Stephenson County Employment Lawyers

Expert Advocacy in Employment Law: Attorney Cynthia Pietrucha ========================================================== I champion the rights of employees and guide employers through the legal intricacies of the workplace. With a decade of dedicated legal service, I am a seasoned employment attorney with expertise in drafting and negotiating separation agreements, litigating medical leave and ADA employment cases, and negotiating remote work terms, even prior to COVID-19! **Your Advocate for Fair Severance and Medical Leave Rights** Navigating the end of an employment relationship or grappling with medical leave can be daunting. As an expert in separation negotiations, I ensure that my clients—whether employees or employers—receive the most favorable terms...

Philip M. Fornaro is the managing attorney at Fornaro Law. Adopting a “never give up” attitude, Philip has become known for his ability to succeed where others fail for the last 20 years. His decision to diversify his practice in 2004 has resulted in the creation of a full service law firm which provides quality representation in a variety of legal areas. Philip follows the rule that positive energy will yield positive results. This energy is the driving force behind the success of Fornaro Law. He has become adept at creating a network and team between clients,...

I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana, and earned my law degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from law school, I enlisted in the US Army, serving from 1987 to 1993. In 1994, I joined the Illinois Attorney General's Office in Chicago as an Assistant Attorney General. During my tenure, I held several key positions including Deputy Chief Criminal Prosecution, lead prosecutor in the Deputy Chief Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Deputy Chief Special Litigation. I have also been actively involved in sharing my knowledge with others in the legal field,...

Attorney Militello is the Managing Parter at Prime Law Group, LLC. Prime Law Group is truly a team of lawyers and staff. Our collaborative approach often takes the form of cooperation to share past experiences and develop creative approaches to new issues. This team approach has the additional advantage that if a new issue suddenly arises or an existing project becomes a top client priority, we can quickly assign additional lawyers who will already have the background necessary to tackle the problem at full speed.

Peter S. Lubin Firm has been practicing law for over 35 years. Peter brings a rich range of courtroom experience to assist his commercial and class-action litigation clients. Peter has been lead defense counsel in a number of "bet the company" class actions that he has successfully defended. He has also been lead plaintiff's class counsel on numerous multi-million dollar class national and statewide class action. Peter has represented many corporations or businesses in a wide variety of complex business disputes including corporate freeze-outs, copyright infringement, trade secret theft, non-compete agreement and libel and defamation cases. Peter obtained an AB...

Michael A. Rosenhouse concentrates his Rochester, NY, based practice in appeals and complex trial court motions, and includes experience both with and against prominent New York City and Chicago lawyers. He has received the highest rating from the oldest and most reputable peer-review institution in the profession. His successful appellate practice is supported by years of experience in complex civil litigation. He is the author of several books and articles on a wide variety of legal subjects and has lectured for national and local, specialized and general, legal educational organizations.

Denice A. Gierach is a business and estate planning lawyer with more than 30 years of experience representing business owners in the formation, franchising, and dissolution of businesses; contract negotiation and reviews; business litigation; partnership disputes, succession planning; commercial real estate; and aiding individuals in matters of advanced estate planning, and charitable giving. She also leads her firm’s YourOGC program providing Outsourced General Counsel services to small and medium size businesses to assist them in preventing legal issues, providing proper planning for reaching goals, and insight into issues preventing them from further success. As a Certified Public Accountant with a master's degree...

George S. Frederick is the managing partner at the law firm of Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC. Mr. Frederick’s practice focuses on all aspects of divorce and related family law matters, including parental allocation, parenting time, child support, maintenance, and enforcement proceedings. Mr. Frederick also counsels and litigates on behalf of his clients on a wide range of employment matters involving sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliatory discharge, and wage and hour claims. In addition, he assists and counsels clients on their employment policies and procedures, contracts, and other employment-related agreements. Mr. Frederick handles cases in both state and...

Mr. Molho concentrates his practice on business counseling and employment law. Mindful of the cost of legal services, Mr. Molho works efficiently to solve his clients’ problems. Most cases he settles favorably. Others are tried to verdict effectively and creatively. Mr. Molho serves as lead counsel through all facets of trial and appeal. Mr. Molho routinely counsels private employers and their chief executives on ADA, FMLA, Title VII, ADEA, OSHA, NLRA, and union avoidance issues. He is conversant with all human resource policies including employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, handbooks, and more.

Charles is a shareholder at The Law Office of Lofgren & Wentworth, P.C. in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, where he practices business, property, and appellate litigation. After graduating from the SJ Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, he clerked for Chief Justice John Broderick of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. He was then a litigation associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago before opening his own practice. He recently joined Richard Lofgren to form The Law Office of Lofgren & Wentworth, P.C., The Entrepreneur's Legal Resource. Charles' experience as an officer and director of multiple closely-held companies...

Former Attorney for the United States Department of Labor and United States Department of Justice. Years of complex litigation experience.

Sam Neschis works with businesses and business owners in a variety of industries. Sam began his career at the New York County District Attorney’s Office, where he gained valuable trial and investigative experience. He has been practicing corporate and commercial law in Chicago since 2002 representing businesses and individuals in a wide range of areas including shareholder and partnership disputes, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, theft of trade secrets, general employment matters, restrictive employment covenants (including non-competition and non-solicitation matters), commercial fraud, and unfair competition. He also represents clients in real estate, trust, and probate...

Marcia Gerber Cotler, Principal and Founder of Cotler Law LLC, received her Juris Doctor of Law from Georgetown University Law Center (cum laude) in 1989. In addition to her J.D., Ms. Cotler holds two certifications in mediation, one from the Center for Conflict Resolution (2002) and another from DePaul University College of Law (2004). Ms. Cotler has both litigated and settled hundreds of cases for clients ranging from multi-national corporations to individuals. She practices before the state courts of Cook, Lake and DuPage County Illinois, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, the United States District Court...

After 8 years defending employers with a respected Chicago defense firm, Arik started Hetue Law, P.C. with a mission of helping people navigate the legal issues surrounding starting and growing their businesses as an outside general counsel, and protecting their finances and families via proper estate planning.

Arik is a skilled business law attorney, with experience in risk management, HR planning, business entity formation, corporate dispute resolution, technology planning, technology licensing agreements, and has enjoyed outside general counsel status to a variety of small businesses and technology start ups. He is also an experienced estate planning attorney,...

Mr. DeBlasio is the founder and managing member of DeBlasio & Gower LLC. Tony has over 22 years of experience as a trial lawyer and advisor. He has counseled individuals, business executives, for profit and not-for-profit companies and government bodies in complex litigation matters, internal investigations and dispute resolution strategies. Tony has been selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer in Business Litigation on many occasions. Only 5% of attorneys receive this distinction. Tony has represented clients from a multitude of industry sectors, including, health care, technology, communications, financial, education, real estate, manufacturing, construction, management...

About Attorney J. Witherspoon A native of Chicago's south side, J. Witherspoon witnessed both sides of the justice system and its ability to impact lives. This inspired her to pursue a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice and later obtain her Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Over the last 25 years, she has held an array of positions and sat on numerous boards all centering around assisting others and improving their quality of life through the utilization of her knowledge of the judicial system. ? J. Witherspoon regularly attends trainings and seminars to ensure that she remains current on knowledge and...

Timothy was born and raised in the southwest side of Chicago. He attended St. Laurence High School, and graduated from Northern Illinois University.

Before going to law school, Timothy was working as an Illinois Certified Public Accountant (CPA), having received his certification in 1989. He spent four and a half years working for Arthur Andersen & CO., Chase Manhattan Bank and Shand Morahan & Company.

Timothy went to John Marshall Law School, graduating and being admitted to the Bar in May 1994 (Cum Laude) and was a staff member of the Journal of Computer and Information Law. He opened his own law...

Scott G. Richmond practices in the areas of civil and commercial litigation, banking, collections, employment, Landlord-Tenant law including evictions, personal injury, wrongful death, real estate short sales, homeowner and condominium association representation and zoning/land use issues. He is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Richmond was named a Leading Lawyer in Illinois for 2015, 2016 and 2017. Mr. Richmond is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Kane County Bar Association (where he's served as General Counsel and on...

William P. Boznos is the founding attorney of Boznos Law. He brings a unique 360 degree perspective to its advice and advocacy. He has served as in house senior counsel for a Fortune 500 Company for over a decade. In addition, he has served as Director of Human Resources and Vice President of Human Resources for both privately held and large publicly held companies for years, including Harrah’s Casinos, the largest gaming operation in the world. This unique background gave him an unprecedented access to company CEO’s, human resources departments, and the corporate insight you need. He has represented both...

Michael T. Sanderson joined Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC in August of 2021, where he practices in the areas of family law, civil litigation, employment law, personal injury law, including medical malpractice cases, and Veteran’s rights. Prior to joining MKFM, Michael worked as an Assistant Regional Counsel for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, where he defended the agency in claims of employment discrimination and medical malpractice as well as administrative actions involving nursing homes and medical providers/suppliers. Michael began working in family law while still attending law school through his work with several Chicago-based law firms. He...

Over twenty eight years of legal experience working with businesses on the issues they face daily during their business cycles. I act in the capacity of an outside general counsel assisting business owners to make smarter decisions, build stronger relationships and make and save money. I stress the importance of recognizing that correct legal answers alone do not necessarily translate into the correct best business decisions. I represent all types of businesses in every stage of their business cycles from start up through eventual sale. Specialties: The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialities in the...

Diana Taylor focuses her practice on solving employment-related disputes for her clients. Whether assisting an employee or employer, Diana seeks to address these disputes from an approachable perspective. However, she has also successfully litigated and defended matters before various state courts, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and employment-related administrative agencies.

Having begun her legal career in a litigation practice focusing on personal injury and contract disputes, she led litigation against individuals, small businesses, and professionals and served as a key contributor in multi-faceted litigation and disputes against corporate defendants including insurance carriers, car...

TiShaunda McPherson is a seasoned employment and education attorney, with over 20 years of experience addressing institutional, regional and systemic discriminatory practices, with specialized expertise in Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, the ADA and Section 504. A dedicated advocate for individuals facing or impacted by civil rights violations, TiShaunda is renowned for her ability to achieve successful results for her clients and providing visionary leadership in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. TiShaunda has had an extraordinary professional career allowing her to bring unique and transformative insight into each case with compassion. Beginning as an associate...

Rick was affiliated with and became a partner in the law firm Chandler & Greenswag, P.C. from 1979-1993. Thereafter, he operated the Law Offices of Richard A. Greenswag, P.C. from 1993 until he then became a founding member of Kaplan & Greenswag LLC until March of 2011 when Greenswag & Associates, P.C. was formed.

Rick is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Rick is also a member of the Board of Directors and is President of PADS Crisis Services, Inc., a charitable organization serving the needs of the homeless in...

Marcia worked with the Federal Communications Commission as an attorney in the Mass Media Bureau and as Branch Manager in the Common Carrier Bureau from 1982 through 1987, and at MCI Telecommunications as a senior attorney from 1987 through 1994. Thereafter, she worked as a consultant until joining Kaplan & Greenswag LLC in January 2007.

Marcia is admitted to practice in Illinois and the District of Columbia and is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. Marcia also serves on the Northbrook Plan Commission.

With 25 years’ experience, Vince provides his clients with a diverse skill set for advising on and resolving most legal issues. As an experienced trial attorney, Vince advises his clients on how to resolve conflicts before litigation; yet, when a lawsuit is filed, Vince transitions to the role as staunch advocate, having been involved in a diverse array of cases related to business disputes, non-compete/non-solicitation claims, business dissolution and accountings, construction defect, mechanic’s lien and breach of contract claims, estate planning and probate matters, and municipal and pension hearings. Vince has conducted more than 100 jury and bench trials, involving...

Effective Legal Counsel for Business and Individuals Navigating Labor and Employment Disputes. Nicholas Crawford offers comprehensive employment and labor law advice and counsel to business's and individuals as an attorney with the Law Office Andrew Szocka, P.C. If you have a legal matter, labor dispute, or a employment law issue, I am uniquely positioned to advocate for your interests. With over 10 years experience leading Human Resource teams for both venture capital start-ups and large multi-national corporations, I have a built a reputation for creative litigation and problem solving approaches to resolve employment and labor disputes. If faced...

Ethan White is a cum laude graduate of Northwestern University School of Law with more than a decade of pure litigation experience. Ethan’s practice focuses on counseling clients and litigating commercial and employment-related matters, with near daily courtroom experience in both state and federal courts. In addition, he frequently appears before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Humans Rights, the Illinois Department of Labor, and various mediation forums. Ethan has tried cases in DuPage County, Cook County, and the Northern District of Illinois and has litigated matters in nearly every other county in the Chicagoland area.

In addition...

Kathleen C. Chavez, founding partner of Foote, Mielke, Chavez & O’Neil, LLC, earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1998 from Northwestern University School of Law. Chavez is a nationally recognized civil litigator with a reputation for obtaining exceptional results in challenging cases. She is a results-driven, highly focused “problem-solver” with an unmatched ability to strategically frame critical issues, develop innovative solutions and negotiate outstanding results for her clients. She is admitted to practice law in California, Illinois and Washington D.C., as well as various federal courts, the Federal Trial Bar and the United States Federal Court of Claims.

Richard J. Miller was born on July 1, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Arizona State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. After graduating from ASU he relocated to Southern California whereby he worked as a top finance executive in the high technology business during the .com boom. While living in California, Mr. Miller received an MBA degree in Finance from California State University located in Long Beach. Mr. Miller received his JD degree from John Marshall Law School and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2007. Additionally, Mr. Miller was admitted to the Federal...

Ted Donner (Attorney) started his legal studies at Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1987 after a ten-year stint as the box office manager of The Second City in Chicago. His professional experience since then includes work as a law clerk for Corboy & Demetrio, P.C., a summer internship at Welsh & Katz, Ltd., and work as an associate with Rock, Fusco, Reynolds & Garvey, Ltd. Before opening Donner & Company Law Offices LLC, he was an Associate and then Of Counsel to the litigation practice group at Altheimer & Gray, where his practice was concentrated in insurance...

Mr. Petti is a resident of Elburn, IL. He was born in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up in Pittsburgh PA and Evanston IL. He has acted as legal counsel for both small and large businesses. He has been associated with private law practice firms in Chicago and the Chicago Suburban area. For the past twenty two years, he has maintained his principal law office in Kane County, Illinois. Mr. Petti's corporate law work includes serving as staff counsel for Motorola and General Counsel of Andrew Corporation, two international electronic businesses. His trial work has taken him from Connecticut to...

Terry Heady has over 24 years of experience fighting for the rights of accident victims in the Chicagoland area. Mr. Heady has vast experience with many different types injury cases including car and motorcycle collisions, trucking accidents, construction site injuries, nursing home cases, medical malpractice cases and wrongful death cases. He has been named as one of the top 100 Trial lawyers in Illinois by the National Trial Lawyers for the years 2014 through 2020. Mr. Heady also represents employees who have been wrongfully terminated and victims of sexual harassment, race discrimination, violations...

I provide advice and counsel to professionals and businesses in a wide variety of industries. I realize that solutions to many problems require the involvement of others who provide counsel to my clients, and as a result, I often works alongside a client’s accountant, financial consultant, or other professional.

I am an active litigator, and also on employment issues, insurance coverage disputes and business law, including contractual disputes and construction issues. I have many years of experience in analyzing and evaluating contractual, statutory and regulatory rights and obligations in matters that affect most small to mid-size business. ...

Susan L. Dawson earned her juris doctorate at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2000 with a concentration in corporate/business law and taxation. Licensed in Illinois since 2000, Susan has spent her entire career representing businesses, business owners, entrepreneurs and employees. She has a wide range of experience working with clients on local, national and international levels. Susan delivers a commitment to service which surpasses client's expectations, promptly meeting tight deadlines and quickly responding to pressing matters as they arise. Susan is equally involved in the community, dedicating significant time and effort to supporting numerous not-for profit...