Attorneys

 Hofbauer Law Group, LLC was founded by Sarah Lash-Hofbauer in 2018 after she spent many years litigating creditor's rights in both Chicago and New York.  Through her experience Sarah recognized that there was a demand in the legal market for law firms that focus on SBA related documentation, compliance and liquidation issues. 

Having worked with a variety of SBA lenders ranging from community banks to national lending institutions, Sarah is acutely aware of the challenges lenders face in managing the SBA's origination, servicing and liquidation regulations. 

She negotiates and drafts documents for all types of lending transactions, whether in the context of originations or refinances. Clients also know they can depend on Sarah to quickly and efficiently manage workouts, by way of forbearance agreements, deeds in lieu of foreclosure and loan modifications, as necessary. Lenders also come to her for due diligence and enforcement reviews for existing or prospective files.

With many years of experience as an attorney in the real estate industry, Sarah is also deeply knowledgeable about reviewing contracts, negotiating and drafting commercial leases, evictions and tax appeal issues. 

Having represented both borrowers and lenders in banking and real estate transactions, Sarah has developed a wide-angle view that makes her a trusted resource for clients. Lenders appreciate her straightforward advice and often look to her as a point person when approaching legal and property issues of many kinds. 

Bar Admission 

Indiana State Bar

Illinois State Bar

New York State Bar

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 

Jennifer Hughes is a trusted advisor to SBA lenders.  She focuses her practice on commercial loan documentation, creditor's rights,  commercial litigation and bankruptcy actions. 

Jennifer also counsels lenders on SBA related issues, including compliance with the SBA’s Standard Operating Procedures, and oversees local attorneys in various jurisdictions.

Prior to joining Hofbauer Law, Jennifer gained invaluable banking and real estate experience as a managing attorney for a large law firm in Chicago. Representing banks at a large creditors’ rights firm for several years developed her considerable skill as a litigator.

Jennifer was a faculty lecturer for the March 2018 Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education on Basic Enforcement of Judgments held in Chicago and co-authored the IICLE on that topic. She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and serves as Co-Chair on the Executive Board of the Alliance for Women. Jennifer graduated from Illinois State University in 2005 with a BA in Political Science and holds her JD from The John Marshall School of Law. She has been licensed to practice law in Illinois since 2009 and the Northern District of Illinois since 2011. She recently completed her application with the State Bar of New Jersey and is registered to practice law in the State.

Bar Admission 

Illinois State Bar 

New Jersey State Bar

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 

Crystal V. (Sava) Cáceres practices in the areas of bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosure, and creditors’ rights. She is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago (2001) and Northern Illinois University College of Law (2008) and is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and in the United States District Court for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of Illinois. Ms. Cáceres is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association, American Bar Association, and American Bankruptcy Institute. Prior to joining Hofbauer Law Group, Ms. Cáceres practiced at a mid-sized law firm where she focused on bankruptcy, foreclosure litigation, eviction and housing court matters. 

Education

Northern Illinois University (J.D., 2008)

Loyola University of Chicago (B.A., 2005)

Bar Admission

Illinois State Bar

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois

United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

Vanja Crowe is Hofbauer Law Group’s Operations Manager and holds a wealth of experience in the loan industry, real estate and legal fields. Prior to joining Hofbauer Law, Vanja worked as a Director of Operations for one of the largest real estate brokerages in the world. Preceding that, she was a licensed loan originator working for a nationwide mortgage lender, and paralegal at a multi-state law firm. She has been working in the legal, real estate, and loan industries since 2018, and provides a level of experience that is vital to the day-to-day operations of the firm. Vanja is ready and equipped to assist Hofbauer’s clientele with their every need.