Attorney Profiles
David E. Hoy, Attorney at Law
Attorney David E. Hoy is the senior partner of The Law Offices of Hoy & Sahlas, Ltd. and has over 25 years of experience as an attorney. The Law Offices of Hoy & Sahlas, Ltd. was formerly known as The Law Offices of David E. Hoy when Mr. Hoy founded the firm in 1985.
Mr. Hoy, having successfully passed the Illinois Bar Exam upon first examination in July, 1983, was admitted to practice in Illinois in November, 1983 by the Illinois Supreme Court as an Attorney and Counselor at Law and admitted to the practice of law in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in December, 1983. Mr. Hoy received his Juris Doctor degree in May, 1983 from Northern Illinois University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Elmhurst College.
Mr. Hoy has been in private practice since 1985 with offices in the western suburbs of Chicago. He concentrates his practice in Estate Planning, Estate Administration, Business Law, Condominium Representation and Commercial Real Estate. He is a registered title agent with Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, Fidelity National Title & Insurance Company, and First American Title Insurance Company.
Mr. Hoy serves on the Planned Giving Committee of Elmhurst College; as Board Chairman for Keep Believing Ministries, an international Not-for-Profit Christian ministry; is past chairman of the Oak Park & River Forest branch of CBMC International (f/k/a Christian Businessmen’s Committee and n/k/a Connecting Business and the Marketplace to Christ); and is past chairman of a large church in Oak Park, Illinois. He is a member of the Du Page County Estate Planning Council, the Christian Legal Society, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce and the Oak Park - River Forest Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Hoy has given numerous seminars on Estate Planning for clients of various financial service firms and not-for-profit organizations in Chicago and the western suburbs.
Prior to beginning his private law practice in 1985, Mr. Hoy was employed with Chicago law firms in the roles of both plaintiff’s and defendant’s counsel. His business experience prior to law practice includes nine years as a Manager of Compensation, Benefits and Human Resources for three different major U.S. corporations.
Mr. Hoy’s Continuing Legal Education includes: 2010 Rules of Professional Conduct and Legal Professionalism Standards, May, 2010; DuPage County Estate Planning Council on Charitable Gift Giving, April, 2010; For Experienced Lawyers: The Basics of Elder Law, February 2010; High Net Worth Liability Trends and Serving the Affluent, January 2010; Estate & Charitable Gift Planning Seminar, November, 2009; Real Estate Law Update for the Experienced Practitioner, Fall,2009; Affects of the Illinois Notary Public Act on the Real Estate Lawyer, May, 2009; Professional Responsibility, May, 2008; Mortgagors in Distress, April, 2008; Special Needs Trusts for Individuals with Disabilities, March,2008; Charitable Gifting Tax Strategies, November, 2006; Illinois Estate Administration: Navingating the Probate Maze, June, 2006; 14th Annual Estate Planning with the Masters - Marital Deduction Planning, November, 2004; 14th Annual Estate Planning with the Masters - Estate Planning for Retirement Benefits, November, 2004.
In his free time, Mr. Hoy enjoys playing guitar, singing, fishing, hiking, and teaching Bible classes at his church in West Chicago, Illinois. Having celebrated 40+ years of marriage, Mr. Hoy and his wife have conducted marriage seminars together at various churches and in conjunction with Mrs. Hoy’s counseling practice, CounselCare Connection, P.C. His wife, Lynette, is a counselor, author and owner of What’s Good About Anger Institute.
Colleen L. Sahlas, Attorney at Law
Mrs. Sahlas concentrates her legal practice in residential real estate, decedents’ estates including estate administration, small estate affidavits, Illinois probate in Cook and DuPage Counties, trust administration, guardianships of disabled adults and minors, and related adoptions. Mrs. Sahlas has handled numerous, complex Illinois Probate matters in both Cook and DuPage Counties. For nearly a decade, Mrs. Sahlas has represented hundreds of clients in their real estate sale and purchase closings including condominium conversions, new construction, foreclosed properties and short sales. Mrs. Sahlas has conducted several seminars for real estate agents and was quoted in the Illinois Bar Journal regarding the attorney’s role in a real estate transaction in the August, 2006 issue, Vol. 94 No. 8.
In 2004, Mrs. Sahlas received the “Champion Poster” Award from the Illinois State Bar Association "in recognition of her selfless participation in sharing her skills, experience and legal knowledge." Mrs. Sahlas is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association,the Christian Legal Society , the Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce and the Oak Park - River Forest Chamber of Commerce. She is a registered title insurance agent for Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company.
Prior to joining her father’s firm, Mrs. Sahlas clerked for a private insurance defense firm in Chicago’s loop and also interned with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Juvenile Justice Bureau Child Protection Division prosecuting as a student attorney under supervision in several trials, prevailing in all. As a law student she won 2nd place in the National Lawyers Association student legal writing competition, served on the John Marshall Law School Moot Court Board and won 3rd place for the John Marshall Law School Herzog legal writing competition. Prior to her legal career, Mrs. Sahlas worked as an Illinois Licensed Social Worker at Evangelical Child and Family Agency in Wheaton, Illinois.
Mrs. Sahlas’ Continuing Legal Education includes: Mechanic’s Liens in Illinois, August, 2010; High Net Worth Liability Trends and Serving the Affluent, January 2010; Estates & Charitable Gift Planning Seminar, November, 2009; Real Estate Law Update for the Experienced Practitioner, October, 2009; Affects of the Illinois Notary Public Act on the Real Estate Lawyer, May, 2009; Professional Responsibility, May, 2008; Adoption Law, August 2007; Real Estate Law Update, October 2006; 2nd Annual Illinois State Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference, September, 2006; Illinois Estate Administration: Navigating the Probate Maze, June, 2006.
Mrs. Sahlas is a classically trained vocalist and former soloist/member of the Apollo Chorus of Chicago. She enjoys traveling and learning to speak Greek and French. Her husband, Nicko, is a former professional chef and the founder/owner of Cheftalk.com. Mrs. Sahlas and her husband are graduates of Financial Peace University, taught by renowned author, speaker, radio host, and financial expert, Dave Ramsey. At their church in Oak Park, Illinois, she and her husband lead Financial Peace University classes for developing budgeting and financial planning skills.