TomSianis CandidateSurvey

1.
Name (State full name and any former names used) – Tom Sam Sianis; Athanasios Sam Sianis
2. Age - 41
3. Education (List schools, years attended, and degrees received)

Loyola University Chicago, BA – 1994-1998
Western Michigan University Law School, JD – 2000-2003
4. Current occupation and employer

Enforcement Division Chief of the Illinois Securities Department
5. Current hometown, and neighborhood if Chicago. If subcircuit candidate: How long have you lived there?
Park Ridge, Illinois
6. Work history (List with years)
Illinois Secretary of State Securities Department, Enforcement Division Chief, October 2012 – Present.
Supervise twelve attorneys, five investigators and six special agents in the Enforcement Division as the
Illinois Securities Department Enforcement Division Chief.
Conduct complex litigation cases with violations of the Illinois Securities Law of 1953, Illinois Business
Brokers Act of 1995, The Business Opportunities Sales Laws of 1995, and the Illinois Loan Brokers Act
of 1995.
Conduct and supervise administrative hearings and depositions of respondents.
Negotiate settlements with different financial firms, including a $2 million settlement and $900,000
settlement with large financial firms.
Oversee the registration of Investment Advisors, Broker Dealers, Loan Brokers and Business Brokers.
Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Special Assistant Attorney General, Special Prosecution Division,
June 2016 – February 2018.
Appointed Special Assistant Attorney General to prosecute Securities Fraud cases.
Prepared criminal indictments for securities fraud by interviewing victims, witness, and reviewing
subpoenaed bank records.
Prepared response to a legislative bill on amending the civil asset forfeiture laws.
Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Assistant State’s Attorney, May 2005-October 2012.
Tried over one hundred bench trials and eight jury trials in the Criminal Division involving Domestic
Violence, Driving under the Influence, Resisting Arrests, and Criminal Trespass.
Led hundreds of Grand Jury investigations and indictments on cases involving murder, criminal sexual
assaults, complex financial crimes, check and credit card fraud, and child pornography cases.
Reviewed felony cases by interviewing witnesses, taking handwritten and videotaped confessions from
defendants, determining charges in hundreds of cases including murders, attempted murders, armed
robberies, and criminal sexual assaults.
Conducted over three hundred Preliminary Hearings to prove probable cause on felony cases.
Conducted hundreds of bond court hearings, issued arrest warrants and search warrants.
Investigated and prosecuted asbestos removal cases and noise violations as Lead Prosecutor for the Cook
County Environmental Protection Agency.
Conducted hundreds of child support enforcement hearings in the Civil Family Law Division.
Billy Goat Tavern, June 1998-Present.

Co-own and co-manage seven Billy Goat Tavern locations.
Defend business interests as corporate counsel involving leases, workers compensation, business licenses,
liquor licenses, and food licenses.
7. In what areas of law do you have experience?

Criminal Law, Family Law (child support enforcement), and Securities Law.
8. List your bar association memberships.

Chicago Bar Association
Hellenic Bar Association
9. List all professional, business, fraternal, scholarly, civic, charitable, or other organizations to which
you belong.
Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation, Hellenic American Leadership Council, St. Basil Greek
Orthodox Church.
10. Describe your civic involvement.
Founding Member of Hellenic American Leadership Council: HALC was founded with a
commitment to civic leadership. The goals of HALC include encouraging citizens to be active members
of our communities. As such, in March of 2016, I served as chairman of the Commemoration of the
Archbishop Iakovos joining Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic march in Selma, Alabama. The event
brought together African American and Greek American leaders to work together and discuss solutions to
difficulties in our communities. HALC does not use race, gender, sexual orientation or national origin as a
basis for determining membership.
Former President of St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church: I was elected to the position of President
by the stewards of St. Basil’s Greek Orthodox Church for the purpose of working together with the parish
priest and counsel in fulfilling the mission and goals of the community. As President, I would lead parish
council meetings, assist with services for food and shelter to homeless and underprivileged groups, and
organize fundraisers for the church. Prior to being President, I served as Vice President on the church
counsel for four years. The mission and goals of St. Basil’s include charitable services to provide food
and shelter to homeless and underprivileged groups and organizing fundraisers for the church. St. Basil
does not use race, gender, sexual orientation or national origin as a basis for determining membership.
Founding Board Member: Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation: The mission of the
Hippocratic Cancer Research Foundation (HCRF) is to advance new research and treatments for cancer
patients. As a founding board member of HCRF, I attend regular meetings to discuss the progress of
cancer research and organize various fundraisers. In October 2016, I hosted a successful fundraiser at
The Billy Goat Tavern to “Reverse the Curse” (of the Chicago Cubs) where all proceeds from the event
went to HCRF.
11. Describe your current and former political involvement. None.
12. Have you run for judge before? When and for which seat? No.
13. List your published writings, with dates and with links if available. None.
14. Why do you want to be a Cook County judge?

I strongly believe in our legal system and have been a proud member of the legal profession. A seat at the
bench would be a great honor and opportunity to apply the extensive knowledge of laws and court
procedures I have gained during my career in public service at the Illinois Securities Department, the
Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. I have been found
Qualified and Recommended by all of the evaluation Bar Associations. In addition, my life experience as
a business owner, husband, and father, add depth to my ability to understand people and a variety of
different life situations and circumstances.
My life experience and temperament are also why I believe I am qualified to be a judge. My personal
qualities of patience, humility, and the willingness to consider opposing viewpoints are necessary to
decide disputes in a fair and judicial manner. Both in my legal practice and my personal life, I have come
across a wide variety of people with unique situations. I have always and continue to work at closely
listening to what each person has to say in order to understand different viewpoints and circumstances.
The combination of my experience as a securities regulator, trial attorney, business co-owner, husband,
and father, has made me a skilled lawyer with unique talents and knowledge that enable me to see issues
from many perspectives and come to rational, unbiased decisions. I have always taken my professional
and private life seriously and would uphold a seat at the bench with the utmost respect and
professionalism.
15. What are the most pressing issues facing the justice system and why?
Unconscious Bias
In a recent Supreme Court case, the Court decided that jury deliberations
are not entitled to secrecy if evidence emerges that those discussions
were marred by racial or ethnic bias. Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado. As racial
or ethnic minority litigants enter a courtroom, they often fear that a
jury will bring their unconscious bias into their deliberations. In our legal
careers, it is unlikely to encounter overt racial bias but unconscious bias
exists and is unfortunately somewhat common. Unconscious bias is a
reality and can lead to racial inequality.
Immigration
The undocumented workers in the United States of American are
important to our society and economy. However, many undocumented
workers are paid less than minimum wage but they do not take legal
recourse for fear of deportation. The immigration issue should be
addressed with compassion and understanding, as many undocumented
workers consider the United States their home after decades of working
and raising families here.
Equal Pay and Compensation Discrimination

Equal pay for equal work continues to be a problem for women in all
professions. Women are being paid proportionately less than men for the
same type of work. Although some strides have been made recently to
make the general public aware, more needs to be done. We should
evaluate the existing laws and determine whether additional legislation is
necessary to remedy this persistent problem.
Violence Against Women

A critical legal issue facing women is domestic violence, sexual assault,
and other gender crimes. We need to give law enforcement greater tools
to protect women from violence in the first place and provide additional
counseling and support for women who are victimized. Undocumented
immigrant women have the additional pressure of coming forward and
proceeding on the domestic violence cases for fear of deportation. Social
workers should work along side police to help women understand their
rights, make decisions and get healthcare and other services.
Discrimination
Since the marriage equality bill was passed, members of the LGBTQ
community still face discrimination and now backlash, primarily at the
state level. Numerous anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in the last
year. Some state officials deny services to LGBTQ people by using a
religious freedom argument. Many LGBTQ people found that after they
obtain their marriage licenses, their new openly gay status resulted in
termination at their place of employment.
16. How will your experiences help you serve as a good judge?
I believe my professional background has given me the aptitude to effectively serve the public as a judge.
As the current Enforcement Division Chief of the Illinois Securities Department, I supervise twelve
attorneys, five special agents, and six investigators. Our office manages over 980 cases a year. I make
decisions on if we are going to proceed with the case on an administrative tract or a criminal tract. I
devise investigative plans and strategies to determine what action to take on violations of the Illinois
Securities Law of 1953. I investigate financial fraud and work hand in hand with prosecutors to develop
successful convictions in securities fraud cases. Furthermore, I oversee the registrations of Investment
Advisors and Broker Dealers in our state. With my experience in the Securities Department, I am an
expert in regulatory matters dealing with the State.
In June 2016, I was appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General with the Illinois Attorney
General’s Office. My experience as a former prosecutor and my knowledge in securities law has proven
very valuable to the Attorney General’s office and its prosecution of financial crimes.
As a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney, I tried numerous jury trials and hundreds of bench trials.
The trial experience I gained is very valuable to a sitting judge. I have hands on courtroom litigation
experience before State and Federal Courts. The combination of my experience in trial court and with
administrative legal proceedings has given me a deep knowledge of the law and improved my
communication and writing skills. I have come across and worked with outstanding judges and lawyers.
17. What do you wish voters knew about you?

As a husband and father, I continue my record of public service with my family in mind, and the example
I wish to set for my two sons and all of our young citizens. It is part of my life’s goals to teach young
people the importance of giving back to our community and living in a united society. My parents
instilled in me a deep devotion to my family and dedication to hard work. I am the second of six siblings,
all raised in the Chicago land area by our immigrant parents. After many years of hard work, my father,
the owner of the original Billy Goat Tavern, has grown the business to several more locations. My
parents demanded the same determination to succeed in life from their six children. Today, I am also a
business co-owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, and know firsthand the personal and legal challenges and
concerns of running a successful and growing business.

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1.

3. Education (List schools, years attended, and degrees received)

4. Current occupation and employer

6. Work history (List with years)

Billy Goat Tavern, June 1998-Present.

7. In what areas of law do you have experience?

8. List your bar association memberships.

10. Describe your civic involvement.

11. Describe your current and former political involvement. None.

14. Why do you want to be a Cook County judge?

Equal Pay and Compensation Discrimination

Violence Against Women

17. What do you wish voters knew about you?

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