Clarks Hill Lawyers

Former Lake County Superior Court Judge Paul Stanko is one of Indiana's most experienced, distinguished & respected criminal trial lawyers, with over FOUR DECADES of courtroom experience in Indiana criminal law, dating back to 1979. As a prosecutor in Starke & Lake Counties, presiding judge in the Superior Court of Lake County, Constitutional Law & Criminal Justice professor at Indiana University & criminal defense attorney throughout northern Indiana, he has helped THOUSANDS of persons and tried MANY HUNDREDS of criminal cases. The Law Offices of Paul Stanko do not accept any cases other than criminal defense in Indiana Trial...

John M. Acosta Jr. was born and raised in Southern California. In July 1996, he enlisted in the United States Army. He served as a Military Police Officer for almost two years, with his remaining three years as a Military Police K-9 Officer, at various military installations and was honorably discharged. In 2001, he pursued a career in law enforcement. He spent almost twelve years with various Police and Sheriff’s Offices throughout the State of Georgia. During that time, he worked as a patrol officer and was eventually promoted to the rank of Sergeant. As a U.S. Army Military Police...

Kurt L. Kazmierczak was born in 1976 in Elkhart, Indiana. After college, he moved to Indianapolis and became a financial advisor. In 2006, he and his family embarked on an adventure and moved to the Denver, Colorado area. After deciding to leave the financial business and go into the law (and after not striking it rich with his gold panning hobby), the family decided in 2012 to move back to Indiana where he attended Valparaiso University Law. After graduating, he and some friends from law school opened a law firm handling a wide area of law....

Our firm concentrates in personal injury cases of all types, medical malpractice, and wrongful death litigation. We concentrate our practice in Northwest Indiana.

I am an experienced criminal trial attorney, with over 26 years practicing law, including felony trials for cases such as Reckless Homicide, Leaving the Scene Resulting in Death, Drug Dealing, Fraud, Burglary, and Robbery. The first 16 years of practicing law were spent as a deputy prosecuting attorney where I concentrated on OWI cases including OWI Causing Death cases, I assisted law enforcement with search warrants for such things as blood evidence, black box data, and vehicle and home searches. In my capacity as a deputy prosecuting attorney I would routinely go to crash scenes at all hours of the day...

Ryan P. Dillon is a lifelong Hoosier and a resident of Johnson County since 2006. He grew up in rural Shelby County, where his family is actively involved in the agricultural community. He and his family currently reside in northern Johnson County. From an early age, Ryan has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America, earning the Eagle Scout Award in 2001. Ryan recently was recognized for twenty years of tenure in the organization, and currently serves as an Assistant Scoutmaster, a council volunteer, and the Vice President of the Firecrafter Alumni Association. Prior to attending law...

Paul Stracci is a uniquely experienced trial attorney who has had remarkable success in the courtroom. He successfully defended his first murder case 10 months out of law school, with the jury returning a not guilty verdict on all counts. Paul is a straight shooter and clients may rely upon his honesty, integrity, and willingness to tell the facts as they are. Paul maintains a strong rapport with his clients as well as with other legal professionals in the area. He is a relationship builder, who has built strong relationships with local officials, lawyers, and government...

Mr. Vinovich has been practicing law for over 30 years. He concentrates his practice primarily in medical malpractice, wrongful death and personal injury. He handles cases throughout the state of Indiana. He is inducted as a Fellow into the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers which is reserved for only 1% of lawyers who exhibit exceptional trial skills and advocacy for their clients. Mr. Vinovich has extensive experience in jury trials and mediations, having resolved thousands of cases for his clients. Mr. Vinovich has been very active in legal organizations, having served as President for Indiana State Bar Association and Lake...

I have been practicing law for 28 years and am licensed in Indiana and Illinois. I am a people lawyer representing clients and helping them in their day to day legal needs throughout Indiana and Illinois. I also have clients across the country. I am a leading contributor each month to WWW. LAW GURU.COM where over 100,000 people have viewed my answers to various legal questions.

Presently I am assisting a number of victims who have suffered side effects from drug medications such as Avandia, Levaquin and Yaz. Sometimes that means suing the drug manufacturers, other times, the doctor...

Alexander (Alex) Passo is a trial lawyer that represents clients on a variety of matters with a concentration on: internal business disputes, emergency business litigation, breaches of contract, fraud and professional negligence. Alex has successfully resolved several cases where his clients have recovered over $1,000,000.00.

Alex is a problem solver. Akin to the most notable historical Alexander, he enjoys solving the 21st century’s version of the Gordian knot - complex business disputes. These types of legal controversies often contain a multitude of problems and he employs an analytical approach to solving them - first identifying his clients’ objectives and...

Matt is a 1990 graduate of Columbia City High School. He received his Bachelors Degree from Indiana University in 1994 and graduated from the Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis in 1998 where he was a member of the Indiana International & Comparative Law Review. Prior to joining Bloom Gates & Whiteleather, LLP, Matt practiced in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Matt concentrates his practice in real estate, litigation, corporate law, and represents multiple governmental entities and sewer districts throughout Northeast Indiana. Matt has litigated cases in both federal and state courts in...

Maen’s focus areas revolve around an empathetic approach to understanding his clients and focusing on meeting their goals in the best possible manner. Since Maen is the oldest of seven children, he has learned the necessity of patience and understanding. This allows him to truly relate to each client and provide specified planning to each individual client situation. Because of this, Maen has had the pleasure of working with a wide range of clients from all different backgrounds and understands that everyone has different needs. Maen’s goal is to satisfy every client’s desire in the best and most efficient manner...

While passing the bar in both Indiana and Texas in the same year, I decided early on to stay true to my roots as a Hoosier and remain close to family in Johnson County, Indiana. For eight-and-a-half years, I practiced with one of the largest law firms in the county where I focused on bankruptcy, consumer rights, foreclosure defense, and general litigation. In 2015, I decided to make the leap and open the Law Office of Matthew M. Cree, where I continue to provide personal, caring service to those facing the most stressful times of their lives.

In my personal life,...

Brian was accepted to and attended the prestigious Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in 2016. The Trial Lawyers College was established by legendary trial lawyer Gerry Spence to train attorneys who represent the interests of people and not insurance companies, the government or large corporations.

Brian has handled federal and state court cases involving: commercial, rental, and employment contracts; trade secrets; torts including wrongful death, product liability, serious personal injury and malpractice; consumer fraud; federal criminal defense; class actions; employment discrimination; business disputes; construction disputes; fraudulent conveyances; judgment collection; and appeals of such matters including presentation of oral argument to appellate...

Michael P. McCready received his undergraduate degree cum laudefrom the University of Richmond in three years and continued at the University of Richmond obtaining his law degree in 1992. Following graduation, he served as a law clerk for a federal judge in Virginia. He came to Chicago the next year and began working at a law firm handling personal injury cases. After four years, he rose to partner. In 1999, he left the partnership to form his own firm, The Law Offices of Michael P. McCready & Associates. Since venturing out on his own, the firm has grown rapidly. Mr....

Handling Family Law Cases For Decades

Attorney Elizabeth Rizos Zougras is an experienced and skilled lawyer who relentlessly protects her clients' rights.

At the center of every family law issue is a family — not just a case or legal problem. At the our law firm, we focus our practice on providing sound legal advice and courtroom advocacy for clients throughout Northwest Indiana. With 28 years of experience, we are committed to providing the best possible representation and personalized attention you need to overcome the legal issues your family faces.

Family disputes and other legal problems can be difficult to talk about. We...

Attorney David M. Wendlinger grew up in Schererville and graduated from Lake Central High School in 1994. He graduated from Northwood University in 1999 with a B.B.A. in International Business Management. He attended Valparaiso University School of Law and graduated in 2002. While in law school, David participated in the Mediation Clinic. Members of this clinic helped parties in small claims cases reach non-trial dispositions through mediation. David was admitted to the Illinois State Bar and the U.S. District for the Northern District of Illinois in 2002. He was then admitted to the Indiana State Bar in...

Edward J. Calderaro was born and grew up on the north side of Chicago. Mr. Calderaro moved to Indiana, married and began an eleven year career in law enforcement. Mr. Calderaro worked for the City of Gary and the Town of Dyer, as a police officer. While working full time, he pursued his education, graduating "with distinction" from Purdue University. Mr. Calderaro obtained a Bachelor Degree in Management, with a double major in Accounting and Finance. Mr. Calderaro left law enforcement after being accepted to Loyola Law School in Chicago. He received his Juris Doctorate degree and Certificate in Tax...