About Us
Carl E. Metz, II
Carl has significant litigation experience, having taken several cases to verdict negotiated
innumerable settlements.
Carl graduated Lewis & Clark’s Northwestern School of Law, Portland, Oregon, J.D. in 1994 and
University of Chicago, B.A. in Economics in 1991
His practice areas include construction law, mechanics/construction liens, bond claims, commercial litigation and catastrophic loss litigation including subrogation, OSHA disputes, will and trust disputes, trade secrets, insurance law and insurance defense. Carl works with his clients to develop internal processes to manage their risks and protect their rights. He has developed unique procedures for his clients to protect their lien rights in an efficient and economical way.
Carl is a frequent lecturer and has presented before the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA), the Property Loss and Research Bureau (PLRB), the National Association of Credit Managers (NACM), the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA) and numerous clients.
Carl W. Gilmore
Carl works primarily in family law and litigation as well as educating & publishing on these practices
Educated University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Journalism 1987 & University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.,J.D. 1994, Carl's trial experience includes divorce, custody, criminal visitation interference, adoption, juvenile court defense, landlord-tenant, small claims prosecution and defense, probate and guardianship trials, business disputes and arbitration. In addition to advocacy at the trial level, he has argued before Illinois Second District Appellate Court and successfully prosecuted and defended appeals at the appellate court level.
Carl wrote the book Illinois Parentage Law, served as president of the McHenry County Bar Association, and was named Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year - Downstate for 2000-2001. He currently teaches legal research and writing in the paralegal program at College of Lake County.
Carl wrote the paternity chapter for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Causes of Action manual. He continues to work as an editor for the American Bar Association's "Family Advocate" magazine including issuing a handbook for children in divorce.
Many of his cases currently involve acting as an attorney for children's interests. He is a certified guardian ad litem in Wisconsin courts as well as in the McHenry County court system, including adoptions and juvenile court. Carl has represented children in both uncontested and contested adoptions, and has lectured on juvenile and adoption court issues.
Kelly Vaclavek
Kelly E. Vaclavek's practice areas include Family Law, Divorce and Criminal Law.
Kelly was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2007.
She received a B.A. in communication arts and sciences with an emphasis on communicative theories from DePauw University.
She attended the John Marshall Law School in Chicago and was a member of Phi Alpha Delta.
Kelly is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the McHenry County Bar Association.
The mother of two sons, Kelly has lived in McHenry County for seven years.
Her interest in both gardening and photography often inspire her to photograph the many flowers in the gardens maintained at the Law Offices.