Franklin County Lawyers

I am an immigration attorney that practices exclusively U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law. As an Associate Immigration Attorney, I handle a variety of immigration matters from Waivers for Undocumented Immigrants, VAWA/other Humanitarian Relief Petitions to Employment based Petitions. We have an extremely high approve rate due to our focus on building personalized and approvable immigration strategies for our clients' unique situation.

Nicole Sommerfeld has focused her law practice on workers’ compensation and personal injury law ever since passing the Illinois bar exam and getting licensed in 1994, so she now has over 25 years of experience on the job. Nicole grew up in the Chicago area, attending Highland Park High School. She went to college at University of Wisconsin - Madison and earned her juris doctorate from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. When she first started practicing law it was a family affair, going to work at her father and brother’s law firm where she focused on helping workers...

I graduated from the University of Kentucky as a philosophy and political science double-major. I then worked in the financial services department of a Fortune 500 company for two years prior to attending The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. After obtaining my Juris Doctor, I worked as an associate attorney at a general civil litigation firm with a focus on personal injury and insurance law. There I settled countless cases for my clients, both individual and corporate. As a litigator, I obtained favorable outcomes through mediation, arbitration hearings, and bench and jury trials. Building on that experience, in 2014...

I am a proactive and results-driven attorney at Bellas & Wachowski, where I represent businesses and consumers in a variety of legal matters. My background in civil litigation is extensive, and I am committed to delivering favorable outcomes through innovative legal strategies that protect my clients' interests and foster their success. My practice covers medical negligence defense, personal injury defense, and professional liability defense, providing me with a comprehensive view of complex legal challenges. I am also adept at offering compliance counsel and representing clients in regulatory hearings. My sharp negotiation skills and meticulous preparation position me as a formidable ally...

Chiacchio IP, LLC, is a law firm that specializes in intellectual property law. Mr. Chiacchio has been practicing intellectual property law for over 15 years. He regularly prepares and prosecutes U.S. patent and trademark applications. Mr. Chiacchio counsels clients regarding a wide range of intellectual property issues, including patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret issues. Mr. Chiacchio prepares cease-and-desist letters for clients whose intellectual property rights are being infringed or misappropriated. Mr. Chiacchio has also spent well over a decade litigating intellectual property disputes on behalf of his clients. He has served as lead trial counsel in federal trademark infringement,...

Intellectual Property & Government Transparency | FOIA & Media Law | Small Business Attorney

Kent Sinson is a personal injury trial attorney in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2000, Mr. Sinson has proudly advocated for victims in personal injury cases throughout Northern Illinois and the surrounding areas. A native of Elmhurst, IL, Mr. Sinson received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. He also played varsity hockey and varsity football during each of his four years at Hamilton. Mr. Sinson went on to attend DePaul University College of Law where he was a member of the trial advocacy team, and he received his Juris Doctor in 1987. Upon his admission to the...

Jim Kane is a seasoned tax professional with more than 30 years of experience working with large and mid-sized companies on tax and incentive matters throughout the United States. Throughout his career, Jim has worked collaboratively with his clients to help them achieve significant financial benefits. Early in his career, Kane benefited from a long career with Arthur Andersen, gaining great training and experience, and developing a strong focus on developing and implementing processes to ensure service delivery quality and consistency. After launching Andersen’s Chicago property tax practice, Kane was instrumental in developing standards and processes for Andersen’s...

Unique to Ms. Taraska’s chosen career in personal injury law, she was the victim of a propane gas explosion, in which a commercial building collapsed on her, her mother, brother and a close family friend. The explosion left Taraska with extensive second and third degree burns early in her life. She was hospitalized for 3 months, during which she underwent skin grafting of her arms, legs, hands, and chest. Incredibly, a year prior to the explosion, Ms. Taraska’s father and a reconstructive surgeon opened the only downstate burn unit in Peoria where she was successfully treated despite the severity of...

Mr. Munninghoff graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2011 after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame in 2007. While at Chicago-Kent, Mark was repeatedly named to the Dean’s Honor List. In addition, Mark was a member of Chicago-Kent’s Moot Court Competition Team and competed in several Moot Court competitions. In addition, Mark received multiple CALI Excellence for the Future Awards.

Since being admitted to practice law in Illinois, Mark has practiced in many areas of personal injury litigation including medical malpractice, premises liability and automobile and trucking negligence cases. Mark has successfully represented injured...

Ms. Kaplan graduated from Boston University in 1996 having received her bachelors degree in political science, and attended the John Marshall Law School.

Ms. Kaplan graduated from law school with a 3.5 GPA and after passing the bar in 2001, began practicing law with her father, Melvin J. Kaplan, renown bankruptcy lawyer for over 58 years and author of two books including, Chapter 13 How To Get Your Creditors Off Your Back Without Losing Your Shirt.

Ms. Kaplan has helped thousands of Chicago families save their homes, cars, and get a fresh start for over 15 years.

Ms. Kaplan is a member of...

Bridgette A. Kolb joined Katz Friedman in 2014. Her practice is focused on protecting the rights of workers in Workers’ Compensation, Labor, and Employment law.

Bridgette represents clients in Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Disease cases. She is a zealous advocate who is dedicated to obtaining the compensation that injured workers and their families deserve. Bridgette has successfully represented clients with a wide variety of injuries, including injuries to the back, neck, and shoulders as well as burns, infections, and significant injuries to eyes. She has represented injured workers’ in claims against United Continental Holdings, American Airlines, Ford Motor Company, PepsiCo, DHL,...

I am an Intellectual Property Attorney, who founded Drishti (“vision”) law because of my vision in protecting dreams and ideas. Drishti Law is a full-service Intellectual property law firm located in Chicago, Illinois. I am devoted to assisting clients identify and protect their competitive advantage by establishing a capitalization strategy that adapts to their needs. My expertise focuses on developing competent asset management strategies for innovators, creators, startups, and businesses.

I am a trial lawyer driven by results, with a steadfast commitment to justice in employment litigation, business disputes, and civil rights cases. For nearly three decades, I have represented clients in high-stakes lawsuits that focus on safeguarding legal rights in the workplace and emphasizing the importance of people in business settings. My practice is devoted to championing justice at work, handling a wide range of cases for clients who have faced retaliation, sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, defamation, privacy breaches, and fraudulent misrepresentations. I am dedicated to a client-centered approach that enables individuals to stand up for what is right against what...

At Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, Loren handles personal injury and wrongful death cases arising out of medical malpractice, product defects, trucking and motor vehicle collisions, and dangerous construction and premises conditions.

Prior to joining Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, Loren worked as a trial attorney at another Chicago personal injury firm, where he was part of trial teams that obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients wrongfully killed or injured, including a $5.97 million record verdict in DeKalb County for an injured worker who fell 30 feet from a bucket truck after the support arm of a boom lift...

Kristen M. Stoicescu is an attorney at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, joining the firm in 2024. She focuses her practice on mass torts, medical malpractice, personal injury, and products liability cases. Prior to her role at the firm, she clerked for Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and worked as a litigation associate at leading defense firms, where she represented corporate clients in complex mass torts, intellectual property litigation, and other high-stakes legal matters. Ms. Stoicescu earned her Juris Doctor with honors from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2020. During law...

Tracy Robb joined Curcio Law Offices in 2001 and was named managing partner in 2016. She concentrates her practice predominantly on appellate law. Tracy has also established herself as a strategist for brainstorming with the trial team at the firm. She provides support at the trial court level with her research and writing skills which has served as the foundation for victory on many dispositive motions including motions in limine successfully barring defendants’ key evidence and experts from the trial. Ms. Robb has successfully defended the firm’s verdicts appealed by the defense firms and insurance companies both at the appellate...

Laura Canulli joined the Cogan & Power, P.C. the summer of 2023. Laura handles matters involving motor vehicle collisions, premises liability and medical malpractice. Laura is a 2012 graduate of Seton Hall University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She went on to earn her law degree from the John Marshall Law School, now known as the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, in 2017. While attending law school, she received academic honors and was a finalist in the Dean Fred F. Herzog Moot Court Competition. After passing the Illinois bar examination, Laura obtained her license to practice law...

Chris is a savvy litigator and negotiator who specializes in workers’ compensation law and social security disability law. Over the course of his career, he has represented thousands of clients from all walks of life: from teachers to truck drivers and from factory workers to nurses, and union members from the UAW, IEA, INA, SEIU, Teamsters, and various building trades. He is a tireless fighter on behalf of his clients and will do whatever it takes to make sure his clients receive their benefits. He has obtained awards for disability benefits and penalties against employers for not paying disability benefits...

Donna J. Pugh is a zoning and land use attorney in the Chicago office of Foley & Lardner LLP where she focuses her practice on obtaining governmental approvals related to land use and zoning on behalf of her retail, health care and corporate clients. With her approach of bridging the gap between client, civic and municipal needs, Ms. Pugh has an exceptionally high success rate of securing necessary entitlements for land development projects in the Chicago area. Ms. Pugh served as 2009-2010 Chair of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of State and Local Government Law. A consensus builder, Ms. Pugh works...

Steve McCollum has extensive experience in Criminal, DUI, and Juvenile cases, including 16 years as a prosecutor and 20 years as a defense attorney. Formerly the Chief Deputy State's Attorney for Lake County, Steve is a member of the Board of the Lake County Bar Foundation, the past President of the Lake County Bar Association, and has been the Chairperson of the Criminal Law Committee for the Bar Association. He was previously selected by the Illinois Supreme Court to the screening committee for the Capital Litigation Trial Bar for the 19th Judicial Circuit. As an Assistant State's Attorney and...

Aaron J. Lytle is one of the firm's suburban Chicago attorneys who practices in several key areas: estate planning and wealth protection, wills and trusts, probate administration, trust administration, business planning, taxation, real estate and special needs planning for children with disabilities. Mr. Lytle has spent several years working in the business sector on corporate issues relating to succession planning, valuation, acquisitions and generating capital. Before joining AHR, he worked for companies such as American Express and Bank One (now JP Morgan Chase).

Mr. Lytle also previously served on the Board of Trustees for DayOne Reliance, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that...

Since entering private practice, Attorney Smith has maintained a general practice with a concentration in family law. He has been a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Winnebago County Bar Association for over forty years each. Attorney Smith is currently a member of the family law section of each of these associations. He is currently on an advisory panel for the American Bar Association. He has been a presenter to other attorneys locally on family law and child related topics.

For over forty years Attorney Michael J. Smith has provided experienced family law representation. Family law...

Cary M. Stein is the co-managing partner of Stein & Shulman, LLC and specializes in representing individuals who have sustained serious personal injuries. Recently he has been concentrating in representing individuals who have sustained injuries after accidents with uninsured and underinsured motorists. Cary has collected multiple millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients over his 28 plus years of practicing law. He has tried 25 jury cases to verdict and has arbitrated over 500 mandatory and uninsured motorist cases. His practice areas include auto accidents, slip and falls, bicycle accidents, medical and nursing home negligence, and work related...

Bobby Shulman is the co-managing partner of Stein & Shulman and specializes in representing individuals who have sustained serious personal injuries. Bobby has achieved more than 30 million dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients over his 20 plus years of practicing law. His practice area specialties include auto accidents, slip and falls, bicycle accidents, medical and nursing home negligence, and work-related injuries. The majority of Bobby’s litigation files involve the retention and usage of expert witnesses, especially in the premises liability area where expert testimony is critical to framing the theory of liability and proving your case. His background...

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...

Liz has presented seminars to divorce recovery groups, counselors, lawyers, hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies and was an instructor for several years for a personal injury trial practice course presented by the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and classes for medical practitioners to area hospitals and staff regarding how to respond to legal inquiries and how to avoid malpractice. She has also presented seminars for the Illinois State Bar Association including a recent basic family law seminar.

Liz tried several cases to juries including a case that was decisiv with respect to the use accident reconstruction experts, evidence of...

Dean Hedeker is a leading Chicago-area authority on estate and tax planning, business law and investments. A long-time resident of north suburban Lincolnshire, Dean has more than 25-years experience helping business owners and families grow, protect and pass on their hard-earned money through tax planning, estate planning and investment management services. Dean is among a rare breed of professionals because he possesses wide-ranging experience and certifications in the fields of law, estate, tax and financial planning and accounting. Over the past 10 years alone, Dean has created more than 2,000 estate plans and every year he handles more than 300 complex...

Anthony (Tony) Perrelli is a partner of Hedeker & Perrelli and has provided his legal expertise to the firm since 2005. A resident of north suburban South Barrington, Tony specializes in estate planning, estate administration, and business and tax law. Clients rely on his smart, honest and compassionate approach to helping ensure their Hedeker & Perrelli LifePlan is protected from creditors, predators and the IRS. Tony is trusted by the hundreds of families and businesses who rely on Hedeker & Perrelli to plan and preserve their wealth. He has a deep understanding of tax laws and the estate planning process...

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.

I love working with my clients and I treat them as best as I can. My number one goal is to get them the compensation they deserve after they have been injured. I have won millions of dollars on behalf of my clients over the years.

-Former Assistant State's Attorney in Lake County from 2001 through 2004;
-Associate in private law firm from 2004 through 2014 practicing criminal defense, real estate law/closings and local village prosecutor for two municipalities;
-Partner in former law firm of Nutschnig & Cavanaugh Attorneys at Law P.C. from 2014 through 2019
-Current president and founder of the Law Offices of Jeffery J. Nutschnig LLC
-Almost 20 years legal experience;
-Member of the Lake County BAR Association;
-Illinois State Bar Association member;
-Member/Counselor of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois;
-Honest and truthful legal representation;

I am a licensed Illinois attorney currently practicing at McHenry county's largest criminal defense firm, Donahue and Kililis, PC. I represent clients in criminal and civil court daily, in McHenry, Lake, Cook, DuPage, DeKalb, and Boone counties. I represent clients at all stages of need, in various criminal offenses, including but not limited to: DUI/Summary Suspension, Domestic Battery, Drug offenses, Petty & Misdemeanor Traffic Offenses, Battery, Sexual Misconduct, License Reinstatement. I also handle civil matters including trial and hearings on Orders of Protection, Civil/No Stalking No Contact Order, Forcible Entry & Detainer, Small Claims and limited areas of...

Born and raised in Chicago, Mr. Thompson earned his B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1984. In 1987 he graduated with his J.D. at the Northern Illinois University in Chicago. He is fluent in Spanish.

Mr. Thompson has 18 years of experience litigating Personal Injury claims, Workers' Compensation, Criminal Law, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy & Traffic cases. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Admission to Federal Trial Bar, and is a board member in good standing with multiple charitable organizations.

Mr. Thompson has been married for thirteen years and...