Benld Lawyers

We are rooted in Montgomery County with two offices to better serve the area. Our firm handles many cases in the surrounding counties (Macoupin, Bond, Fayette, Christian, and Shelby County) as well. We have experience handling many areas of law, including personal injury (car wrecks/dog bites/slip or trip & falls/wrongful deaths/malpractice), traffic/DUI/criminal defense cases, bankruptcy, family law (custody/child support/adoption/divorce), estate planning (wills/POAs/trusts), and estate administration (non-probate and probate), and general civil practice. I grew up Nokomis (Montgomery County), where my family and I reside. My degrees are from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Thomas M. Cooley...

After graduation from Chicago-Kent School of Law in 1995, Tor Hoerman began working at the defense firm Bullaro, Carton & Stone until he got a call from a plaintiffs firm, Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz that they may have an opening for a young associate. Tor jumped at the opportunity and learned about his passion to help injured people against those that he had previously represented.

In his years at K,J&S, Tor learned how to work the Courtroom at the Daley Center, spending most of his days either trying cases or running from floor to floor arguing motions on behalf of his...

Gary Burger is managing partner of Burger Law, a St. Louis-based personal injury law firm. Gary has dedicated his 32+ year career to the rigorous pursuit of justice for injury victims and their families. His zealous representation has recovered over $200 million for clients so far. Gary's legal experience spans all personal injury, including motor vehicle crashes, wrongful death, medical malpractice, product liability, premise liability, workers' compensation and more. His wins have been featured in the media and he has hundreds of great reviews from clients. He is licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois, the Missouri Supreme Court, the U.S....

Blake Behme Gilbreth Links, P.C. has offices in Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Carlyle and Effingham, Illinois. AREAS OF PRACTICE: Probate Law, Family Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law and Estate Planning, including Business, Child Custody, Child Support, Collaborative Divorce, Commercial Real Estate, Consume Protection, Debt Settlement, Divorce, Divorce Mediation, Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Breaches of Fiduciary Duty, Family, Foreclosure, Landlord/Tenant, Legal Malpractice, Litigation, Civil Lawsuits, Military Divorce, Nursing Home, Personal Injury, Probate, Estate Settlement, Real Estate, Securities, DCFS, Tax, Internal Revenue Service, Illinois Department of Revenue, Illinois Department of Employment Security and White Collar Crime.

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,...

Experienced professional legal representation for criminal defense, drug cases, divorce, child custody and support, adoption, domestic violence, DUI/DWI, lawsuits, trials and appeals. Gary Wangler is an experienced attorney practicing in the Metro East and greater Southern Illinois area. Contact Gary Wangler with your legal questions or concerns at (618) 206-6232 or at (618) 514-3286 or by email at:garywanglerlaw@gmail.com. Gary Wangler is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law. He is licensed to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court, the Fifth District Appellate Court and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. He has...

Ms. Hicks has been practicing law in St. Clair and Monroe Counties for more than 18 years. She has successfully tried numerous divorce and custody cases. She is also an experienced mediator. Ms. Hicks grew up in a small town in Monroe County and returned to the area to practice law. She resides with her husband and son in Columbia.

Steven Seidman, the founding member of Seidman, Margulis and Fairman, has been practicing Personal Injury law for 40 years. During that time he has tried thousands of cases to successful award or verdict. Seidman has many multimillion dollar verdicts, and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for his clients. His high gross jury verdict for a personal injury case was $26.1 million for a seriously injured truck driver. His verdict of $3.8 million, for an attorney who contracted Legionnaire disease at the JW Marriott, in Chicago, was the highest reported verdict for that type of injury in...

Genavieve Perino is an experienced trial attorney and negotiator. In over 10 years of service to the injured in Missouri and Illinois, she has secured numerous settlements and judgments to get people the compensation they need to recover. She has obtained plaintiff verdicts in St. Louis City and County, St. Clair County, the Missouri Court of Appeals and the Missouri Supreme Court. She has served as lead counsel in a variety of personal injury practice areas, including auto accidents, product liability, medical malpractice, premises liability, dog bites and workers' compensation. Genavieve focuses her representation on positive client outcomes and fighting...

Following in his father’s footsteps as a legal advocate, Springfield personal injury lawyer James Ackerman established his practice in 1989.

Our approach to the law and to meeting our clients' needs comes from Jim Ackerman's belief that clients are best served when they are fully informed and engaged in every aspect of their case. Jim is a former prosecutor who handles injury claims and who coaches other attorneys on the finer points of case preparation, taking a case to trial, and the art of handling juries. Jim brings years of legal and courtroom experience to bear on every case.

Jim Ackerman...

Jonathan T. Nessler began his legal career with Nessler & Associates in 2007. His practice is focused on personal injury claims, including catastrophic automobile accidents, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. Mr. Nessler has dedicated his entire legal career to helping injured people recover for their loss. He is recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and a Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyer in Illinois. He is also recognized by The Law Bulletin Publishing Company Leading Lawyers as an Emerging Lawyer. - Education Bachelor of Science...

I am an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois since 2017. I have been continuously licensed in Illinois since 2017. I am admitted to practice in all state courts in Illinois. I have been continuously licensed in Wisconsin since 2021. I am admitted to practice in all state courts in Wisconsin.

P.K. Johnson V, born in 1970, gained admission to the Illinois Bar in 1995 and the Missouri Bar in 1996. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with honors from the University of Illinois in 1992 and attained his Juris Doctor degree with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1995. During his leisure hours, P.K. finds joy in quality time with his wife and two sons, indulging in golf, and exploring new destinations. Beyond his personal pursuits, P.K. contributes actively as a member of the Swansea, Illinois Board of Police Commissioners and holds a position on the Wolf Branch School District...

Kathy has spent her entire legal career advocating for fair compensation to those who are injured and believes in the mission to do the right thing, not the convenient thing on behalf of Kanoski Bresney's clients. Kathy believes the greatest accomplishments she has received are the words of appreciation and gratefulness from those she has represented.

Kathy was born in Spring Valley, Illinois, and grew up in a small town in Peoria County, Illinois. Kathy attended the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, and she was on the Dean's List several semesters and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts...

Attorney Michael Sheldon started his legal career as a law clerk with Burger Law in 2019 while pursuing his Juris Doctor degree at St. Louis University School of Law. In 2021, Michael received his Missouri law license and has since specialized in personal injury claims, including product liability, premises liability, dog bites, medical malpractice and workers' compensation. He has gotten great results in multiple bench trials and has recovered innumerable large settlements for his clients. He firmly believes that those injured through the negligence of another receive full compensation and a lasting sense of justice. Before joining Burger Law, Michael worked...

When faced with the hard times and decisions that come with a family law matter, the most comforting aspect is having an attorney that cares about the situation and how the best way it can be handled. Andrew Rankin always has the best interest of the client in mind, and manages the family law situation with authentic care. Drew is originally from Highland, Illinois. Drew is a Partner at Stange Law Firm, who manages the East Region of the Firm, including all of the Illinois offices and the Arnold, Missouri office of the firm. Drew has been with Stange Law Firm...

Joel Beckwith obtained his undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2009, where he studied philosophy and political science. He later attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he obtained his law degree. As a student in his third year of law school his legal commentary was selected and published in the Journal of Legal Medicine. He has since practiced in the areas of personal injury, insurance defense, class actions and traffic law. He is an experienced jury trial lawyer. Mr. Beckwith is licensed to practice law in both Illinois and Missouri, and is a current associate attorney at Rynearson,...

I am an experienced and aggressive Illinois attorney. I handle a broad range of criminal defense matters from from traffic offenses to serious crimes, as well as personal injury cases.

A Springfield, Illinois native, I am a graduate of SIU School of Law. I practice in Sangamon, Morgan, Maoupin, Menard and Cass Counties. I defend clients facing state prosecution as well as represent injured clients. I am dedicated to communicating with my clients and am available when you need help, even on the weekend or after hours.

Whether you are facing a serious criminal charge or have been issued a speeding...

Todd received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law Chicago in 2005. For more than 10 years following law school, he served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Toll Highway Authority. In this trusted position, Todd litigated eminent domain cases on behalf of IDOT and the ISTHA. In addition, during this time Todd also served as a defense attorney in personal injury lawsuits. Todd also served as local liquor counsel for several high-end hotels and restaurants, including the Palmer House Hilton, Hilton Towers, Hilton Rosemont, Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport, Hilton...

A lifelong resident of Illinois, John Waldman raised his family in the Pekin/Peoria area, where he resides today. John attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, graduating with University Honors with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Paralegal Studies. He began practicing law after graduating from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1988.

After law school, John began working for a law firm that primarily did work for insurance companies, defending personal injury and workers' compensation claims. Trying to save insurance companies money at the expense of innocent accident victims was not very rewarding. He joined Kanoski Bresney in...

Melanie K. Fairman is an experienced trial attorney who has represented plaintiffs in personal injury and wrongful death actions since 1994. Over the years, she has obtained millions for clients through settlement and trial. A large percentage of her practice involves cases arising from medical malpractice and nursing home negligence, but over the years she has litigated quite a few significant vehicular collision and premises liability cases, including a $3.8 million verdict in a case tried by Melanie and her partner, Steve Seidman, against JW Marriott based on exposing a guest who was an attorney to Legionella bacteria, causing him...

I bring an ivory tower legal education from Washington University and over 44 years of courtroom experience to down to earth people. In 2004 I was named the Illinois Downstate Chairperson for the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Lawyers. I am also a founding member of the Bankruptcy Law Network legal blog along with about 20some attorney friends. We wrote a free legal blog containing hundreds of pages of articles about bankruptcy, but blogs got boring, so I pivoted to my free JustAMinit Law You Tube video channel, where I post minute, or so, videos about ways you...

Karl J. Wulff, (BA ’93, JD ’96) is the firm’s principal attorney. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Webster University in 1993. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1996. Prior to attending university Mr. Wulff served in the United States Navy on board the amphibious assault aircraft carrier U.S.S. Tripoli (LPH-10) in the air department from 1987 to 1989 and later on board the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Saratoga (CV-60) as a reservist, earning the Sea Service Ribbon and the National Defense Medal. Mr. Wulff is a member of the National...

Seth A. Albin focuses his practice on the areas of Bankruptcy, including representing individuals and businesses, Creditor’s Rights, Family Law, including all aspects of divorce and adoption, including child custody, child support, maintenance, spousal support, and modifications, Enforcement and Collection of Judgments including replevin, garnishments and executions, Secured Transactions, Arbitration, Litigation, and Municipal Law.

Before joining Summers Compton Wells, Seth worked at one of the largest law firms in St. Louis and served as in-house counsel for a commercial lender. He has represented secured and unsecured creditors and debtors in all aspects of the debtor-creditor relationship, including work outs, debt...

About Bill

Bill is a Southern Illinois native. He and his wife live in the Carbondale area with their five children. He attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He later earned Masters’ degrees in Special Education and Counseling Psychology, from McKendree University. He in Special Education classrooms in public and private schools.

Later, Bill worked as a counselor-intern for St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, and as a clinician for Chestnut Health Systems. He provided mental health and addiction recovery services, clinical analysis, and employee assistance support. His clients included Federal and State probation,...

MillerKing LLC, a comprehensive law firm in Southern Illinois near St. Louis, MO, works and concentrates in the areas of Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Workers' Compensation, Criminal Defense, Criminal Law/Traffic, Family Law, Estate Planning, Probate, Municipal Law, and Mediation.

Attorney Charles Armbruster has 25 years of experience traveling the country and representing the rights of injured individuals. His outstanding track record includes 17 cases that reached a recovery of at least $1 million. He has obtained millions of dollars in verdicts for personal injury clients in 22 different states. Other law firms have asked him to serve as lead trial counsel in their cases due to his extensive and successful skills and experience inside the courtroom. Attorney Charles Armbruster has 25 years of experience traveling the country and representing the rights of injured individuals. His outstanding track record includes 17...

The firm and its attorneys have specialized for over 30 years in providing the highest rated (AV) quality legal representation for injured persons in product liability cases, motor vehicle crash cases, truck crash cases, workers compensations claims and personal injury cases. We provide one on one attorney-client service. Please see our many client reviews on avvo.com.

Emily is a determined and fierce advocate for her clients. At the same time her welcoming smile and friendly personality will put you at ease when discussing your legal problem. Emily has spent the last 12 years representing clients in real estate, eviction and installment sales contract cases. Whether it is negotiating a settlement or taking a case to court, Emily’s experience allows her to get results for her clients.

Emily has an Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a law degree from Southern Illinois University. While in law school, she worked for...

Jon E. Rosenstengel is a seasoned attorney specializing exclusively in personal injury litigation. His practice is devoted to representing individuals harmed by the negligence of others and those injured in workplace incidents. Instead of prioritizing the financial interests of powerful insurance companies handling personal injury claims, Jon focuses on safeguarding the personal rights of his clients. With decades of experience, Mr. Rosenstengel is dedicated to assisting claimants in obtaining the compensation they deserve to restore their health and well-being. He leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of achieving the optimal outcome for your claim.

Nancy Shepard has spent almost her entire legal career protecting the rights of injured workers before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. She has won won numerous appeals at the Commission, Circuit Courts and the Illinois Appellate Courts and prides herself on providing expert guidance for her clients. Nancy works tirelessly to fight for maximum compensation for her clients.

Attorney Jeana K. Reinbold's practice focus is on resolving disputes between debtors and creditors and she will assist with strategy and prosecution or defense if a bankruptcy case (chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13) needs to be involved.

Seam M. Baker has been a Chicago personal injury attorney since 1995. His areas of practice include serious bodily injury and wrongful death involving structural collapse, trucking accidents, premises liability, as well as medical and nursing home malpractice.

Jerry F. Costello is committed to managing cases related to personal injury litigation, with a focus on individuals who experience injuries resulting from the negligence of others or workplace incidents. He is dedicated to skillfully protecting the rights of his clients, working diligently to ensure they receive the compensation they rightfully deserve.

Author: The Illinois Guide Book to Auto Accidents The Illinois Guide Book to Semi Truck Accidents Avvo Rating: 10.0 Superb American Association of Justice/American Trial Lawyers Association Illinois Trial Lawyers Association