Wataga Lawyers

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...

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...

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...

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

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.

native of central Illinois, Attorney, Jerry A. Tuffentsamer, was raised in the local small community of Manito, Illinois. Prior to attending law school, Jerry worked for several years in the central Illinois as union construction laborer out of the Laborers’ International Union, Local 231. As a union laborer, Jerry worked several years for a local commercial concrete and masonry company.

Jerry received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Paralegal Studies/Pre-law from Southern Illinois University in 2008. Jerry then received his Juris Doctor from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2011. While in law school, Jerry was a member of...

Brian Monico is a skilled litigator who is dedicated to serving those in wrongful death, professional malpractice, personal injury, and civil rights cases.

He graduated from the Loyola University School of Law and has since become a leader in the development and use of computer-generated graphics and electronic presentations to juries. He has been recognized by the Illinois Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers multiple times, as well as being the #1 Lawyer Under 40 by Emerging Lawyers in 2016.

He has extensive experience doing plaintiff's personal injury work and has used this experience to help those in all types of personal injury...

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...

Bill was born and raised in Peoria, IL. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. degree in Government. He received his law degree (JD) at the University of Iowa graduating with honors. He has been practicing law in Central Illinois since his graduation and admission into the Illinois Bar. Legal ability and ethical standards ratings are published each year by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.Bill has the highest possible rating of AV. The legal ability rating is "A" which means he is rated as very high to preeminent. The "V" rating means that he embraces faithful adherence...

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...

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...

Roby Javoronok joined Kanoski Bresney as an associate in October 2020 with over 14 years of workers’ compensation experience. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he spent his childhood in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Roby graduated cum laude at Western Illinois University and Illinois Centennial Honors College before attending law school at Southern Illinois University. He enjoys traveling and working throughout Illinois. After law school, he has happily resided in Central Illinois.
Roby concentrates his practice in workers’ compensation and civil litigation. Roby has litigated cases on behalf of petitioners and respondents in each Illinois Workers Compensation Commission venue, giving...

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...

G. Edward Murphy is the Managing Partner of Murphy & Dunn, P.C. and has been one of the best divorce, custody and family law attorneys and lawyers in Peoria, Bloomington and Central Illinois for the past 36 years. He knows how to litigate your case when necessary, negotiate favorably if possible, and win your case for you and your children in court. He is a skilled trial attorney, but also a capable mediator and problem solver. He has been lead counsel running Murphy & Dunn, P.C. for the past 35 years since he was 26 years old and has been winning...

Harry Williams is a trial lawyer and former insurance defense attorney who has practiced personal injury law in Peoria, Illinois, for more than 35 years. His law firm – Peoria Injury Law Center – focuses on cases involving injuries that were caused by the carelessness of another person or a company. Harry fights for the rights of people who have been injured, making sure they receive proper medical care and every financial benefit that is available to them under the law. He is well-known and well-respected in downstate Illinois and has a reputation among his clients for his bold,...

A 1990 graduate of The John Marshall Law School, I practiced law privately before leaving to teach Criminal Justice and Paralegal courses at Illinois Central College in Peoria, Illinois. Since 1996 I have been retained primarily working for Municipalities as a Hearing Officer. I continue to fill this role in various communities, hearing cases related to building code ordinances, vehicle use and a wide range of municipal tickets written by the police department. In addition, I have many years experience consulting municipal government drafting, facilitating and implementing various ordinances. In addition to this work, I have been...

For over 30 years Charles Covey has been practicing law. He has handled bankruptcy cases during the duration of his three decades of legal practice and for the past decade, he has practiced exclusively in bankruptcy, debt relief and foreclosure defense matters.

Andrewe W. Johnson was born in 1970, in Canton, Illinois. Andrewe graduated from Lewistown Community High School in Lewistown, Illinois. He attended Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, from 1988 to 1990, before transferring to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Rhetoric. Andrewe attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving his Juris Doctor degree with Honors in 1995. During law school, Andrewe served on the staff of the North Carolina Law Review and worked with the University of...

I am a trial lawyer born and raised in Central Illinois practicing in Plaintiff's worker's compensation and personal injury claims. I limit my practice to injured worker's and accident victims. I have practiced at all levels of arbitration and appeals up to and including the Illinois Supreme Court.

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...

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.

Employment: • Former Felony Assistant State’s Attorney, Peoria County • Former Special Assistant to the Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C. • Former Judicial Law Clerk, United States District Court, Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division • Former law clerk, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Washington, DC • Former Vice President of United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 881, Oak Brook, Illinois. School: • Graduated 2nd out of 159 students at John Marshall Law School. • Author: Picket Line Misconduct; Is Forfeiture of Reinstatement Rights for Purely Verbal Threats Sound? 18. J. Mar. L Rev. 445, 1985. • Team Member, Wagner Labor Law National Moot Court Competition, Spring, 1985. Rank 2nd place...

I've been a licensed attorney in Illinois since 2017, practicing continuously and serving all state courts. My focus is consumer litigation, specifically helping individuals with debt collection harassment, credit reporting problems, and consumer fraud. Since joining 844SeeMike Personal Injury Lawyer in February 2022, I've settled over 100 consumer rights cases. Before that, I worked as a law clerk for an Illinois Appellate Court Justice for two years, followed by two years in private practice handling personal injury cases, including a notable 8-day medical malpractice jury trial. My expertise lies in personal injury cases such as car accidents, medical malpractice, and more, as...

Louis J. Meyer, a partner with Meyer & Kiss, LLC, concentrates his practice in Civil Rights, Criminal Law, and Personal Injury. Mr. Meyer is also actively working with Medical Marijuana research and passage of legislation for Medical Marijuana. Prior to founding Meyer & Kiss, LLC Mr. Meyer was an associate with a Chicago law firm concentrating on Civil Rights. Mr. Meyer joined the Chicago law firm in November 2006, after graduating from DePaul University College of Law, Mr. Meyer was the first attorney to join the law firm and helped the firm grow its client base and reputation. During his...

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.

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...

Noah Benckendorf was born and raised in Morton, Illinois. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN in 2018 with a degree in history and economics. Noah went on to study law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he was a member of the Business Law Association. While in law school, Noah worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a law clerk doing insurance defense work. Noah also spent time with Protective Insurance as a law clerk in their corporate legal team. Noah went on to work at first American Title Insurance as a post-closing agent. In...