson, Blumberg & Associates, Mr. Blumberg is responsible for managing all aspects of the default process in the State of Iowa, including reviewing and approving all correspondence and pleadings, conducting and responding to discovery, handling mediation hearings, appearing at judgment hearings, handling contested matters, preparing sale packets, handling the eviction process and clearing title. Mr. Blumberg also assists in reviewing complaints and deed in lieu documents for Illinois foreclosure files. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Iowa State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association and the American Legal and Financial Network.
Josephine Miceli, Senior Attorney
jo@johnsonblumberg.com
Josephine J. Miceli is currently the Senior Bankruptcy Attorney at Johnson, Blumberg & Associates. Josephine attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration in 1994. Josephine attended Depaul Law School and earned her J.D. in 1997. Josephine has been licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois since 1997. She is also licensed in the United States Northern District and Southern District of Illinois since 1997 and 2001 respectively. Josephine recently was admitted to practice in the United States District Court – Eastern District of Wisconsin in September 2013. She has 14 years experience in bankruptcy and has already made her mark at Johnson Blumberg & Associates, LLC.