Northbrook Lawyers

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,...

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...

Attorney Julia Sverdloff is the founder and owner of Sverdloff Law Group in Chicago, Illinois. A top-rated attorney with more than 17 years of total legal experience, Ms. Sverdloff focuses her practice solely on immigration law, and she provides unmatched counsel and support to clients throughout the greater Chicagoland region and all across the globe who have immigration legal needs. As an immigrant herself, Ms. Sverdloff fully understands the struggles and challenges so many face when trying to seek a better life in the United States. As such, she delivers exceptional advocacy throughout all legal proceedings to protect her clients' rights...

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.

Howard has showcased over 25 years of prowess in litigation, arbitration, negotiation, and claims review, consistently delivering effective action plans with a sharp focus on success. His track record speaks volumes, with a string of favorable decisions and settlements benefiting his clientele. Howard excels not only as a project manager but also as a team builder and mentor, passionately advocating for each project or case he handles. Moreover, Howard Peritz is an enthusiastic networker and connector, recognizing the significance of fostering connections and bringing people together.

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, Alexander Blum, want to be your Attorney. I cherish my Clients, and hope to impart some of my skills and knowledge so that my Clients are able to live a better and more productive life. I have appeared in many of the Courhouses in Illinois and I have a great working relationship with many Prosecutors and State Attorneys. I am very persuasive without being agressive, and I will give it my all to get the best possible result for my Client. Give me a call 773-999-2586 (BLUM)

Michele is an accomplished litigation and litigation management attorney with a proven track record of winning results at trial, arbitration and administrative hearings. She is known for her creative litigation strategies and communication skills. Result-oriented.

With nearly 25 years of legal experience, I am a knowledgeable and zealous advocate. I am a graduate of DePaul College of Law and have lived in Illinois since 1996. I am licensed by the Illinois Supreme Court and am a member of the Federal Trial Bar as well. I work throughout the State of Illinois, though I have the most experience in Lake and Cook Counties. My practice is primarily devoted to defending clients charged with serious felony offenses, ranging from murder to high-level drug offenses and sex crimes. I have extensive litigation...

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...

Now located in Kensington, London, UK. Specializing in consular processing for marriage based immigration (green cards), investment in the US (E-2 and EB-5), multi-national business managers and specialists (L visas), waiver and citizenship applications.

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...

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...

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.

Sami Azhari focuses his practice on criminal defense in state and federal courts. His primary areas of practice include felonies such as drug possession, drug trafficking, assault and battery, weapons charges, and white collar crime, as well as misdemeanors and traffic violations. He has litigated numerous cases in state and federal courts, and has actively participated in all aspects of the litigation and trial process, including taking and defending depositions of lay and expert witnesses, conducting fact and expert discovery, briefing and arguing substantive motions, and conducting bench and jury trials with first chair experience. His...

As the founder of the firm Kaufman Law Group, LLC, Jay C. Kaufman practices in the areas of business law and estate planning. For nearly 35 years, he has been practicing at his own firm. Attorney Kaufman is a proud member of ElderCounsel, WealthCounsel, American Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. He received both his undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees from North Illinois University. Mr. Kaufman has earned an 8.5 Excellent rating on Avvo.com. For a case review, please contact his firm today.

Katarina is a skilled zoning attorney with a wide understanding of land use matters and zoning applications due to her prior experience as a public sector attorney. She has represented development agencies and knows how planning staff, zoning administrators and elected officials think. On the private sector side, Katarina has worked with real estate developers, investors, businesses and property owners. Her experience includes resolving matters related to mixed-use, residential, commercial and industrial developments such as office buildings, warehousing facilities, shopping centers, residential subdivisions and multi-family development. Katarina is enthusiastic about assisting clients through the entitlement phase of development and bringing efficiency...

Education:
Harvard College, AB
Vanderbilt University Law School, JD
Cambridge University, LLM in International Law and Diploma in International Law

Other biographical information, please review website at:
www.stephenbcohenlaw.com

Mr. Wernick brings more than 30 years of experience focused almost exclusively on technology, intellectual property, data privacy/security transactions, and related legal matters. He has extensive contract negotiating and drafting experience, and has served as an arbitrator/mediator for more than 25 years. That experience, coupled with a background in computer programming, technology and accounting, enables him to provide practical strategic advice and realistic risk assessments. His nationally recognized practice since 1982 focuses on providing sensible and tactical legal advice to clients on significant transactions in information technology, electronic commerce, intellectual property, data privacy/security transactions, and dispute management. ...

Stewart C. Orzoff is the founder and senior member of the Orzoff Law Offices. He has been a licensed practicing attorney in the State of Illinois for the past 43 years. He represents both injured workers who have claims under the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act and individuals who have personal injury claims. Mr. Orzoff is an experienced litigator and counselor. His expertise, particularly in the field of workers' compensation, is widely recognized by his peers as over 50% of his cases are referred to him by other attorneys who are not familiar with the intricacies of successfully...

Edward “Ed” Stawicki, founder and principal of Stawicki Law Office, LLC, is a lifelong resident of Chicagoland who has over fifteen (15) years of experience as a civil litigator at the trial and appellate court levels. Ed concentrates his practice on:

Estate & Trust Litigation
Will Contests & Trust Contests
Recovery or Estate & Trust Assets
Contested Guardianships
Elder Law
Financial Exploitation of Elderly Persons

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Tell me about your case, questions you have, what steps have you taken so far, and/or any other info you believe is worth mentioning. I've successfully helped many people in various situations and circumstances.

James J. Wochner is the founder and principal owner of The Wochner Law Firm in Northbrook, Illinois. He graduated from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, earning a degree in Economics. While in college, he participated in intercollegiate varsity basketball and baseball. Mr. Wochner received his Juris Doctor degree from St. Louis University after attending night law school. By day he taught mathematics and history and coached athletics in a high school in St. Louis, Missouri. He is presently a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and its section on Trusts and Estates. He is admitted to practice before all...

Michael H. Erdman concentrates his practice on representing innovative brokers and service providers across the country in the real estate and mortgage industries, advising them on regulatory matters, including licensing schemes, which affect their operations. He also represents vendors and suppliers of perishable agricultural commodities (produce) in actions under the federal Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”) against non-paying buyers and purchasers. Michael also represents business and individual clients in litigation and a variety of general legal matters.

Michael earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Washington University (St. Louis) and his law degree, cum laude, from Boston University...

Rich Fonfrias is a respected Financial Rescue and Bankruptcy Lawyer based in Chicago, Illinois. He has practiced law since 1996 and has in-depth experience helping families and business owners overcome serious financial problems. Rich represents clients in all types of financial emergencies, including creditor lawsuit defense – credit card defense – foreclosure defense – debt elimination, reduction and settlement – tax elimination, reduction and settlement – and loan and mortgage modifications, as well as chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcies. In 1990, Rich graduated from State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in...

I enjoy working on a variety of legal matters for our firm.

Some of the more regular tasks include representation of clients in an array of tax disputes before the IRS and the Illinois Department of Revenue. These cases often work there way through the administrative level, up through appeals, and often to the United States Tax Court. My clients have scored significant victories in Audit Defense, Offer in Compromise and Innocent Spouse cases.

I am also experienced in drafting employment contracts such as employment and separation and termination agreements as well as restrictive covenants.

I represent buyers and sellers in residential real...

Provided professional language support for the federal, criminal and immigration courts nationwide. Studied asylum, U.S. immigration and refugee law in Moscow Russia, 2002, and Rome, Italy, 2004. Provide professional legal representation with federal and state criminal charges. Contact us directly at 773-562-8602 and we will analyze your potential exposure to criminal charges timely, efficiently, and without delay. Specialize in U.S. immigration law practice adjusting status, naturalization, family-based AOS to LPR. We assist clients with both affirmative and defensive asylum claims. Developed a keen expertise in evaluating, handling and completing asylum and removal cases in the U.S. Immigration Courts. Successfully prevailed on...

Jeremy S. Baker is a Chicago-based construction attorney. From 2006-2019, he served clients at Schiff Hardin LLP, where he was a partner and a member of its national Construction Law practice. Previously, he was an attorney at Cozen O’Connor PC. Jeremy founded Baker Law Group LLC in 2019. An Adjunct Professor of Law at The John Marshall Law School, he taught an elective Construction Law course though the Center for Real Estate Law (Fall Semesters 2016, 2017, 2018). Jeremy helps his clients to complete challenging projects by emphasizing dispute avoidance and early, cost-efficient resolution of claims. He represents developers, lenders,...

Robert Castle is a proven business attorney and trusted advisor. He takes great pride in providing personalized, professional legal services that helps his clients achieve their goals. He has guided businesses of all shapes and sizes through various corporate, franchise, and securities matters—and is highly skilled at drafting and negotiating clear narratives for all types of commercial contracts, franchise documents, and compliance material tailored to each client’s unique needs. Rob has a proven track record for defining and executing nuanced legal strategies relating to business operations, complex transactions, franchise matters, and intricate regulatory compliance issues. ...

Located in Glenview, Illinois, Attorney Matthew A. Livingston is an experienced attorney who concentrates his practice on estate planning, probate & trust administration, real estate, and business formation. As the founder of The Livingston Law Office, Attorney Livingston works diligently to provide peace of mind to his clients. Representing individuals, families, and businesses throughout Cook County and Lake County, call Attorney Livingston at 847-544-6657 or visit his website to schedule a free initial consultation.

Alexander Gruzmark was born in Lvov, Ukraine, and immigrated to the United States in 1978, where he was raised and educated. Mr. Gruzmark graduated from Loyola University in 1992, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting, and then completed his education at Loyola University School of Law in 1998 where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree. Mr. Gruzmark has been practicing law in Illinois for more than 20 years. During law school, Mr. Gruzmark worked for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office under a 711 License. He also volunteered at the Free Legal Aid Clinic at Loyola University School of...

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.

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...

Our law firm concentrates its practice in intellectual property (trademarks, copyright, confidential information, licensing, branding, software) and corporate. We will well know our clients businesses, leading to the optimal advice. All our attorneys are highly experienced and will come to fully know your business.

Business lawyer with people skills and business background. I love helping small businesses and community organizations. I provide strategic advise to companies on business matters and help them with commercial contracts, business registration, trademark application, and disputes.

• Practicing 48 years, Attorney Steven H. Jesser is the founder of Steven H. Jesser, Attorney at Law, P.C. He practices in health care law; appellate law (130 state/federal-civil-felony) appeals; administrative law; schools and education; state, local and municipal law; business and commercial law; probate, wills, trusts and estate administrations and government contracts. For his high ethical standards and long list of successful results, he holds the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell. • After earning a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University, Mr. Jesser attended the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he obtained a Juris...

Henry B. Samuels is a member of Samuels & Bernstein in Highland Park, Illinois. He has a wide ranging practice and represents clients in a wide variety of litigation matters before Federal and State Courts as well as administrative agencies. With over 30 years of experience, Mr. Samuels has achieved tremendous results both at trial and through settlement. Mr. Samuels criminal practice includes representation of clients charged with Felonies, DUI’s, Misdemeanors, Traffic and Ordinance Violations. His areas of concentration include but are not limited to representing individuals in civil litigation matters, residential and commercial real estate transactions, and small businesses...

Gene received his Juris Doctorate Degree from DePaul University College of Law.

He is admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court of the State of Illinois, U.S. Federal District Court For The Northern District of Illinois, Federal Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, and to practice Immigration Law in all jurisdictions of the United States.

Mr. Meltser is also licensed in the U.K. as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Gene is a co-founder of Immigrant Legal Defense Committee. Mr. Meltser is a member of the American...