Atkinson Lawyers

Defending client for 26 years in State and Federal Courts. Member of National College for DUI Defense and Graduate of DUI Harvard Session. Certified Field Sobriety Expert. Certified Breath Machine Operator for Datamaster and Intoxillyzer. Advanced Blood and Urine seminar graduate. Suppression of more than 3000 lbs of contraband as Henry County Drug Trafficing Defense Attorney. Success defense of hundreds of DUI and OWI cases in Rock Island, Mercer, Henry, Whiteside, Scott, Muscatine, Johnson, and Clinton Counties in Iowa and Illinois. Successful defense in Federal Court where possession and trafficking of...

Stephany L. Impson received her law degree from the University of Illinois. In addition, she has an MBA with emphases in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University, is a certified Illinois Administrative Adjudicator, and has certification as a Family Law Mediator.

For over three decades, Stephany worked in the title insurance industry. For much of that time, she was a national underwriting counsel. In that capacity, she underwrote and closed transactions for commercial and industrial properties located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. In the four years...

Ray recieved his J.D. at Northwestern University in 1974 and M.B.A. at Northwestern University in 1972 with a B.A. at California State, L.A. in 1968. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and Rock Island County Bar Association.

Former Public Administrator of Rock Island County

Former Public Guardian of Rock Island County

HUD Foreclosure Commissioner

C. Eric Bodo grew up in Mundelein, Illinois, and attended Carmel High School in the northern suburbs. Eric graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts. He went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago in 1996 and was admitted to the Illinois Bar.

Before coming to VanDerGinst Law, Eric was a partner in his own firm with offices in Chicago and Northbrook, Illinois where he represented seriously injured individuals and their families. Before starting his firm in 2014, Eric worked for a large, high-volume personal injury firm...

Clarissa Rietveld was born in Iowa and raised in Rushville, Indiana. She received her Associate’s Degree in Nursing in 2009 and worked as a registered nurse in operating rooms across the Midwest and on the East Coast. While working as a nurse, Ms. Rietveld had a patient whose medical history documented that he did not have regular access to food and was starving. Ms. Rietveld spent the afternoon working with hospital social services to arrange for her patient to gain access to regular meals and was shocked to learn that he didn’t qualify for any of the available programs. She...

Athena Farmakis was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, graduated with a B.A. from Northwestern University, and received her law degree from DePaul University College of law. With over 25 years of litigation experience, Athena has tried 67 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials in complex and media-sensitive cases. Athena currently practices in all areas of personal injury including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, product liability, construction accidents, animal attacks, negligent security, wrongful death, nursing home abuse and medical malpractice.

As a former prosecutor, Athena dedicated much of her legal career to serving the public for over 20 years...

Estate Planning: James has conducted estate planning matters including creation of wills (last will and testament), trusts, special needs trusts, irrevocable creditor protection trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, beneficiary planning and beneficiary designation, corporate succession planning, tax planning, and transfer on death instruments. Litigation: James has litigated matters including probate disputes, elder abuse claims, debt collection issues, contract disputes, and conducted other litigation as required by his clients. James has practiced across Iowa and Illinois.

Jacob J. Frost practices in the areas of estate/trust administration, residential and commercial real estate purchases and sales, business organizations, governmental law, and wills and trusts. Attorney Frost has served and represented clients in the Illinois Valley area for several years. Frost earned his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, with high honors in Legal Research and Writing. He received his Associate of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Illinois Valley Community College and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was admitted to both Phi Beta Kappa...

I provide caring and compassionate representation for people who have been injured and the families of those who have been killed. After starting practice on the defense side of civil law, I have been a plaintiff's lawyer since 2006 and have obtained millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. We handle all types of injury, workers compensation, nursing home and medical malpractice cases in Iowa and Illinois.

Mr. Wilson began his legal career in 1996 practicing in Peoria County before relocating to LaSalle County in 2003. In his career, he has successfully tried numerous cases involving motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, employment disputes, and premises liability. Additionally, he has extensive Appellate Court experience having successfully handled numerous appeals particularly in the area of workers’ compensation. In 2004, he obtained the second largest personal injury jury verdict in Marshall County history at the time. In 2017, he negotiated the largest settlement ever obtained for a workers’ compensation claim with the Chicago Public School District. ...

Since 1993, we've been helping the accused by listening, preparing, protecting, and caring. Founded in Minneapolis in 1993, we have devoted our practice to only criminal defense. You will be asked to be a part of our team, as no one knows the facts better than you. Together we will gather all the evidence, hidden and apparent, the forgotten, and your discoveries. We will not pressure you to plead guilty, and we will brainstorm together to figure out the best course of action: trial or no trial. Allow us the opportunity to listen to you, work with you, fight for...

Robert Motta II is the Managing Partner at Motta & Motta LLC. He concentrates his law practice in criminal defense, DUI, divorce & family law. Robert was named 2014 Top 100 National Trial Lawyer and is known in the legal community for his unparalleled pre-trial and trial strategies.

Shawn Barnett is a skilled litigator and trial attorney who is dedicated to helping those who have been victimized by law enforcement or correctional officers. He has received multiple million-dollar settlements for his clients and has been recognized as an Illinois Rising Star multiple times. During his time as an attorney, Shawn has represented numerous clients who have been injured by those who have abused their authority. He has vigorously pursued a wide variety of claims on behalf of his clients, including false arrest, malicious prosecution, excessive force, wrongful death, and sexual assault. Shawn has a particular focus on police involved...

To seek out and maintain justice is Russell Haugen's goal as an Illinois personal injury attorney. Russell Haugen attended Illinois State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Throughout his undergraduate degree, Russ worked as a paralegal for Woodruff Johnson & Evans Law Offices. As a paralegal, he was able to learn a great deal about the many intricacies of both workers' compensation and personal injury law. This further convinced him to pursue a law degree. Russell Haugen attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. There, he was a volunteer for the Lansing Teen Court, working...

Benedict Schwarz, II has limited his practice to matrimonial and family law for over 40 years. He is a past director of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and is also a trained divorce mediator; Mr. Schwarz has taught numerous 40-hour divorce mediation training and conflict resolution seminars and has also co-authored chapters on the subject in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education publications.

In 1992, Mr. Schwarz was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a Commissioner of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). In 2001, Mr. Schwarz was appointed the Chairperson of the Commission from January...

I am an experienced Personal Injury attorney dedicated to fighting for the rights of my clients through every stage of their case. I represent clients who have been injured due to car accidents, animal attacks, sports injuries, defective products and nursing home abuse. I am a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the DuPage County Bar Association. I have been included in the Illinois list of Super Lawyers. I have a 10.0 rating on Avvo and a 10.0 rating on Justia. Let me fight for the justice you deserve. Call today for a free...

Rachel received her undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with double minors in Philosophy and History. In 2014, Rachel received the History Department’s James R. Shirley Essay Prize for her research paper on the Soviet Union’s gulag system.

After graduation, Rachel enrolled in Northern Illinois University’s College of Law, where she served as the Symposium Editor for the Northern Illinois University Law Review and as Clerk for Phi Alpha Delta’s Dooley Chapter. Her Law Review article, Battle for Baby: Proposed Legislation for Custody Battles over Frozen Pre-Embryos, was published in the...

Wendy M. Musielak attended DePaul University in Chicago, IL where she graduated with highest honors with a B.S. in Finance and Management. She earned her Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in 2003. Wendy is admitted to practice law in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois. Wendy concentrates her legal practice in family law matters including child custody and visitation, child support, alimony and spousal support, collaborative law, mediation, prenuptial agreements, litigation and appeals and complex litigation. Prior to being a partner with Andrew Cores Family Law Group, Wendy was a Staff Attorney for the...

Larry joined the Springfield office of Kanoski Bresney in 1989 and opened the firm's Bloomington office in 1995. Along with his staff of dedicated legal assistants in Bloomington and Champaign, Larry has successfully represented thousands of personal injury and workers’ compensation clients throughout central Illinois for more than 30 years.

Larry was born in Freeport, Illinois, and raised in the Chicago area with three brothers. After graduating from Illinois State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree focusing on business administration and accounting, he attended the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign, earning his Juris Doctor degree...

Todd is the Senior Partner of Kanoski Bresney. He is also the Senior Trial Attorney who manages the complex litigation division of the law firm. Kanoski Bresney was established over 40 years ago and is a full service personal injury law firm that has 8 central Illinois office locations and a litigation practice that spans throughout the State of Illinois.

He has worked at the Federal Trade Commission and the States Attorney for Cook County. However, he spent the majority of his early career in Chicago representing and defending some of the largest insurers and corporations in the country.

Since 2002,...

Known for promoting innovative litigation alternatives in family-related legal disputes, Rachel Nicole Hernandez is a collaborative family lawyer & the founder of Bruckner Hernandez Legal Solutions, LLC, a collaborative law & family law firm with offices in St. Charles & Sycamore, Illinois.

Bruckner Hernandez Legal Solutions, LLC helps families resolve legal issues without going to court, whether it be through mediation, collaborative process, uncontested divorce, pre-divorce legal counseling, or limited scope representation. Rachel Nicole Hernandez provides advice to clients regarding their rights with respect to marital/non-marital assets & debts, maintenance, & child custody issues. Rachel Nicole Hernandez solicits the expertise of...

Since obtaining my license in 2008, I have dedicated my career to representing numerous financial institutions, focusing on enforcing their security interests. Over the last decade, I have supported community banks through complex commercial workouts, dealing with sophisticated financial products. My litigation experience extends to contested contract cases based on various legal theories. I have been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers and an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers since 2015. My practice primarily involves representing secured creditors in all facets of commercial loan enforcement, from initiating commercial workouts to enforcing judgments. I frequently write on these subjects and...

Experienced. Tough. Driven. Put these three words together and you have defined the lead attorney at the firm of Woodruff Johnson & Evans. Over the course of his career, Mr. Woodruff has handled thousands of injury claims, recovering millions of dollars for people who have been hurt. Through it all, Mr. Woodruff has fought tirelessly to prevent corporations and big insurance companies from trampling on the rights of working men and women. For instance, on 40 different occasions, Mr. Woodruff represented employees from the University of Illinois who were denied their workers’ compensation rights after suffering repetitive-work injuries to their...

I am a father of 3 daughters, husband to a Naperville school teacher, and a personal injury attorney. I grew up in Naperville, went to high school at NNHS. Jason Marker, the other owner of the firm went to NCHS. Regardless of which side of the rivalry you fall on, our firm is Naperville through and through.

I represent people injured in auto accidents, truck accidents, slip and falls, nursing home cases, medical malpractice cases, or any other case where our client was injured by someone else's negligence. I love my job and I care about my cases and clients as...

Julian Hoshell began his path to a legal career at the University of St. Francis, where he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then went on to earn his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2017. Julian worked for Zayed from the beginning of his legal career, serving as a law clerk for the firm during law school. After graduation, Julian joined Zayed Law Offices full-time as an associate attorney. Julian has achieved fantastic results for his clients, including a $250,000 verdict for a motor vehicle accident victim and $200,000 for a...

Adam Zayed is the founding attorney of Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, one of the top personal injury and medical malpractice law firms in Chicago. He has led the firm in recovering over $50 million for injured clients in Illinois. As an experienced trial lawyer, Adam only takes on a selective number of cases so he can provide individualized service to each and every client. He uses his academic background and experience with statistics, behavioral science, and trial strategy to develop a case that will bring his client a favorable result. This approach has helped him recover several seven-figure...

Jon Walker is an associate attorney at Woodruff Johnson & Evans where he focuses his practice on personal injury, workers’ compensation, and Social Security Disability claims. With more than a decade of legal experience, Mr. Walker has successfully recovered millions of dollars for his injured clients. He is particularly experienced in handling workers’ compensation claims for auto industry workers. He is one of only a few attorneys in the entire state of Illinois currently helping injured workers secure expedited trial and appellate review by filing emergency hearings under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, Section 19(b-1). Call for a free consultation.

Respect for working men and women is the driving force behind Jay Johnson's commitment to workers' compensation law. It is a respect that runs deep. One of Jay's grandfathers was a Kentucky coal miner; the other, a member of the United Rubber Workers. Because both his grandfathers worked extremely hard in less-than-ideal environments, Jay has great empathy for those who get hurt on the job. Over the years, Jay Johnson has recovered millions of dollars for people suffering from a variety of work-related injuries. He prides himself on thoroughly preparing for each case and staying in close, personal contact with clients....

Lauren Jackson focuses her practice primarily in the areas of real estate and estate planning, although her background includes probate, contracts, corporate formation and business succession planning. Lauren’s unintimidating, caring approach has garnered her a respectable reputation all over Northern Illinois. With her dedication for efficient cost effective services, you will learn that with Lauren on your side you have a reachable attorney with your best intentions in mind. Lauren prides herself on quality work over quantity and it has proved she is a success based on past customer positive reviews. Lauren eagerly represents...

Aviation Injuries and Accident Attorney
Steven M. Sandler has worked as a civil litigation trial attorney for the last 35 years. “In the courtroom, there is no substitute for experience,” shares Mr. Sandler. What a fulfilling experience it has been.

Mr. Sandler has spent the majority of his career representing the victims of catastrophic injury. While doing so, he obtained several multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for his clients. For the ten years prior to joining Woodruff Johnson & Evans, Steve defended individuals and corporate entities faced with lawsuits arising out of airplane, trucking and auto accidents. This unique perspective from both...

Daniel J. Kollias' combination of experience in the real world and in the courtroom sets him apart from other attorneys. He represents clients with the goal of finding practical solutions to complex problems. Prior to starting his firm, Dan successfully owned and managed a restaurant and bar in Elmhurst for a few years before returning to the practice of law. He understands business from the perspectives of both the entrepreneur and the advocate.

Dan is at home both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. Dan gained extensive in-court experience as a prosecutor in the...

Principal of a 6 attorney law firm that concentrates its practice in all aspects of Civil Trial Practice and Appeals in all State and Federal Courts in the Northeastern Illinois geographical area with a focus on catastrophic bodily injury and death claims concentrating in the representation of clients in their nursing home neglect, motor vehicle negligence and premises liability claims. The firm also represents clients in their Workers Compensation Act claims and their commercial and residential real estate transactions and associated litigation.

Kevin G. Drendel Cornell College, cum laude, and a 1991 graduate of Northern Illinois University College of Law, magna cum laude. While at Northern Illinois University, he was a member of the Law Review, and published an article in the University’s scholarly (NIU Law Review 73, 1990). He also received the West Publishing Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. He is admitted to practice in front of all Illinois State Courts and the U.S. District Court, the Northern District of Illinois. Kevin is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Kane County Bar Association: Director (1999-2000), ...

Andrew P. Cores is a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. Andrew earned his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Northwestern University School of Law in 1993. He is admitted to practice law in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois. Andrew concentrates his family law practice in divorce, alimony and spousal support, child support, collaborative law, custody, prenuptial agreements, litigation and appeals, complex litigation, federal trial practice, state appellate practice, state trial practice, business law and mediation. Andrew has been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer since 2012. He is a member of the DuPage County...