Farmersville Lawyers

Having navigated a challenging divorce prior to raising my two sons as a single mother, I bring a deeply personal understanding of the struggles involved in divorce and child custody battles. Both of my sons are now proud graduates of Georgia Tech, with highest honors. My firsthand experience fuels my commitment to being a compassionate yet fierce advocate for your family's future. Trust me to provide the dedicated and empathetic legal support you need during this difficult time.

Licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois and registered to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office. Experienced with IP (patents, trademarks, trade secrets) law in both corporate environments (Blackberry, Conversant IP Management) as well as individual inventors. Well versed in Business Law, Residential and Commercial Real Estate, Commercial and Residential Contracts, Wills, Trusts, Mergers and Acquisitions. Has 22 issued US patents and 30 additional issued patents worldwide. Held the roles as General Counsel, Senior Patent Attorney at Conversant IP Management, Leading Patent Prosecution Litigation Management for Conversant, Senior Licensing Counsel at Blackberry focusing on prosecution with concentration...

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....

Noah Benckendorf was born and raised in Morton, Illinois. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN in 2018 with a degree in history and economics. Noah went on to study law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where he was a member of the Business Law Association. While in law school, Noah worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance as a law clerk doing insurance defense work. Noah also spent time with Protective Insurance as a law clerk in their corporate legal team. Noah went on to work at first American Title Insurance as a post-closing agent. In...

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.

Over thirty-three years of practice representing clients in a honest, ethical and direct approach. I will never promise you results which are unobtainable and communicate with you in a direct, straightforward manner.

NATHAN P. LINKS, born in Carlyle, Illinois .
License: Illinois, 2012

Education: Southern Illinois University Carbondale (B.S. in Biological Sciences, 2009); St. Louis University School of Law (J.D., 2012)

Member: Illinois State Bar Association, St. Clair County Bar Association.

Areas of Practice: Mr. Links practices in the following areas of law: Estates and Trusts, Family Law, Real Estate, and Guardianships, as well as General Practice.

David Cates is the founding principal attorney of The Cates Law Firm. As a seasoned trial lawyer with a major focus on nationally-recognized personal injury cases,class action lawsuits, and employment and workplace discrimination, attorney David Cates has earned prestigious recognitions including Super Lawyer's Rising Star and National Trial Lawyers' Top 100 Trial Lawyer. Throughout the years, David has achieved awards well over one-million dollars for the clients he has represented.

Providing compassionate and comprehensive bankruptcy services to consumer debtors for over 20 years: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Protection

Jeff Brown is an experienced and aggressive Bloomington criminal defense and post-conviction attorney. He handles all FEDERAL and ILLINOIS criminal cases including DUI, drugs, domestic battery and unlawful use of a weapon and traffic violations.

David has been a lawyer practicing in Bloomington since 1976, and a father of 6. His practice focus is commercial and residential real estate law. David is a retired Lieutenant Colonel having served in the Illinois Army National Guard for over 23 years, his last position being the State Judge Advocate, Office of the Adjutant General, Springfield,Illinois. He is a licensed title insurance agent and a member of the Board of Directors of Attorneys' Title Guarantee Fund, Inc., 2006-present. David is a graduate of The John Marshall Law School (JD, 1976) and Illinois State University (BS, MS, 1971).

Rachael enjoys representing clients with passion and fervor in family matters, criminal defense and bankruptcy. In her words, “The people are the very best part of this job – it’s what made me choose this career. Obtaining the best result possible for someone during a difficult time in their life brings me personal and professional satisfaction.”

Experienced trial lawyer with experience pursuing compensation in catastrophic injury claims and defending against serious criminal charges.

Jim Grimaldli is a criminal defense attorney representing clients with cases involving DUI, Felony Charges, Misdemeanor Charges, Traffic Tickets, Criminal Expungements, and Driver's License Reinstatement. Mr. Grimaldi practices in Logan, Sangamon, McLean, and Dewitt Counties.

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,...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...