Bureau County Products Liability Lawyers

High-Stakes Litigation - Business Disputes - Franchise Litigation

I represent individuals and companies in high-stakes lawsuits, business and investment disputes, and franchise matters. I trained at a top global law firm where I practiced complex commercial litigation for a decade. I practice now at a boutique law firm where I help entrepreneurs and small businesses with their most important "bet the company" matters.

My practice includes:
- Contract disputes
- Fraud cases
- Franchising and dealer terminations and regulatory compliance
- Securities & commodities litigation / enforcement and...

Joseph W. Balesteri is a partner at the Chicago-based plaintiff’s law firm Power Rogers. He joined the firm in 2000, and since that time, has handled many cases successfully, resulting in more than $400 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients, an average of $25 million per year. In recognition of his dedication to plaintiffs and achievements in the field, Mr. Balesteri has been awarded with honors such as “Super Lawyers” and “Leading Lawyers” by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company.

My practice is focused exclusively on the representation of the victims of accidents and their families in complex personal injury and wrongful death litigation with a special emphasis on nursing home abuse and neglect cases. We have not and will not represent insurance companies. I believe that my job is to equip clients to make decisions about their case which are consistent with their goals and values. In order for clients to be able to do this, it is my job to provide clients with a good understanding of the law applicable to their case and regular...

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

Throughout much of Pat's career, he has worked defending insurance companies against personal injury, wrongful death, and healthcare negligence cases. This experience gives Pat a unique perspective, since he knows the "tricks of the trade" which insurance companies use as they value a personal injury claim and defend against a case. With this knowledge and understanding, Pat will ensure you are not taken advantage of in these situations, allowing you to achieve maximum compensation for the damages you have suffered.

Pat has been a trial lawyer for more than a decade and has tried numerous cases to verdict. Pat first developed...

Chris Norem has recovered over $100 million dollars in complex personal injury and wrongful death cases resulting from transportation disasters, construction site accidents, medical negligence, dangerous property conditions and code violations, unsafe products, and many other cases.

With undergraduate training in both biology and chemistry, Christopher Norem is unafraid to rigorously cross-examine medical experts to prove the seriousness as well as the cause of a client’s injuries in any personal injury lawsuit. His legal work has helped change the policy of a national rail system and has served as a deterrent to numerous businesses and individuals who might be tempted to...

RESULTS We have a 99% winning percentage. We have secured millions of dollars for our clients. We know how to fight and we know how to win. AVAILABILITY Access to your attorney is important. Whether you call Michael at the office, on his cell, through text, or email, availability is never an issue. Nothing is more frustrating to a client than being unable to speak with their attorney. COMMUNICATION Fancy legal talk is annoying. Nobody outside the law understands it. Michael explains complex legal issues in plain English, and provides step-by-step guidance...

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...

At R.F. Wittmeyer, Ltd., we care about all of our clients. Along with our experienced and dedicated staff, Mr. Wittmeyer will personally handle your case from start to finish. Your case will not be shuffled off to a junior level attorney. We strongly recommend to injured parties that they retain competent legal representation early on, so a qualified attorney, such as Mr. Wittmeyer, can manage every aspect of their case, from the beginning. Our reputation has been built on the trust that we will professionally and aggressively prosecute every case we accept.

"Whiting Law Group focuses on personal injury law and litigation. Our successful team of proven personal injury lawyers in Chicago and Wisconsin represent victims involving personal injury, trucking accidents, automobile accidents, construction accidents, wrongful death and medical malpractice actions. Whiting Law Group understands how the harm caused by the negligent conduct of others affects our clients and their loved ones. We strive to reduce the stress, trauma and hassles of seeking justice so that our clients may focus on their health and their families in their time of hardship. Our expertise, experience and aggressive approach extend to every...

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...

Unique to Ms. Taraska’s chosen career in personal injury law, she was the victim of a propane gas explosion, in which a commercial building collapsed on her, her mother, brother and a close family friend. The explosion left Taraska with extensive second and third degree burns early in her life. She was hospitalized for 3 months, during which she underwent skin grafting of her arms, legs, hands, and chest. Incredibly, a year prior to the explosion, Ms. Taraska’s father and a reconstructive surgeon opened the only downstate burn unit in Peoria where she was successfully treated despite the severity of...

Daniel E. O'Brien joined the firm of Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC on January 1, 2000. The firm concentrates in representing catastrophically injured clients who are injured through medical negligence, personal injury, including airline, automobile, construction accidents, and trucking accidents, premises liability, and products liability. Before becoming a partner at Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, Mr. O'Brien was an associate at a firm where he tried and settled numerous cases on behalf of injured clients.

Dan has participated and been lead counsel in numerous trials involving complex medical issues, product liability issues, and personal injuries. Dan has obtained numerous settlements...

As a partner at Power Rogers & Smith, Larry R. Rogers Jr. has dedicated his professional career to helping victims obtain the justice they deserve. Mr. Rogers is of the belief that society today places an emphasis on profits over people, which results in the suffering of countless innocent people. As a plaintiff’s lawyer, he dedicates his practice to righting those wrongs and affecting change so that the same acts of negligence never happen again.

Daniel A. Klein is a partner at Kurasch & Klein, Chicago Accident Lawyers. Following graduation from Ohio State University College of Law, Dan was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1990, and the Florida bar in 1994. He practices primarily in plaintiff’s personal injury and medical malpractice litigation. His practice includes a wide range of cases including wrongful death, nursing home negligence, auto accidents, premises liability, construction accidents, FELA, products liability, and wrongful discharge. He has tried hundreds of jury cases and arbitrations to successful verdicts. Dan has recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for his clients. Recently...

Mark Varboncouer is the founder of Varboncouer Law. Mr. Varboncouer is an experienced trial attorney who previously spent 10-plus years with Kirkland & Ellis LLP (“one of the nation's largest and most prestigious law firms”/ “known for its world-class litigation practice”/ “one of the ‘Fearsome Foursome’ — the four firms most likely to strike fear in opposing counsel”); and 4-plus years with another highly-prestigious 1,000-plus attorney law firm, McGuireWoods LLP, where he litigated a variety of issues: contracts, non-competes, tortious interference, unfair competition, fraud, licenses and complex intellectual property issues (e.g., patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, false advertising etc.)....

Jeffrey Li joined Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz in 2017 as a law clerk and in 2018, following his admission to the Illinois Bar, became an associate attorney at the firm. Mr. Li focuses his practice in nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, personal injury, and probate matters. Mr. Li is also involved in the Opioid litigation, a mass tort case involving a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s deceptive marketing practice of a highly addictive prescription medication. Mr. Li received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School (now known as UIC John Marshall Law School) in 2018. While attending law school, Mr....

Andrew Burkavage concentrates his legal practice on personal injury, defective products, mass torts, and medical malpractice cases. Mr. Burkavage served as a law clerk for the United States Court Of Appeals for the Third Circuit and for an Illinois non-profit legal organization. Mr. Burkavage received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Burkavage was an Associate Editor for Loyola’s International Law Review, studied abroad in Beijing, China, received an International Law Certificate and was named...

Carolyn Daley Scott joined Power Rogers & Smith as an associate in 2006. Obtaining a B.A. from Georgetown and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, Ms. Scott practices litigation in medical malpractice, automobile negligence, bicycle collision, premises liability, product liability, and defamation cases. She harnesses her knowledge and experience to secure justice for victims, and has won multiple large sum verdicts and settlements.

Mr. Fisher is a personal injury lawyer and partner at GWC Injury Lawyers LLC. With a proven track record of success including having obtained more than $90 MILLION in successful recoveries on behalf of his clients, Michael is a highly skilled lawyer and a valued asset at our law firm. If you have been injured in an accident, contact Mr. Fisher today at (312) 464-1234 or toll free at (800) 464-4772.

Thomas G. Siracusa is a partner at Power Rogers & Smith and has been with the firm since 1996. He earned his B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago and his J.D. from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Since his admission to the Illinois Bar in 1986, Mr. Siracusa has obtained many multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts in cases involving medical malpractice, birth trauma, and other serious injury cases. When not staunchly advocating for his clients, Mr. Siracusa publishes articles about medical malpractice and product liability in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education publications.

Joseph Curcio was raised in Chicago in the old Italian neighborhood along Grand and Damen Avenues on Chicago’s West Side. The son of a shoemaker, Mr. Curcio learned very early the importance of hard work and paid his own way through college at DePaul University and law school at John Marshall working various night jobs, including repossessing cars. Upon his graduation from law school in 1956, Joe had a very brief stint as a claims adjuster for an insurance company before striking out on his own as a solo practitioner. From the beginning of his career, he had a passion and...

Mathew T. Siporin joined Pullano Law Offices in 2005. He is a Partner and concentrates his practice on helping victims of construction accidents, trucking accidents, defective products and medical malpractice. In every case, Mr. Siporin tries to put himself in his client’s shoes. “I try to fully understand the extent of the hardships my clients have endured. That is the kind of lawyer I would want to represent myself or a family member if they were an injury victim”, says Mr. Siporin. He never loses site of those hardships as he continues to fight to protect his clients rights and...

John F. Winters, Jr. is the founding member of the firm Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC. The firm was formed in 1997. John has successfully settled or tried to verdict a variety of cases including medical negligence, police misconduct, VA Hospital negligence, automobile/trucking negligence, premises liability negligence and defamation cases, obtaining multi-million dollar results for his clients against defendants and their insurance companies.

John has been involved in a number of high-profile matters, including his current representation of former NFL players against the NFL in the CTE brain injury cases. Also, John served as lead counsel in the wrongful death...

Mr. Marker founded Marker & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C. in 2013 to focus on helping people injured at work or by the negligence of others. In 2018, he joined with esteemed attorney Jonathan Crannell to form Marker & Crannell. Mr. Marker spent his early years as a workers' compensation defense attorney. In 2004 Jason Marker began representing injury victims and leveraged the insight gleaned from his experience as a defense practitioner to help his seriously injured clients recover for their injuries. Since then, Mr. Marker has recovered millions of dollars for his clients and tried cases...

Dan is a litigator and trial attorney with over 30 years of experience dealing with the full range of complex personal injury cases, including construction injuries, medical mistakes, trucking, product defects, motorcycle, bicycle, and all vehicle injuries. Dan has proudly represented injured persons and the families of deceased all over the country and has secured over 100 million dollars in compensation for our clients.

Dan was mentored by the legendary Leonard Ring and became a managing partner by the age of 30 overseeing the Personal Injury Department. Dan is known for his preparation, his persistence, and leaving no stone unturned, and...

Clifford Horwitz has won every case that he has taken to trial over the past 24 years with over 25% of those verdicts being record-setting jury verdicts. Cliff works with and manages the lead trial team at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates. Together, Clifford Horwitz, Jay Luchsinger and Michael Carter won the largest personal injury verdict in Illinois history for an individual and the second largest in U.S. history. The $64 million verdict was awarded for an injured ironworker who fell and was left paralyzed from a job-site accident.

Joseph D. Parente is a Chicago personal injury attorney with extensive litigation experience. He has represented injured persons in the Chicago area for many years, including injured members of the Cook County Forest Preserve, the Fraternal Order of the Police, Electrician’s Union, Carpenter’s Union, Plumber’s Union, and Pipefitter’s Union.

Personal injury attorney Joseph Parente earned his law degree from Loyola University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois. Attorney Parente was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from the Loyola University in Chicago.

He has represented injured persons in the Chicago area for many years, including injured members of the...

Timothy Richardson has been exposed to the law for virtually his entire life. His uncle served as a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, and his aunt served as a federal administrative judge for the Northern District of Illinois. He has followed in their footsteps with same determination and commitment to professional excellence, integrity, and respect among his peers in the legal community. In 2002, at only 34 years old, Tim received the distinguished honor from the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, being chosen as one of the "40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 To Watch." He has had verdicts...

Dan DeBias started with Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates in 2007. He finished his Juris Doctor degree at The John Marshall Law School, and received his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dan was published in the John Marshall Law Review in 2017 for a Comment he authored about protecting injured workers in Illinois. He also was an editor for The John Marshall Law Review. Dan now devotes 100% of his legal practice to assisting injured workers.