Luther Lawyers

A native Michigander and veteran of the United States Air Force, Patrick Cherry received his B.A. degree with high honors from University of Michigan in 2012. He then worked as a judicial intern and law clerk while attending Wayne State University Law School, graduating in 2015. After graduation, Patrick moved with his family to Interlochen to enable his oldest son to attend the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy. Patrick joined McCurdy, Wotila & Porteous in April 2016 as the newest Associate Attorney in the firm. As a trial lawyer, Patrick represents our clients in all types of litigation including...

Nathan Piwowarski is a shareholder and attorney at McCurdy Wotila & Porteous, a law firm that serves northern lower Michigan. Nathan's practice includes estate planning, small business transactions, and municipal law. Nathan earned his B.A. degree in 2002 from Albion College, Summa Cum Laude. He then worked on the campaign and in the legislative office of State Senator Michelle McManus. As an aide to Senator McManus, Nathan was responsible for policy areas ranging from local economic development to natural resource and environmental quality regulation. Nathan earned his J.D. degree in 2007 from the Michigan State University College of Law,...

Mr. Schaefer is a seasoned trial attorney practicing internet, copyright, domain name, social media, copyright, trademark, consumer class action and mass tort law on a global basis. Mr. Schaefer has significant experience in internet and technology company representation, having been named President and General Counsel of an internet start-up company in Boulder, Colorado. Mr. Schaefer has been retained on domain valuation issues in divorces, business asset valuation and other matters, having developed domain name valuation methodologies for use by courts, judges and juries. Mr. Schaefer understands the issues facing technology companies and brick-and-mortar companies with...

I'm Lisa B. Kirsch Satawa, and together with Christina Daskas (deceased), I founded Kirsch Daskas Law Group in 2015 with a mission close to our hearts: preventing wrongful convictions by defending against false allegations, one client at a time. Our vision wasn't just about legal representation; it was about nurturing young lawyers into compassionate advocates who see beyond the accusations to the person behind them. Born in Detroit, MI in the 1960s, I was raised with invaluable lessons by my parents—lessons in the importance of a strong work ethic, humility, gratitude, and family. Married to criminal defense attorney Mark Satawa...

I file bankruptcies for individuals under Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 of Bankruptcy Code. I have filed hundreds of cases with positive results. Additionally, I've taken the time get board certified in this specialty so members of the public can rest assured that I understand what I'm doing.

As a former Prosecutor and seasoned Criminal Defense Lawyer, Patrick Fragel has in-depth knowledge of Michigan law and courtroom procedure. Patrick Fragel has achieved a "distinguished" rating for ethical practices and legal knowledge from the Martindale-Hubbell independent lawyer rating service.

He has recently obtained a "not guilty" verdict in a life offense case, and succeeded in having incriminating statements suppressed due to a lack of Miranda warnings. He has successfully defended 100's of criminal cases.

His firm has helped thousands of clients over the past 20 years. Choosing a lawyer is an important decision since it involves...

Gary K. Springstead is a former FBI Agent and criminal defense attorney defending clients in state court in Michigan and federal courts throughout the United States. He is rated a Super Lawyer for Criminal Law, a 10.0 on Avvo and received the Client's Choice Award on Avvo for his outstanding work. He regularly defends clients in high-profile cases in Michigan and throughout the United States. In federal court, Mr. Springstead defends clients accused of a wide variety of crimes. This includes white collar crimes such as health care fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud, embezzlement, bribery and kickback schemes;...

Dean E. Sheldon III is committed to providing you with top notch legal service. We approach every client with a focus on integrity, advocacy, and understanding. We fight for you! Dean E. Sheldon III received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1986, graduating with honors in federal jurisdiction. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar and served as a law clerk for Hon. Judge Don J. Young, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division. In 1987, Dean joined the law firm of Nathan...

Traverse City, MI Bankruptcy attorney. Michael P. Corcoran is the owner of Corcoran Law Office. In practice since 1985, and belonged to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys since 1997. Michaal P. Corcoran has handled thousands of bankruptcy cases

Brandon is passionate about helping individuals, families, and business owners achieve peace of mind by developing and implementing creative cost effective plans tailored for each client. He aims to be his clients' attorney for life, helping to develop strategies that minimize risk, maximize returns on investment, and create legacies that last for generations to come.

Brandon received his undergraduate degree with honors from Michigan State University in History with a concentration in Mandarin Chinese, and his JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2011. While at Case, he focused his studies on Federal income, estate, gift, and generation...

Attorney Kelly M. Neumann who is originally from Grosse Pointe, Michigan received a dual major in Criminal Justice and Political Science at Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan and received her Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts.

Neumann has worked with Boston City Counsel's Legislation Department, the Trial Division of the Attorney General's Office of Massachusetts and at an Insurance Defense Law firm. She also ran the Tort and Workers Compensation Department at one of the biggest personal injury law firms on the East Coast.

Neumann has successfully settled a personal injury matter for over $9 million,...

Rachel M. Sexton has spent her entire career as an attorney representing people who find themselves in difficult financial situations. Rachel’s passion is helping people get out from underneath crushing debt and harassing creditors. She has helped hundreds of clients find solutions through bankruptcy. Whether that is saving their homes from foreclosure, getting their cars back after repossession, lowering their car payments, eliminating credit card debt, or dealing with overwhelming IRS debt. Rachel chose to practice bankruptcy because she enjoys helping people in some of the most stressful times of their lives. Rachel’s goal is to help clients move toward...

Robert Gavin is the Senior Associate at Shifman & Carlson, P.C. He has been practicing law since 2008, and was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2015, 2018, and 2019. He was also listed by DBusiness Magazine as a Top Lawyer in the Metro Detroit Area for Public Finance Law in both 2014, 2017, and 2018.

Rob brings a wide variety of skills and a diverse background to bear for his clients, including his experience with contract negotiation, employee issues, construction issues. Rob's undergraduate degree is in engineering, which has also been useful to clients during construction issues and in...

Lee Hornberger is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. He is a former Chair of the SBM Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Editor Emeritus of The Michigan Dispute Resolution Journal, former member of the SBM Representative Assembly, former President of the Grand Traverse-Leelanau-Antrim Bar Association, and former Chair of the Traverse City Human Rights Commission. He is a member of the Professional Resolution Experts of Michigan (PREMi), an invitation-only group of Michigan’s top mediators, and a Diplomate Member of The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the...

Josh Traeger is the Founding Attorney of both True North Legal Group and The Military Defense firm. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University (B.A. 2006) and Loyola University Chicago School of Law (J.D. 2009). After law school, Josh joined the United States Air Force and served on active duty for ten years. His primary role was as a Senior Trial Counsel, prosecuting criminal matters and handling the military's most difficult cases worldwide. After separating from active duty, Josh moved home to Northern Michigan and established two businesses. True North Legal Group is a community-centered law...

Nick Roumel is a trial lawyer with over 30 years experience in state and federal courts. He focuses on plaintiff's employment and civil rights litigation, as well as educational law matters, such as Title IX sex harassment, assault, and retaliation, as well as serious personal injury in the educational setting. He is recognized as a Thompson-Reuters "Super Lawyer" in employment litigation, reserved for the top 5% of attorneys in that field. Mr. Roumel has represented numerous high profile athletes and artists; victims of domestic and sexual violence; and students expelled for exercising constitutional rights. He has been appointed for various matters...

I began my legal career in Los Angeles practicing financial restructuring and corporate bankruptcy. I started off with a small boutique and then went to a large national firm. I worked with all kinds of complex businesses—from Idaho to Chicago, Las Vegas to New Jersey. When my wife and I moved back to Michigan in 2011, I started a solo practice. I use my experience and expertise to advise businesses and individuals in Northern Michigan and across the country. I work directly and personally with clients in every instance. You won’t be passed off to another attorney or an assistant—I...

Lea Ann Sterling has been a member of the Michigan Bar since 1998. Admitted to the bar in Ohio in 1981, Mrs. Sterling practiced law in Columbus. In 1997, she began a sabbatical to write, travel, and relocate from Ohio to Michigan. Her first book, Historic Homes of Olde Towne, was released in 1999 and won the Ohio Historical Society’s Public Education and Awareness Award. Historic Cottages of Mackinac Island, released in 2001, was listed on the Michigan Governor’s List of Best Books of 2001. In March 1999, Mrs. Sterling was appointed Village of Empire Zoning Administrator where she was...

Matthew Sakkas graduated from Clark University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) in 1988. While an undergraduate he completed a General Course of Study at the London School of Economics from 1986 to 1987. He graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1991 and passed the New York State Bar exam the same year. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1992. He is also admitted to practice law in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York and the Second Circuit of Court Appeals.

Mr. Sakkas began...

John Di Giacomo is an experienced business, intellectual property, litigation, and Internet lawyer practicing in the areas of copyright, trademark, domain name disputes, e-money, e-payment systems, contracts, defamation, Internet law, Communications Decency Act §230 immunity issues, international commercial law, cybersquatting and domain name disputes, video game law, adult industry law, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), E-Sign Act, shrinkwrap, browsewrap, and clickwrap issues, computer tort claims (e.g. trespass to chattels for unauthorized entry & spamming), and other intellectual property or business law related areas. John has litigated intellectual property, business, and commercial disputes in state and federal courts across...

David M. Glancy is an experienced civil and criminal trial attorney. He has substantial experience in evaluating and litigating automobile accidents, premise liability claims and first-party/No-Fault claims. He has handled serious felony, misdemeanor, drunk/drugged driving, and juvenile criminal matters; including multiple high-profile homicide cases.

In addition, Mr. Glancy also practices in the Circuit Court – Family Division, where he has handled numerous cases involving divorce, custody, parenting time issues, juvenile offense and neglect abuse cases.

Mr. Glancy was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 2004. He is a member of the Grand Traverse County Bar Association and the...

Graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Criminal Justice.
Graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Was member of the Dean's List. Studied abroad in Australia and New Zealand.
Paralegal for The Law Office of Craig A. Jenison (6 years)
Prior Litigation Support Analyst for Varnum (2 years)
Prior internship with Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office: assisted prosecution with a cold case murder trial
Prior internship with Kent County Prosecutor's Office Juvenile Division
Established and ran her own law office following graduation for six months before accepting a position as Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Oceana...

Michael Horowitz is a trial and appellate lawyer in Northern Michigan. He is licensed in Michigan, Alaska, and New York. He primarily practices criminal defense.

Harold Leo Emelander was raised in Newaygo, Michigan. After graduating from Newaygo High School, he attended Grand Valley State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. He then went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2006. To further his education he then moved to Florida where he attended The University of Florida College of Law and received his LLM in Taxation in 2007. Mr. Emelander began his legal career in Miami, Florida at an accounting firm. He utilized his degree in taxation law by advising clients on individual,...

For over 30 years Jim Austin has been providing quality legal services, counseling and care to individual and business clients throughout Michigan with business, general civil and transportation matters. Jim practices regularly in courts throughout the State of Michigan. With Corcoran Austin, PC, he has offices in Alden, Traverse City and Charlevoix. He has argued cases before the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. He represents wrecker and towing companies throughout Michigan and sits on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Towing Association. He has represented truckers and trucking companies...

I specifically practice in the fields of criminal law, property law, civil litigation, personal injury, collections and construction law, including construction liens and foreclosures. In my practice I believe that an attorney has to be overly prepared and be ready to go to trial in order to adequately represent their clients. This includes extensive legal research and investigation into all legal theories and defenses. In addition to being admitted to practice law in Michigan, I am also admitted to practice law in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the US District Court for the Western...

Upon Graduation from Law School in 1997, Attorney Chefalo worked in Lansing Michigan for the 30 th Judicial Circuit Court as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas L. Brown. While there, he researched complicated legal issues and drafted proposed opinions on all civil and criminal matter that came before the court. In 1999, Attorney Chefalo moved to Traverse City Michigan to work in private practice. When asked why he picked Traverse City, Attorney Chefalo stated: “if you are going to start a law office from scratch, you might as well do it in a beautiful place.” His goal...

Brian L. Johnson was born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Michigan State University, and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. He is a member of the Benzie County Bar Association and the Probate and Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections of the State Bar of Michigan.

Brian’s areas of practice include estate planning, business formation, general business practice,...

Elizabeth graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2020. While there, she was an Executive Article Editor for the Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property, interned in the legal departments of a national trade organization and Illinois’ top children’s hospital, and worked at law firms that focused on civil litigation and transportation law. Prior to law school Elizabeth earned degrees in Biochemistry and Biology from Ferris State University, where she participated in the biochemistry research lab and was president of the school’s chapter of the American Chemical Society. After graduating, Elizabeth relocated to Traverse City and began her career as judicial assistant...

Shelley Kester is an award-winning attorney, a community leader, a dynamic communicator and a caring individual. She is Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Her practice includes nearly all aspects of family law, including divorce law and child custody. She was among the first in Northern Michigan to complete the Family Law Certificate Program through the Institute of Continuing Education and the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. She is President of wilson Kester, the Empowered Divorce Source. A frequent contributor to the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Ms. Kester is...

Kevin Hirzel is the Managing Member of Hirzel Law, PLC. Hirzel Law has offices in Farmington and Traverse City and services clients throughout the State of Michigan. Mr. Hirzel focuses his practice on condominium law, homeowners association law, litigation and real estate law. He has received numerous recognitions on a local and national level for the high level of representation that he provides to clients. Mr. Hirzel is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers, a prestigious designation given to less than 175 attorneys in the country. He was named a Leading Lawyer in Michigan in 2018,...

Patrick Dougherty has been helping individuals and their families through legal challenges and the complexities of the legal system for over 24 years. Patrick is licensed to practice all issues of law in the State of Michigan. He is authorized to practice law in all State Courts in Michigan, including all State Circuit Courts; all State District Courts; the Federal Eastern District and Western District Courts; the Bankruptcy Court for the Western and Eastern Districts of Michigan; the Michigan Court of Appeals; and the Michigan Supreme Court. Patrick Dougherty is also authorized to practice law in the 6th Circuit Court...

About half of my practice consists of local government representation. The remainder is real estate, estate planning, probate, collections and general business matters. We strive to provide prompt and professional services with personal attention and care.

Estate Planning
Wills and Trusts
Business Organization
Real Estate
Criminal Defense
Former Prosecutor