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30 N. LaSalle Street
Suite 2140
Chicago, IL 60602
3601 Algonquin Road
Suite 716
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Sami Azhari focuses his practice on criminal defense in state and federal courts. His primary areas of practice include felonies such as drug possession, drug trafficking, assault and battery, weapons charges, and white collar crime, as well as misdemeanors and traffic violations. He has litigated numerous cases in state and federal courts, and has actively participated in all aspects of the litigation and trial process, including taking and defending depositions of lay and expert witnesses, conducting fact and expert discovery, briefing and arguing substantive motions, and conducting bench and jury trials with first chair experience. His first chair jury trial experience allowed him the opportunity to perform jury selection, conduct opening statements, direct examinations, cross examinations of lay and expert witnesses as well as closing arguments.
As a criminal defense attorney, he has handled numerous types of misdemeanors and felonies and appeared regularly in all Cook County courts as well as surrounding counties such as DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will. His experience has given him the ability to analyze all the evidence and determine the best course of action. He has been successful in having evidence suppressed, negotiating lesser charges, and getting alternative sentencing. Sami currently serves as a court appointed bar attorney through the Northwest Suburban Bar Association. He also volunteers to represent indigent defendants in Statutory Summary Suspension hearings in Chicago.
In a recent felony jury trial while defending a client on obstruction of justice charges, Sami noticed the jury instructions did not reflect the new case law. So Sami drafted and submitted a pattern jury instructions to the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Instructions in Criminal Cases.
In recent cases, Sami Azhari represented clients faced with charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated battery against a police officer, and drug trafficking 67 pounds of narcotics from out of state.
| School name | Degree | Graduated | Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University | B.S. | 2004 | Deans List; Semester Honors |
| Michigan State University College of Law | J.D. | 2007 | Certificate in Intellectual Property Law; Moot Court and Advocacy Board |
| AWARD NAME | GRANTOR | DATE GRANTED |
|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Trial Lawyers | National Trial Lawyers Association | 2014-2016 |
| Top 40 under 40 | National Trial Lawyers Association | 2014-2016 |
| Illinois Rising Star | SuperLawyers | 2015-2016 |
| Certificate of Appreciation | Northwest Suburban Bar Association | 2012 |
| ASSOCIATION NAME | POSITION NAME | DURATION |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Suburban Bar Association | Member | 2011 – Present |
| Chicago Bar Association | National | 2015 |
| NWSBA In Court Bar Program | Attorney Member | 2015 |
| McHenry County Bar Association | Member | 2008 – 2010 |
| Illinois State Bar Association | Member | 2007 – 2009 |
| NAME |
|---|
| State Bar of Illinois |
| State Bar of California |
| Northern District of Illinois |
| Central District of California |
| Northern District of California |
| Southern District of California |
| Southern District of California |
| Southern District of California |
| Illinois Federal Trial Bar |
| U.S. Court of Appeals – 7th Circuit |
| CONFERENCE NAME | TITLE | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Points: DUI Defense | Hot Air & Bodily Fluids: Breath, Blood, and Urine Testing | 2014 |
| Practical Professionalism: Criminal Law | Recognizing a “Bad” Client | 2014 |
| Practical Professionalism: Criminal Law | How to Get and Keep Good Clients in a Competitive Market | 2014 |
| Chicago Bar Association | Expungements and Sealings | 2014 |
| Northwest Suburban Bar Association | Traffic Court: Do I Need a Lawyer? | 2014 |
| Starting Points: DUI Defense | Statutory Summary Suspension Hearings: Limited Grounds, but Unlimited Uses |
2014 |
| FEDERAL CRIMINAL CASES |
|---|
| United States of America v. Chychula – Nine counts of wire fraud. |
| United States of America v. Estrada – Bank Fraud. |
| United States of America v. Amaya – RICO and distribution of narcotics. |
| United States of America v. Shannon – Sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography. |
| United States of America v. Stennis – Bank Robbery. |
| STATE CRIMINAL CASES |
| State of Illinois v. Serritella – First Degree Murder |
| State of Illinois v. Nolan – 9 counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon |
| State of Illinois v. Perez – Armed Robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, kidnapping and unlawful restraint. |
| State of Illinois v. Rodgers – 3 counts of unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. |
| State of Illinois v. Montenegro – Aggravated battery against a child (Class X Felony). |
| State of Illinois v. Salsman – Two counts of aggravated battery against a police officer. |
| State of Illinois v. Lester – Attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. |
| State of Illinois v. Hood – Battery against 5 year old autistic child. |
| State of Illinois v. Litwin – Drug trafficking 67 pounds of narcotics. |
| State of Illinois v. Chavez – Obstruction of justice. |
| State of Illinois v. Pernice – Driving under the influence of alcohol. |
| City of Mundelein v. Walker – Driving under the influence of alcohol. |
| State of Illinois v. Meshil – Felony retail theft. |
| State of Illinois v. Keelan – Driving under the influence of alcohol. |
| State of Illinois v. Avila – Domestic Battery. |
| State of Illinois v. Glass – Driving under the influence of alcohol. |
Sami takes the time to learn about the specific facts and circumstances surrounding each case. Then with meticulous preparation and years of experience a unique strategy is developed to obtain the best result.
– Michael S.Sami is an excellent advocate, and really fights for his clients. He is an absolute professional. I recommend Sami to anyone who finds themselves in need of a criminal defense attorney.
– David S.
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