Joanna Michalec is an associate attorney with Belongia, Shapiro & Franklin, LLP. Her practice areas include a wide spectrum of commercial litigation and banking related matters. Prior to joining BSF, Joanna completed a four year diplomatic posting as the Vice Consul for Legal Affairs at the Consulate General of Poland in Chicago. In her consular role she represented the government of Poland towards the Chicago Consular Corp and the American authorities. She was also responsible for the Consulate’s legal affairs and the legal well-being of the Polish community in the Midwest. Additionally, Joanna has 3 years international experience working on behalf of the Polish government on cases against Poland filed to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Furthermore, Joanna worked for a major law firm in Warsaw, Poland, practicing in the area of Polish business law and litigation, and serving corporate clients from Poland and abroad.

Joanna graduated with a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2010. During her course of study, she was named on the Dean’s Honor List and received CALI Excellence Award for Negotiations. In addition, she has a Master of Law from Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Poland and acts as Special Counsel for law firms in Poland, in particular for Kruk & Partners a Warsaw-based firm, which serves corporate clients from Poland and abroad. Joanna is an excellent source of information with regard to cross-border business and legal issues involving European Union countries and the United States.

Joanna is a member of Chicago Bar Association, American Bar Association and Advocates Society. Since 2008, she has been a volunteer with Amicus Poloniae Legal Clinic, providing pro bono legal services to Illinois residents. She is the recipient of 2009 Distinguished Service Award from the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation. She is fluent in Polish and speaks conversational Spanish.