Crawford County Lawyers

Represent claimants denied their Social Security Disability Benefits.

Joseph D. Murphy is currently the president of Meyer Capel. Following law school and a two-year clerkship with a federal district court judge, Mr. Murphy began his practice with a Wall Street law firm, gaining substantial experience in trademark licensing and intellectual property litigation. Subsequently, he moved to a Washington, D.C.-based firm, where his practice concentrated in franchise litigation and counseling. Since returning to Champaign-Urbana in 1994 to join Meyer Capel, he has focused his practice on a combination of intellectual property (including franchise licensing) and telecommunications.

Top Criminal Defense and Personal Injury Lawyer - Attorney Baku N. Patel is lead counsel in all felony criminal defense cases and personal injury/wrongful death matters at Patel Law, P.C. Mr. Patel was born in 1969 in Baroda, Gujarat, India. He was raised in the United States when his parents arrived from India in 1970. Mr. Patel received two bachelor degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in 1991, one in economics and one in political science. After graduating from college, he attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate degree in 1994. U.S....

Richard T. West has been practicing law for over forty-one years. He has been a shareholder of Meyer Capel for over half of his career, having practiced in other firms in the community prior to joining Meyer Capel in 1991 as a shareholder. Throughout much of his career, his focus has been in the areas of complex litigation involving, for example, intellectual property, construction, banking, products liability, contract disputes and corporate and fiduciary obligations, as well as business representation, construction law, and health care law. In recent years, he has begun to shift his focus from an active litigation practice...

Steven A. Amjad brings extensive experience in many aspects of legal practice to the clients of Meyer Capel. Over the last several years he has practiced litigation including complicated commercial litigation, personal injury, toxic tort defense and criminal defense.

Ward F. McDonald brings a wealth of experience in real estate, banking and commercial law to the clients of Meyer Capel. His background includes 13 years as CEO of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., a title insurer with multi-state operations, and 25 years as an attorney in private practice. Over the course of his career, Ward has handled numerous transactions in the $1-100 million range for commercial and residential real estate developments, including sales, acquisitions, refinancing and consolidations. Ward holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Land Economics from the University of Illinois as well as his Juris...

Brooke A. Didier Starks is an estate planning lawyer concentrating her wills, trusts and probate practice in east-central Illinois. She enjoys counseling a wide variety of clients on all matters related to estate planning and estate administration. Brooke welcomes the opportunity to assist clients who are providing for their children, whether it is counseling them through the decision of whom to appoint as guardian for a minor child, establishing a trust for a special-needs child, or planning for college education. She especially enjoys working with farm families to preserve the family business and pass it on to...

With a focus on personal injury, death, and worker's compensation law, William Alexander has been practicing law since 1973. He served as the Associate Circuit Judge in the Second Judicial Circuit in the State of Illinois from 1975-1978 and currently serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Morthland College and on the Board of Directors of Centerstone of Illinois. He has been married for 47 years and has two sons.

Dennis K. Muncy is recognized nationally as an expert in the field of telecommunications law and regulation. During the course of his legal career, he has handled litigation in 38 states and the District of Columbia and has testified before Congress and the Federal Communications Commission concerning telecommunications issues. In addition to representing telecommunications clients in regulatory and other matters, Dennis has negotiated numerous sales, acquisitions and mergers of telecommunication properties. He has delivered numerous speeches and provided instruction on telecommunications issues to both clients and other counsel. Dennis joined Meyer Capel as a law clerk in 1965 and became an...

Lance is a trial lawyer who represents victims who have been injured by the wrongful and negligent conduct of companies and individuals throughout Southern Illinois.He has spent his legal career handling and resolving personal injury and wrongful death cases for numerous victims for over a decade with an impeccable case-winning record. Regardless, of the size of the case, Lance strives to ensure each victim is given the consideration and attention to produce the best result. His litigation experience includes jury trial, bench trials, mediations, and arbitrations. Lance’s commitment and perseverance to his injured clients have produced multi-million dollar settlements and...

For most people, the purchase of a home is the largest single investment they will ever make, and naturally, they're nervous about it. They want someone trustworthy to lean on, someone knowledgeable to handle the paperwork, someone well-versed in legal matters to represent them at the closing. They want someone like Harold Adams. With his dual background in finance and law, Harold brings a unique combination of skills to the table. In addition to a solid foundation in residential and commercial real estate transactions, Harold is well-grounded in general business matters, including the foundation of new corporations and partnerships and the...

Since joining the firm in 1970, Francis J. (Jerry) Jahn has been responsible for building and expanding the business practice of Meyer Capel. He served as President of the firm from January 1999 until December 2010. A 1967 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law, Jerry was winner of the Frederick M. Green Moot Court Competition and the Horner Cup and Waterman Prize for Excellence in Moot Court Competition as a law student. He was also recipient of the Harno Scholarship. Jerry is a member of the Illinois State and Champaign County Bar Associations. He served on CCBA's board of...

As a former senior tax consultant for a former Big Eight accounting firm, and as a business school graduate, Todd Black is uniquely qualified to advise clients on legal matters pertaining to estate planning and administration and corporate/business planning. A practicing attorney in Champaign-Urbana since 1987, Mr. Black joined Meyer Capel in 1993. Mr. Black received a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Illinois in 1983. He attended the University of Illinois on a full athletic scholarship and served as co-captain of the U of I's varsity tennis team. He was the recipient of numerous undergraduate honors, including...

Large corporations and small companies alike need sound legal advice from attorneys who understand the demands and dynamics of the business environment. Clients of Meyer Capel will find these skills in Matt C. Deering. A native of Champaign-Urbana and a graduate of Champaign Central High School, Mr. Deering holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Kentucky and a juris doctorate from Ohio Northern University. He joined the firm in 1994 as a law clerk and became a full-time associate in 1996 and a shareholder on January 1, 2003. In addition to handling general corporate and business law concerns,...

Rebecca concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, tax planning, estate administration, probate, wills, trusts and trust administration. She counsels clients on a variety of estate planning, estate administration and trust administration issues and has significant experience in drafting both basic and complex estate plans that include wills, revocable trusts (or "living trusts"), irrevocable life insurance trusts, living wills, advanced directives, powers of attorney for health care and powers of attorney for property. In addition to preparing basic estate plans and counseling clients regarding a broad array of issues such as the importance of choosing an appropriate guardian for...

Colleen C. M. Ramais joins Meyer Capel’s litigation team as a full-time associate after serving a two-year judicial clerkship with the Honorable Justice Rita B. Garman of the Illinois Supreme Court. Colleen graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law with her juris doctorate in 2010. As a law student, she was named to the Dean's List for all six law school semesters and was awarded the Celia M. Howard Fellowship for graduate study from the Illinois Federation of Business and Professional Women. She is a ten-time recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for...

Rochelle A. Funderburg brings extensive knowledge of labor and employment issues and wide-ranging litigation experience to the practice of law at Meyer Capel. A former assistant city attorney and practicing lawyer for more than 30 years, Ms. Funderburg has handled a variety of cases – from inception through trial and appeal, representing insurance carriers, employers, employees, and various local governmental bodies. Ms. Funderburg received her bachelor of science and juris doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois, where she also earned the Charles E. Merriam Scholarship. Following completion of her formal legal studies in 1981, Ms. Funderburg joined Coles County, Illinois-based...

A former law clerk for Meyer Capel, Anna M. Benjamin joins the firm's roster of full-time associates with an impressive record of legal activities and accomplishments. Awarded her juris doctorate with honors (cum laude) by the University of Illinois in 2008, Anna distinguished herself with numerous honors throughout her law school experience. A Lincoln Scholar recipient from 2005-2008, she was twice named to the Dean's List (2006 and 2007) and served as a teaching assistant for the College of Law's "Introduction to United States Law" course in fall 2006. In addition, Anna earned "Distinction of Honors in Legal Writing and Analysis"...

With a focus on estate planning and administration, Marjorie A. Harris works closely with individuals and families who are seeking ways to provide financial security for today and protect their assets for the next generation. In addition to advising clients on trust and estates and tax planning matters, Marjorie's practice also includes the establishment and representation of nonprofit and charitable organizations, and charitable gift planning. A magna cum laude graduate of Brown University, Marjorie earned a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in applied mathematics and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa honorary society. She went on to earn...

Evan Coobs is a shareholder in Meyer Capel's business and transactional practice group. A practicing attorney since 1989, he has been with Meyer Capel since 1996, and a shareholder of the firm since 1998. He regularly works with other lawyers as cost-effective and trusted co-counsel and local counsel. Experience There is no substitute for experience. Mr. Coobs' experience ranges from assisting developers of affordable housing, to in-house work for a multinational manufacturing company, to helping start-up clients negotiate their first commercial lease, to parsing through the details of complex financing arrangements, including syndicated loan transactions. Mr. Coobs' practice is focused in the...

With his accumulated knowledge of Health Care Law and Litigation Services, Keith Emmons offers a unique perspective on the legal issues important to the professional clients of Meyer Capel.

Mr. Emmons has been recognized as both an Illinois Leading Lawyer and an Illinois Super Lawyer in the Health Care Law field. His practice includes the general representation of health care providers and their professional practices, general litigation, and alternative dispute resolution ("ADR") as a mediator and arbitrator. Mr. Emmons also represents health care professionals in proceedings before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (IDFPR). He...

Lorna Geiler brings Meyer Capel the benefits of a distinguished academic career. A 1986 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and a 1983 cum laude graduate of Illinois State University, she joined the firm in 1988. Ms. Geiler is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the American, Illinois State and Champaign County Bar Associations. She is also involved in the employment and labor law section of the Illinois State Bar Association and was listed in Who's Who Among Rising Young Americans in 1992. Lorna has represented employers before the Illinois...

EXPERIENCE Mr. Davis’ experience ranges from helping clients with all issues surrounding their start-up venture to assisting clients with the purchase or sale of multi-million dollar businesses. Mr. Davis concentrates his legal practice in the following areas: •representing corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships in connection with the legal matters these entities may face, including initial incorporation/organization, corporate governance issues, drafting and review of contracts and leases, licensing issues, securities issuances and debt financing transactions •representing clients with the sale or purchase of a business, including due diligence matters and the negotiation and documentation of the transaction •representing clients, both lenders and borrowers, in debt...

Planning and Estate

John H. Elder brings a special degree of experience to the clients of Meyer Capel. John works with his clients to deal with the tax issues of estate planning, but has always realized that this is only one component of the planning process. It is very important that an attorney work with the family members to learn about the needs and personalities of the various individuals and to develop a plan that meets the family goals and objectives. Some of the greatest qualities of an estate planning attorney are compassion, trust, and communication skills and it is only...

As a former teacher and school administrator, Jim Mullady brings a unique perspective to the practice of law at Meyer Capel. Mr. Mullady is a 1991 graduate of Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis, which he attended on a fellowship. In addition to coursework at IU, his legal education included a year at the University of Illinois as a visiting scholar. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Mullady taught social studies in the central Illinois communities of Arcola and Fisher, and served as principal of the National Academy of Arts High School in Champaign for four years. Mr. Mullady was an...

Patrick Fitzgerald begin his legal career with Meyer Capel in 1987 as a law clerk. Now, as a shareholder with the firm, he concentrates in real estate. Mr. Fitzgerald is a 1989 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law where he earned a spot on the Dean's List. In 1986, he received a bachelor of arts in economics, also from the University of Illinois. Mr. Fitzgerald is a member of the Champaign County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and American Bar Association. Further, he is actively involved with the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce as well as the Champaign...

Randy Green is a shareholder in Meyer Capel’s Business and Real Estate Practice Groups. His unique experience allows him to serve not only as legal counsel, but as a trusted business advisor to his clients. Experience Mr. Green has represented both public and private companies ranging from top U.S. financial institutions to single-member LLCs in a variety of transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, private equity investments, financing, entity formation, franchising, and leasing. He has also helped organizational and individual clients sell, purchase and lease various types of real estate across the U.S. Before he began his legal career, Mr....