Viola Lawyers

John Lara handles a wide-range of legal matters including civil litigation, real estate, estate administration, and bankruptcy.

As a civil litigator John zealously advocates for our clients. He engages in complex litigation including, contract disputes, forcible entry and detainer actions, foreclosure defense, collection matters, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 suits, administrative hearings and various tort proceedings.

John facilities commercial and residential real estate transactions while aggressively negotiating favorable terms and conditions for our clients.

John is an integral part of Fornaro Law and embodies the firm’s “never give up” attitude. John graduated from Benedictine University and then earned his Juris Doctor from the John...

I am Thomas Eric Ost. As a former Assistant Public Defender in DuPage County, I handled hundreds of criminal, mental health, and juvenile cases. Those cases ranged from DUIs, Domestic Batteries, and Retail Thefts to Aggravated Batteries and Murder. The police and the prosecutors seem to do their best to dehumanize defendants to everyone including to the defendants themselves. Yet in 23 years of practice, I’ve learned that most people with legal problems are not bad people. They are people who are caught up in a problem a lot bigger than they...

Attorney Robert Schaller has practiced law for more than 35 years. He is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois. Attorney Schaller is the founder of the Schaller Law Firm, P.C. and concentrates his legal practice on clients who need relief from IRS back-taxes. Schaller directs the National Offer in Compromise Academy, which offers online educational courses. Robert Schaller received his B.S. in Accountancy in 1982 from the University of Illinois at Champaign – Urbana. He earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1985 and served on the College’s Law Review. He studied for an...

Miriam E. Cooper is the founder of the Law Office of Miriam Cooper & Associates, LLC, a law firm based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Ms. Cooper provides legal services throughout the Greater Chicagoland area. Her primary focus is family law, including divorce, child support and allocation of decision-making and parenting time, spousal support, and post-decree modifications. She also provides real estate services complementary to her practice. Ms. Cooper graduated from The John Marshall Law School and has been practicing family law in Illinois for nearly 30 years. She is an advocate for children’s best interests and serves as a certified...

Douglas Boodt, Attorney I established my law practice in 1999 to provide professional and committed legal representation to individuals and their families in the legal fields of Estate Planning, Wills & Trusts, and Business Law. Concentrating in Jewish culture and families, providing help with wills, trusts, powers of attorney, Jewish wills, ethical wills, Halachic Living Wills, burial and funeral advice and assistance. I have assisted hundreds of clients in reaching their goals and giving them peace of mind by handling their legal affairs with integrity, respect and intelligence. For years, my clients and their families have been pleased with my...

John Botti is honored to help clients through challenging times in their lives. John Botti guides clients through difficult and complex legal matters with honesty, compassion, knowledge, and dedication to their cause. As a felony prosecutor, John worked closely with victims of crimes and fought to protect their rights and obtain justice in the courtroom. He uses this perspective to create exceptional attorney-client relationships. This serves him extremely well when he represents divorce clients as well as those people seriously injured as a result of someone else’s misconduct. John has tried hundreds of cases before judges and juries and...

Lisa Knauf is an attorney that combines her legal expertise with real world experience. She had a successful sales career before going back to school to attend Northern Illinois Univ. College of Law for her law degree, She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and is the owner of Knauf Law Office PC in Addison Illinois, which merged with Pankau Law in January 2020. The Knauf Law practice concentrates in the areas of estate planning, including wills, living trusts, and powers of attorney, probate administration, real estate and elder law. Lisa is an active member of her community, having served...

Manish C. Bhatia has focused his education and practice on Estate Planning and Business Succession Planning since the first year of law school. He has also added Asset Protection, Elder Law and Nonprofit Organizations/ Charitable Giving to his fields of practice. Manish is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Asian American Bar Association of Chicago and the Indian American Bar Association. To arrange an initial meeting, please visit www.mcb-law.com/contact. Several convenient locations are available to meet, including locations in Chicago, Schaumburg, Northbrook, Deerfield, Niles and other suburbs.

As a dedicated attorney in Chicago, I provide strategic legal solutions across a broad range of practice areas. With a keen eye for detail, efficiency, and results, I approach each case with a practical mindset—cutting through complexity to deliver real, actionable solutions for my clients. I pride myself on being approachable yet relentless, ensuring my clients feel informed and empowered while I aggressively advocate on their behalf. Whether handling intricate financial matters, navigating litigation, or tackling complex negotiations, I bring a blend of sharp legal acumen and creative problem-solving to the table. Beyond the courtroom, I’m committed to staying ahead of the...

JEELANI LAW FIRM, PLC is an immigration law practice which provides legal services to individuals and businesses throughout the U.S.  With regard to immigration matters, our firm  can represent you no matter where you are located.  We handle all immigration matters including family based adjustment of status/green card cases, citizenship filings, representation of businesses and employees when filing L1A/B Petitions, H1B petitions, and Permanent Labor petitions.  In the case of investors who wish to receive status as an E1/E2 Treaty Trader/Investor or an EB-5 Investor, our office can help you structure a qualifying investment.  Our firm also litigates immigration cases dealing with delayed adjudications as well as appellate matters before the U.S. Federal Courts, U.S. Immigration Courts, USCIS...

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...

Alex Ion is a litigator and regulatory attorney that focuses his practice in healthcare law, employment disputes, cannabis law, and commercial litigation. Alex also provides independent consulting services on issues of healthcare and cannabis regulatory law, policy, and compliance. He currently serves as Precinct Committeeman in DuPage County, Illinois.

Alex has represented and advised businesses ranging from international organizations and Fortune 500 companies to non-profits, sole proprietorships, and closely-held corporations. Alex’s intimate knowledge in navigating local, state, and federal regulatory schemes have helped his clients excel within the current difficult legal landscapes in both the healthcare sector and the legal...

Ms. Cornelison is a certified mediator; collaborative and cooperative divorce lawyer; and divorce trial lawyer with over 13 years of courtroom experience.

David B. Menchetti is Of Counsel to Willens Law Offices, P.C. and concentrates his practice in the representation of injured workers throughout Illinois before the Workers' Compensation Commission, the Circuit Courts and the Illinois Appellate and Supreme Courts. He has been designated as one of the Best Lawyers in America and has been selected by his peers as a Leading Lawyer and a Super Lawyer. He is also listed in Who's Who in American Law. He has authored the chapter on "Penalties" in the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Workers' Compensation Notebook and has lectured on many accounts about workers' compensation issues. He serves...

1991 John Marshall Law School 1988 University of Illinois

Lance R. Minor is a lawyer with over twenty years of experience representing clients in both personal and business matters in the federal and state courts located in the Chicago area. Mr. Minor's practice primarily consists of sophisticated civil lawsuits involving both personal and business matters. He has trial, appeal, and arbitration experience in state and federal courts. Mr. Minor was named to Illinois SuperLawyers for 2012.

Mr. Galer is licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois and New York and the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. He completed his law studies at The John Marshall Law School (Chicago) and American University (Paris Program), then received his Master of Business administration in International Marketing and Finance from DePaul University (Chicago). Following law school, and prior to establishing The Galer Firm, P.C., Mr. Galer worked as a litigator in New York City.

Nicholas Tyszka is an attorney at Handler Law, LLP, an internationally-acclaimed private client law firm in Chicago. He focuses his practice primarily on advanced planning for family offices and their businesses, with an emphasis on governance and family dynamics. Representative domestic and international matters include: corporate governance, structuring, taxation, alternative investment opportunities (including real property, private equity and credit, venture capital, and hedge funds), and philanthropic endeavors. Nicholas has been recognized as a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, a Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) by the American Bankers Association, a Certified Exit Planning...

William R. Pokorny represents management in a wide range of labor and employment matters. He concentrates his practice on litigation and counseling in areas including discrimination, disabilities, ERISA and employee benefits, employment contracts, covenants not to compete, wrongful discharge, wage and hour law, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and labor relations. He represents employers before state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Mr. Pokorny has experience with a wide variety of clients, including manufacturers, utilities, hospitals and healthcare providers, insurance companies, financial services...

Jaz Park concentrates her practice in labor and employment law including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, IMWL, IWPCA, retaliation, and unemployment insurance claims and appeals. She is available to serve as a private mediator in disputes between parties upon request.

Jim Dash concentrates his practice in real estate-related litigation, with an emphasis on construction (including mechanic’s lien claims), as well as title insurance defense work. Jim’s clients include a number of companies whose businesses are in, or related to, the construction industry.

Although Jim prefers to resolve disputes by agreement, when an agreement cannot be reached, his effective work in the courtroom has led to a number of client-favorable, published opinions that have helped shape Illinois law regarding construction and mechanic’s liens.

Steve’s practice includes commercial and business litigation, construction law, mechanic’s liens and bond claims. He provides efficient and effective representation, taking business, personal, and practical considerations into account when advising clients. Steve has experience representing clients in trial and appellate courts at both the state and federal level, and in alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and arbitration.

Steve also works with clients to prevent disputes through contract drafting and document review, and provides valuable general counsel advisory services to his industry clients.