Meet The Team
Margaret Manetti has been a civil litigator for over nineteen years with experience in contract disputes, commercial litigation, collections, construction litigation, municipal actions, and other real estate matters. Her practice includes business law, commercial real estate law, commercial litigation and dispute resolution, and government law.
Lauded for her contributions, Margaret is a 2022 Super Lawyer through the present. She has also been recognized in Chicago Lawyer and Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Forty Under 40, a Crain’s Chicago Business 2017 Most Influential Women Lawyer, and an Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year 2017.
Margaret is former Chair of Commercial Banking, Collections, & Bankruptcy Section and a member of Construction Law Section for the Illinois State Bar Association. She was formerly a Director of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois and active member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Appellate Lawyer’s Association, and the Professional Women’s Club of Chicago.
Education
University of Illinois College of Law, J.D. 2005
University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana 2002
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Admissions
State of Illinois
State of Wisconsin
Supreme Court of the United States of America
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Illinois Northern District of Illinois District Court
Illinois Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court
Margaret Manetti
Partner
Sandra Aguilera
Partner
Sandra has counseled and represented creditors and financial institutions for over 19 years, concentrating her work in foreclosures, loan restructurings, workouts and bankruptcy matters on behalf of creditors. She has extensive experience in a wide variety of real estate finance transactions, loan sales and purchases, enforcement of leasehold rights in personal and real property, and the sale of commercial and residential properties.
Sandra is skilled in guiding clients through the legal landscape of loan modifications and workouts as well as complex title matters. She has counseled many small businesses in formation of business entities and in resolving business disputes. Her common sense approach helps clients achieve their goals while minimizing the time and cost to accomplish them.
Professional Background
Sandra is one of the founders of Manetti Aguilera Seiler LLC. Previously, Sandra practiced at Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa.
Sandra is an active member of the Illinois State Bar Association and a past chair of the Commercial, Banking, Bankruptcy and Collections section council. She is also a volunteer attorney with the Minority Legal Education Resources, Inc. where she prepares prospective attorneys for the Illinois Bar Exam.
Education
The John Marshall Law School, J.D., 2005
University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign, 2000
Admissions
State of Illinois
Illinois Northern District of Illinois District Court
Illinois Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court
Illinois Central District of Illinois District Court
Past and Current Memberships
Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, JD Mentorship Program
Illinois State Bar Association (Chair of the Commercial, Banking, Collections and Bankruptcy Section Council, 2018-1019, Current member of the Commercial, Banking, Collection and Bankruptcy Section Council and Current member of the Real Estate Section Council)
The John Marshall Law School Alumni Association, Mentorship Program
Publications
IICLE – Mortgage Foreclosure: Corresponding Issues, 2024 Edition
Presentations
Moderator, Collections for the Non-Collections Attorney, 2023
Vanessa Seiler
Partner
Vanessa Seiler is a founding partner of Manetti Aguilera Seiler LLC and has over two decades of experience representing clients in financial services and real estate litigation, including complex commercial and residential mortgage foreclosure, receiverships, collection and real estate law. Vanessa previously practiced in the banking groups at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP and Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa.
She is a highly experienced courtroom lawyer serving financial institutions since 1999. She is passionate about every aspect of being in the courtroom and has a strong track record for obtaining favorable results for her clients. She represents mortgage lenders and servicers in all aspects of real estate litigation, including foreclosures, breach of note, breach of guaranty and collection actions to enforce judgments. Vanessa is also an attorney for court appointed receivers. Vanessa has been honored for her advocacy in court and was asked by the former Chief of the Chancery Division of Cook County to be a member of the Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force.
Vanessa helped pioneer the representation of real estate investors (flippers) at judicial and sheriff auctions. Vanessa expedites the process for real estate investors in Chicago and collar counties and with her years of experience, has developed creative solutions to specific issues that affect them.
Education
Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D. 1999
Certificate of International and Comparative Law, Tulane University of European Studies, 1998
Certificate in French Literature 1996, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris III)
The Center for Conflict Resolution of Chicago: Certificate in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1999
Drake University, 1995
Admissions
State of Illinois
Illinois Northern District of Illinois District Court
Illinois Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court
Memberships
Appointed to the Judicial Evaluation Committee by the Chicago Bar Association
Co- Chair of the Lake County Bar Association’s Creditor/Debtor Committee
Active member of the Commercial, Banking, Bankruptcy and Collections section council of the Illinois State Bar Association
Active member of the Association of Women Attorneys of Lake County
Presentations
Continuing Legal Education Presenter of “Fearless Post-Foreclosure Eviction Process: The Fundamentals”, Lake County Bar Association, 2023
Featured guest lecturer of the Women’s Pre-Law Association at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Publications
Vanessa is the co-author of the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s 2024 Edition Mortgage Foreclosure: Corresponding Issues, published in July 2024.
Personal
Vanessa enjoys spending time with her family and is very proud of her two daughters, Shayna and Izzy, and her husband. She is fluent in French and loves to create itineraries for friends and family traveling to Paris.
Support Staff
Taylor Shi
Paralegal
Taylor Shi joined the Firm in June, 2024. As a paralegal, she is learning how to assist the Partners in their daily responsibilities. Prior to joining the firm, she worked and managed multiple businesses. Previously, Taylor was the Business Center Manager at Office Evolution Naperville and Lisle. Taylor is also a private piano and voice teacher and has been teaching for over 6 years. Before teaching, she was a competitive pianist, locally and internationally.
In her free time, Taylor loves to play piano, run, and volunteer at her church. She hopes to continue furthering her understanding in law by attending law school in the upcoming year.
Education
Bachelors in Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2024
Languages
English, Mandarin Chinese