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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 71 things others don't. And if you don't try, you can't succeed." In recent years, a young lawyer came on board with strong interest and savvy in new technologies. In a compact time frame considering the life of the firm, the IT staff at Codilis leaped to 12 people. at lawyer, now 33, is Adam Codilis. Yes, son followed father into the field. Adam began doing some office work for Codilis as a teenager in 2000 and then periodically worked during summers while in college. "I have pretty much worked in every department and have done every job here, both nonlegal and legal," the younger Codilis said. Adam joined the firm as an attorney in 2009 and has risen to become a VP of the Illinois firm. In part, his current responsibilities can be traced to keen curiosity on what technology can do to make the firm's product better. He and the IT division are now "hard at work looking into how we can design solutions using 'AI,' or artificial intelligence." Just as its self-made technology put Codilis in a lofty position with regard to case management, Adam Codilis said, "AI is the next wave, and it's coming right at us. I want us to seize the opportunities in data science, and continue to differentiate ourselves that way." When Adam signed on with Codilis, he knew the going wouldn't always be easy—he's got the founder's name, after all. ere would certainly be more watchful eyes on him, more judging. "My dad just told me, 'Adam, you're going to have work harder than anyone here. Get used to it," he said. Adam Codilis continued . "My father said I should just keep my head down and don't get distracted from solid performance. ings have been smooth, and I give a great deal of credit to my co-workers for accepting me." Adam is also an advancing tech entrepreneur in ventures outside the firm. He is now involved in a startup business that has been getting some Silicon Valley expertise and funding. One of these external ventures—which will be focused at first on the legal field—is about to enter the market. He is also working on artificial intelligence products in the legal field, which he plans to bring to the market in the near future. GIVING BACK When he was younger, looking at his professional opportunities in law and outside of it, Adam was drawn to the generosity and gratitude that have always been in abundant supply in the corridors of Codilis. "My father always told me that everyone needs to be recognized and treated the same," Adam Codilis said. "We'd be driving somewhere and come across the guy cleaning the parking lots or a homeless person huddled up in the cold. He'd remind us that we were no better than those folks and the importance of helping others where and when we can." Without a doubt, Adam said, "Ernie Codilis wears his emotions on his sleeve." e firm has been a sustained major supporter of e Mercy Home for Boys & Girls in Chicago. Mercy is a safe haven and recovery zone for children who've been abused, neglected, and poorly parented. Its mantra is in the words of a child: "Mercy Sees Me." Adam has served on the junior board at the Mercy Home for the last five years. e firm also supports, among other charitable endeavors: St. Jude Medical Center; the Family Shelter Service, which promotes healing from domestic abuse out of Wheaton, Illinois; and City of Refuge Ministries. "Kids need love, support, guidance, and safe surroundings," Ernie Codilis said. "We do what we can to help. I see community service and charitable giving as obligations for us." JUST RIGHT "I never imagined Codilis would get this big," the firm's founder said. "We could have been much bigger, much faster. Sure, we'd have more money in our pockets, but would we maintain the quality of our work?" So, Ernie Codilis said, "We're the size we need to be to meet the standards we set for ourselves." e modest expansion is another way to keep jobs available for staff whose positions might have to be eliminated. at's not surprising. According to Cockrell, "Ernie has always shown the human side to problem-solving. He has continuously been the living and breathing spirit for our attorneys. He leads by example." FROM THE START Not long out of law school, serendipity struck Ernie Codilis. One day as a fledgling solo practitioner, he contacted a sizable servicer run by a man named Gary Janeway. "Well, what do you know," Codilis said. "Gary responded and said, 'I'll give you a small piece of work, and we'll see how you do.'" It happened to be in the default servicing sector. Ernie Codilis sunk his teeth into the project, lean as it was, and he impressed. He got more work from Janeway. "I could pay the bills," Codilis said, "though barely. Somehow, I scraped by." Janeway's work and mentoring gave Codilis the incentive to keep at it, as he aimed to be a reliable but shrewd small-town lawyer with his own shingle. "You never know what's possible until someone believes in you," he said. Ernie Codilis has principles—and he has fun. He's among the legions who are captivated by the Chicago Cubs, holding season tickets, of course. He never tires of giving out giant tins of gourmet popcorn with the Codilis logo on the lid. He is amusing and easily amused. Co- workers tease him, and he teases back. Like his parents, Ernie Codilis also lives but a few miles from the firm's first offices in Burr Ridge. He still regularly takes his mom and dad to local family favorites, including the Country Cup, known as "e Cup," where they have gone for over 50 years. ere, Ernie Codilis is not the eminent owner of an esteemed law firm. He's just a guy eating breakfast with his family, like everyone else. Maybe that scene is a word to the wise in an industry where tranquil isn't a typical adjective. Modesty and humility doesn't slow successit might very well power it. "In what can be a dog-eat-dog world, I want us to be decent and self-effacing," Ernie Codilis said. "It's a strength, and it works." COVER STORY INDUSTRY INSIGHT INDUSTRY INSIGHT INDUSTRY INSIGHT

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