Whiteside County Lawyers

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 have been practicing law since 1995. I established my own firm in 2008 to better address the unique needs of the individuals and businesses I represent. I have considerable experience in the area of real estate law including the following:

Construction and mechanics lien litigation as well as drafting
mechanics liens and bond claims;

Representation of buyers and sellers of residential real estate,
working closely with my clients' and their brokers and lenders...

Since my time in law school I have dedicated my legal career to serving, protecting and enforcing the rights of individuals harmed through the carelessness of others. I have tried cases throughout the counties of southern Illinois, before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and argued successfully before the Illinois Appellate Courts. Regardless of the size of any given case, my full attention, effort and care is put into all the work I do. I understand that whatever situation the client comes into our office with, it is very important and the source of significant stress and anxiety. I ensure...

Bridget Lawler is an experienced and knowledgeable Attorney at Lawler & Lawler Injury Law Firm. Her practice areas include Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation, as well as Motor Vehicle Accidents, Slip and Fall Accidents, Dog Bites, and Wrongful Death.

Bridget received her B.A. from St. Louis University, and her J.D. from Southern Illinois University Law School. She was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 2000 and in Kentucky in 2001. Bridget is a member of the Illinois State Bar, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Inns of Court. In addition, she was Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell in 2017....

Heidi L. Wickstrom joined Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. in 2018 and was promoted to Partner in 2023. She concentrates her legal practice on catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, and mass torts. She has obtained several noteworthy verdicts and settlements in her time with the firm, including a recent record-breaking $20 million settlement with the Chicago Transit Authority. Before joining Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., Ms. Wickstrom was an associate at a prominent New York litigation firm. During her time with the firm, she assisted partners in obtaining many multi-million dollar recoveries for clients, namely, a $15.7 million verdict...

Matt devotes 100% of his practice to representing plaintiffs in product liability, medical malpractice and other personal injury and wrongful death litigation.

We represent the rights of consumers in all forms of consumer rights litigation, including lemon law, breach of warranty, debt collection violations, credit reporting issues, unauthorized robocalls and telemarketing calls, consumer fraud and related issues. We also handle employment litigation, including wage and hour cases, overtime pay issues, wrongful termination, discrimination and sexual harassment. Many of the firm's cases are brought as class actions and we handle personal injury cases as well.

Chicago tax attorney Jonathan Decatorsmith has been practicing tax law for more than 30 years. Prior to joining Chicago-Kent, Decatorsmith was a senior trial attorney and internal instructor with the Internal Revenue Service for 11 years. He has tried more than 50 cases before the United States Tax Court, U.S. District Court, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal. He previously served as an adjunct professor at DePaul University in Chicago and the University of Minnesota.

Attorney Robert A. Clifford founded his Chicago law firm, Clifford Law Offices, in 1995 with the goal of protecting the rights of innocent victims living throughout Illinois and across the country. At the time of the firm's founding, Mr. Clifford had already built a reputation as one of the country's most respected personal injury lawyers, and his reputation for excellence has only grown over the past 20-plus years.

Mr. Clifford began his legal career in 1976 after earning his law degree from DePaul University College of Law and receiving his approval to practice law in the state of Illinois. In...

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.

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...

Evan Bruno is a Partner at Bruno Law Offices, LLC, a family-owned law firm that focuses on defending those accused of misdemeanor and felony crimes in state and federal courts throughout Central Illinois.

Since 2016, Evan has served as the President of the Champaign County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He is also a member of the Champaign County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association, where he serves on the Human Rights Section Council and the Bench and Bar Section Council.

Prior to joining his father, Thomas, and brother, Anthony, in private practice at Bruno Law Offices, LLC, Evan...

Attorney Moore is a Texas native who has been exclusively practicing workers compensation injury law for over 25 years. The Firm practices workers compensation in Florida, Illinois and Tennessee. Mr. Moore holds three bar licenses and is actively involved in multiple legal organizations. Mr. Moore is passionate about representing injured workers and has over 200 5 star reviews across the web.

Carla M. Casas-Torres has been practicing law since 2002 and currently focuses her practice on immigration and nationality law. A native of Peru, she immigrated to the United States in 1980. Having personally experienced the difficulties of the immigration system, she has a unique perspective when handling immigration matters and an intimate understanding of the struggles her clients face. It is because of her own immigrant experience that she chose to focus her practice on immigration law. Carla feels fortunate for the opportunity to pursue her goals in the United States and is passionate about helping...

Mark Grzymala is the founder and President of Grzymala Law Offices, P.C. a commercial litigation law firm with a focus on the construction industry based in Skokie, Illinois. He is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois since 2001. Mark has over 20 years’ experience representing a wide range of clients from the small business owners to Fortune 500 companies. He aggressively represents his clients with a variety of issues including contract disputes and negotiation, construction defect claims, mechanics lien claims, foreclosures, transportation, collections, judgment enforcement, intellectual property issues,...

Erin is a healthcare attorney and Firmwide Managing Partner of Jackson LLP, a client-centered law firm that offers healthcare providers a comprehensive, full-service solution. Erin focuses on practice start-up and compliance and also spearheads the firm’s healthcare consulting services. In addition, Erin serves as the President of the nonprofit organization Inspire Santé. Because of her healthcare knowledge and patient experience, Erin is a sought-after speaker. She is passionate about creating positive change in healthcare and teaching individuals how to advocate for their needs within the medical system.

Erin was raised in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where she graduated from...

Connor is a founding partner of Jackson LLP, an entrepreneurial health law firm. He focuses his practice on the business side of healthcare law, which aligns with his detail-orientation, strong problem-solving skills, and business background.

Connor enjoys working with clients to create their ideal practice environment and build a strong compliance foundation that supports long-term success. He strives to not just counsel, but educate his clients on key laws and regulations, giving them the tools to make legally prudent decisions moving forward.

Connor earned his undergraduate business degree from Oregon State University and worked in the real estate sector. He then graduated...

Mr. Patrick brings years of experience in both law and business, equipping him with the skills needed to build strong cases and negotiate favorable outcomes for his clients. Additionally, he has served as a legal clerk for the Arbitrators of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

James F. DiQuattro is an accomplished Chicago-based criminal defense attorney. With a wealth of experience spanning more than a decade, he skillfully navigates through a wide range of misdemeanor and felony charges at both the state and federal levels. He possesses extensive proficiency in various legal domains, including DUIs, drug possession, internet sex crimes, and domestic violence, among others. In 2019, James F. DiQuattro founded the Law Offices of James F. DiQuattro, aiming to provide personalized and aggressive legal representation to clients. To schedule your consultation with the Chicago, IL criminal defense attorney, call 312-627-9482 or fill out his online contact...

A top-ranked Criminal Defense firm.

Tina T. Tran (known to her close friends as Ty) is a second-generation Vietnamese American. As an ardent social justice advocate, Tina is committed to providing accessible, affordable, and affirming legal support and advocacy to people of all backgrounds and circumstances. She prides herself on giving her clients the fresh start they deserve, whether that be through filing for Bankruptcy, or through the Expungement and Sealing of criminal records. Tina grew up in the California Bay Area, and she learned early on about the wide discrepancies between people of different economic or racial backgrounds and their access to the...

Eric Zelazny is a bankruptcy attorney who is the founder and managing partner of Zelazny Business Bankruptcy. Before becoming an attorney, Eric was a Certified Public Accountant and worked for KPMG, which is the largest accounting firm in the world. He graduated from the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana with Honors. At the time, the University of Illinois was the number one-ranked accounting program in the United States. Eric also managed to pass the Certified Public Accountant exam the first time he sat for the exam, a feat only twenty-eight percent of those who took the exam managed...

Peter T. Sadelski was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Peter earned his bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in 2018, where he studied political science and legal studies. Peter earned his law degree from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 2021. During law school, Peter clerked at the Cook County Public Defendant’s Office and the UIC Pro Bono Litigation Clinic. Peter has been with Ed Fox & Associates since March 2022. Peter concentrates his practice on civil rights law, mainly focusing on wrongful detentions, false arrests, unreasonable searches, malicious prosecutions, excessive force, due process violations, and other...

Christopher Panio received his undergraduate degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing and a minor in International Business from the University of Colorado in 2002. He subsequently attended the John Marshall Law School in Chicago where he earned Dean's List honors. During his time at John Marshall, he clerked at Lavin & Nisivaco, for Terrance J. Lavin, now a judge on the Illinois First District Appellate Court, Fifth Division. After graduating from law school, Christopher continued working in the personal injury field, handling complex injury cases on behalf of a prestigious Chicago law firm. With significant trial...

Founder of Front Door Legal LLC, Justin Strane focuses his practice primarily on commercial and residential real estate transactions, and estate planning. His firm is located in Chicago, and he provides representation to people and businesses throughout the greater metropolitan area. In addition to his real estate practice, Justin handles a variety of other types of business matters for his clients, and he is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Justin attended the University of Michigan, where he studied political science and music and received a Bachelor of Arts in...

Howard Abrams is the founding partner, specializing in personal injury, at the Law Office of Howard S. Abrams in Chicago, Illinois. As founding partner, Mr. Abrams handles and oversees a wide variety of plaintiff’s personal injury and professional negligence matters, pre-litigation and through trial. He has been the lead trial attorney in over 50 jury and bench trials, and has successfully resolved numerous cases through mediation and arbitration.

“While I do whatever it takes to resolve a case in the shortest amount of time possible, I realize that going to trial is sometimes the only way to recover maximum results for...

If it's experience, knowledge of the law, aggressive strategies, accessibility and affordability you are looking for in a Chicago criminal defense attorney, you will find all of those attributes and more at the law offices of Hal M. Garfinkel. For nearly 20 years Mr. Garfinkel, a former prosecutor, has been making waves as a participant in many high-profile Illinois criminal cases. He can get results for you, too, whether your current legal situation involves a homicide charge or a DUI arrest. This respected, veteran lawyer is Midwest-raised and educated, knows the people of the region and speaks their language. His former experience...

Leopold & Associates diligently protects the rights of accident victims throughout the Chicago area. Our injury attorneys are dedicated to assisting individuals who have been harmed due to medical malpractice and motor vehicle collisions. A native of Chicago’s South Side, Valerie Leopold is proud to help members of her community in their times of need. She has over 30 years of legal experience in personal injury law and has stood up for numerous victims seeking compensation from health care providers, pharmaceutical companies, automobile manufacturers, and other major corporations.

Stephen M. Komie is the founder of Komie and Associates, and he has over 40 years of experience successfully representing clients in state, federal, and international trials and appeals. Mr. Komie is best known for high profile cases such as his defense of Sandra Fabiano for child abuse and John Carroccia for murder, which were widely reported in the Illinois media. He has helped numerous clients achieve victory in criminal and civil trials across Illinois and the United States.

Mr. Komie provides his clients with dedicated, tenacious defense against criminal charges, and he has won many landmark decisions, including the 1995...

I enjoy working with a wide variety of clients, understanding each client’s unique needs, and developing an IP strategy that matches the client’s vision and goals. I believe that the client’s understanding of its IP protection is invaluable to the client. My main objective is to enhance the client’s understanding and develop strategies to protect its IP as its business and technology continues to grow and change. I have experience drafting and prosecuting utility and design patent applications in the chemical, mechanical, electro-mechanical, software and medical device arts. I also have experience in patent litigation, international and domestic trademark...

Michael D. Kennedy, a partner with The White Law Group, is a member of the Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations, as well as a member of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association (PIABA), an association of securities attorneys who dedicate their practices to the representation of investors defrauded by their financial professional or brokerage firm.

Mike’s practice is primarily dedicated to representing defrauded investors in arbitration cases before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in the pursuit of recovery of his clients’ investment losses. In his time with The White Law Group, Mike has represented more than 350 investors in...

Keith is a partner at the firm. Since becoming an attorney, he has almost exclusively represented minor children injured as a result of obstetrical or neonatal malpractice. Keith is licensed to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Minnesota. In 2012 and 2013, he was instrumental in the firm obtaining three of the four largest verdicts in medical malpractice cases in Maryland history – a $55 million dollar verdict against Johns Hopkins Hospital, a $21 million dollar verdict against Harbor Hospital, and a $15.6 million dollar verdict against a nurse midwife and a hospital in Prince George’s County, Maryland....

Jeffrey Goldstein is recognized as one of the top franchise litigators who represents franchisees, dealers and distributors in commercial complex litigation cases across the country, although his main base is Washington, DC. Mr. Goldstein has extensive experience representing clients in state and federal courts and arbitrations in cases involving fraud, RICO, antitrust, encroachment, and wrongful termination.

Nestor Vicario has been an immigration attorney since 2014. His primary focus is family-based immigration, citizenship, hardship waivers of inadmissibility, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and removal defense. Mr. Vicario’s professional experience and background give him a unique perspective on the importance of having an immigration attorney who can navigate through the complexities of U.S. immigration laws armed with knowledge and compassion, whether fighting in immigration court to keep families united, assisting Dreamers, or guiding families through hardship waiver applications. Over the years, Mr. Vicario has volunteered at several Chicago nonprofit community organizations serving the immigrant community, including...

Steven A. Sigmond has been representing injured people in and around Chicago for over 30 years in personal injury cases, workers compensation cases and social security disability claims. After graduating from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1985, Steven A. Sigmond returned to his hometown of Chicago, where he spent the next four years working with law firms in and around the city, gaining important professional experience. In 1989, Mr. Sigmond founded his own practice, the Law Office of Steven A. Sigmond. Since then, he has represented thousands of clients in personal injury and workers compensation...

Dena M. Singer is an accomplished litigator and trial lawyer, who has devoted her career to advocating on behalf of her clients. She has successfully tried countless bench and jury trials to verdict covering a wide array of charges. Dena has also litigated and won numerous Motions to quash arrest and suppress evidence, motions to suppress statements and many other motions when the government has violated her clients’ rights. Dena has substantial experience defending clients in complex white collar criminal cases, including financial fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Additionally, she has defended juvenile clients in delinquency cases ranging...

Receiving his B.A. from Cedarville University and his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Jonathan Thomas is an integral part of the legal practice at Power Rogers. Mr. Thomas often handles cases concerning product and premises liability, automobile liability, and aviation litigation. His dedication to his practice warranted selection to The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 under 40. Mr. Thomas is also an active member in the legal community, and is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Illinois Bar Association, and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

After working in a small firm helping people recover for their injuries, Jim founded James Gay Law, LLC in 2010 to assist individuals who have suffered catastrophic losses due to the conduct of others in personal injury, medical malpractice, workers compensation and wrongful death claims. Jim brings a strong record of success recovering millions of dollars on behalf of his clients. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Jim obtained two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and returned to Chicago to obtain his law degree from DePaul University College of Law in 2008. While in...

I focus my practice on patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and trademark and trade dress infringement. I also have experience in handling matters before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Some of the technologies I have worked with have concerned mobile applications, tracking systems, lighting and laser systems, blockchain applications, IoT devices, secure connections, and medical devices. Prior to joining Nixon Peabody, I worked for a Fortune 500 automotive company, drafting utility patent applications and office action responses. I also volunteered for the Chicago-Kent Patent Hub, drafting utility patent applications for low-income inventors.