Area of Practice: Birth Injury Law Vasiliki “Vanessa” Makris is the newest associate attorney to join Beam Legal Team. It was during her tenure as a law clerk that she developed a passion for representing victims of medical negligence. Born in Athens, Greece, Vanessa was never one to shy away from asking the question, “why?” It is her second nature to always question the status quo. This passion for discovering the truth eventually paved the way to pursue a career in law. Decades later in a new country, Vanessa became a first-generation college and law school graduate. Although she is thousands of miles away from her “home,” Vanessa’s culture and values still remain and have shaped her into the proud Greek-American woman she is today. Vanessa graduated from Loyola University Chicago cum laude with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy and Ethics. Vanessa’s philosophical background inspired her to pursue her legal education at Chicago-Kent College of Law in the midst of a global pandemic. She participated in the Trial Advocacy program and joined the Hellenic Student Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association. Vanessa currently lives in the heart of downtown Chicago. When she’s not practicing law, you’re most likely to find Vanessa in a hot yoga class or heading to Trader Joe’s to gather the ingredients for her exquisite home-cooked meals. She’ll never miss an opportunity to pet your dog, especially if it’s a Golden Retriever. After passing the July 2023 bar along with her older sister Joanna, Vanessa became licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois. Vanessa is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.

Ms. Maldonado is a Capital Partner and Managing Partner at Sepulvado, Maldonado & Couret. In addition, she heads the Labor, Employment, and Benefits practice group of the Firm. Having been practicing law since 1995, Ms. Maldonado has focused her legal career in the field of federal and state employment, labor, and employee benefits counseling and litigation. Specifically, she has centered her experience in matters arising under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. In addition, Ms. Maldonado has performed successfully in high-stakes multi-district litigation of environmental law and products liability litigation. Before joining Sepulvado, Maldonado & Couret, Ms. Maldonado was a Capital Partner at Puerto Rico’s largest law firm, McConnell Valdés. While at Mcconnel Valdés, she was the chair of the Welfare and ERISA litigation practice area and a Partner of the Labor and Employment Law practice group of said firm. She also served as a law clerk to Judges Pedro López-Oliver and Wilfredo Alicea-López at the Court of First Instance of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and as a student law clerk to Federal Judge Jaime Pieras, Jr., at the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Ms. Maldonado is regarded as one of the most effective and efficient employment attorneys in Puerto Rico. Her “no-nonsense” character builds her reputation and has allowed her to represent large-scale business and companies with high volume of employment and labor challenges. In addition to leading the employment, labor, and benefits practice group, Ms. Maldonado oversees the Firm’s human resources management. She is also in charge of the relationship with its clients and its daily operations.

Mr. Malech graduated from Rutgers University, Rutgers College General Honors Program (Cum Laude) in 1990. He is also a graduate of George Washington University School of Law, and has practiced law in Maryland and Washington, DC, since 1994. A seasoned trial lawyer, Mr. Malech offers legal services in the areas of criminal defense, divorce and family law, and personal injury.