Geneva Lawyers

Daniel J. Kollias' combination of experience in the real world and in the courtroom sets him apart from other attorneys. He represents clients with the goal of finding practical solutions to complex problems. Prior to starting his firm, Dan successfully owned and managed a restaurant and bar in Elmhurst for a few years before returning to the practice of law. He understands business from the perspectives of both the entrepreneur and the advocate.

Dan is at home both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. Dan gained extensive in-court experience as a prosecutor in the...

Marissa’s main areas of concentration are family law matters such as Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Paternity, Visitation and Adoption. Marissa is also a court approved family Mediator and Guardian ad Litem in Kane and Dekalb County. In addition, Marissa is one of the few Kane County foreclosure mediators for the sixteenth judicial circuit.

I have been practicing law since 2001. I graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in May of 2001 and from DePaul University in June of 1996. My main area of concentration is family law, i.e., divorce, paternity, child support, allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly known as custody) and adoption. As a family law attorney, I understand that my clients have to make difficult decisions while dealing with complex issues and emotions. As such, I believe that the key to successful representation depends not only in understanding the underlying issues, but, also in experience and expertise in the law...

Concentrating in helping and defending people accused of crimes, DUI and traffic offenses. Aggressive.

Zealous representation of private and court appointed clients in trial and appellate
courts. Practice includes crimes such as homicide, assault, drug distribution, drug
possession, fraud, DUI, Home Invasion, Sex Offenses and traffic tickets; Jury trials,
bench trials, and contested motions dispositive of the case; Research, draft, file and
serve Appellate briefs, Petitions for Leave to Appeal to the Illinois State Supreme Court,
Post Conviction and 2-1401 petitions for trial courts; Oral Arguments before the Illinois
State Appellate Court, Second Judicial District.

Jane E. Nagle is a founding partner of McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C., and she concentrates her practice primarily in the areas of divorce and family law in DuPage, Cook, Will, Kane, Kendall, Lake and surrounding collar counties. Over the years, Jane has handled numerous pre-decree and post-decree divorce cases as well as paternity, child support enforcement, and contested cases involving the allocation of parental decision-making and parenting time. Jane is also experienced in handling chapter 7 bankruptcy cases as well as negotiating various types of unsecured debts, obtaining excellent settlements for her clients facing financial hardship. Through...

Brian J. Banahan has been practicing law in DuPage, Kane and Cook County Illinois for over 20 years. He began his legal career and learned his way around the courtroom in 1997 as a full time 711 prosecutor with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. From there, Mr. Banahan moved to serve as chief legal counsel and Deputy Public Administrator for DuPage County for 17 years. In that job, Mr. Banahan managed, administered, litigated, settled, and closed hundreds of decedent’s estates and an extensive number of related legal matters in nearly every area of the law. In the process, he...

Mr. Sowa was a Special Agent in the Illinois Bureau of Investigation, the State Police agency for investigating narcotics and organized crime, and later became an Assistant State's Attorney in DuPage County. Prominently active in the Kane County Bar, he is a member of its Criminal Law Committee and Courthouse Design Committee, and a lecturer on ethics and criminal law for the Kane County Bar Association Criminal Law Committee Seminars. Mr. Sowa is the past Chairman of the Criminal Law Committee.

Mr. Sowa manages our office in Geneva, handling cases in Kane, DeKalb, Kendall and outlying counties.

Mr. Sowa has extensive experience...

Owner and Principal Attorney at DLAW, PC As an attorney with more than 25 years of legal experience, Deanna Aguinaga Walker enjoys the flexibility that having her own law practice gives her. She is able to become personally involved with each of her clients, and she appreciates the opportunity to assist them on a wide range of legal matters. Deanna earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the Northern Illinois University School of Law in 1995. Since then, she has dedicated her career to meeting the needs of her clients. When you work with Deanna, you can expect her to provide legal advice...

Julia A. Pucci, managing partner with Pucci Pirtle, focuses her practice in the areas of divorce and custody litigation. Ms. Pucci attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois where she received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Sociology and Political Science. Ms. Pucci subsequently earned her Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. During her law school career, Julia taught legal research and writing as a teaching assistant and was also active in the mediation clinic where she obtained her mediation certification. As a certified mediator, she mediated court-ordered child custody matters and...

Ms. Pirtle uses her extensive knowledge in helping each and every client find a solution that is tailored to his or her circumstances while also exhibiting strong advocacy in the courtroom. She understands that not every case is a trial case nor can every case be kept out of the courtroom. Whether your needs are getting through a tough situation now or planning to avoid tough situations in the future, Ms. Pirtle can help you achieve your goals. Practice Areas • Divorce • High Asset Divorce • Maintenance & Alimony • Child Custody & Child Support • Prenuptial Agreements • Family Law • Residential Real Estate Bar Admissions Education...

Kathleen C. Chavez, founding partner of Foote, Mielke, Chavez & O’Neil, LLC, earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1998 from Northwestern University School of Law. Chavez is a nationally recognized civil litigator with a reputation for obtaining exceptional results in challenging cases. She is a results-driven, highly focused “problem-solver” with an unmatched ability to strategically frame critical issues, develop innovative solutions and negotiate outstanding results for her clients. She is admitted to practice law in California, Illinois and Washington D.C., as well as various federal courts, the Federal Trial Bar and the United States Federal Court of Claims.

Otto S. Hurtado is an experienced family law attorney. He is certified as a Family Law Mediator and Guardian ad Litem. Mr. Hurtado is a Graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and earned his Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois, College of Law. Mr. Hurtado is actively involved in the Kane County Bar Association, participating in various activities such as, Ask A Lawyer Day, Lawyer in the Library, volunteer Judge for Mock Trial Competitions, and as a participate the Guardian Ad Litem training. Mr. Hurtado understands that no two cases are alike, and believes in tailoring services specifically for...

Mr. Petti is a resident of Elburn, IL. He was born in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up in Pittsburgh PA and Evanston IL. He has acted as legal counsel for both small and large businesses. He has been associated with private law practice firms in Chicago and the Chicago Suburban area. For the past twenty two years, he has maintained his principal law office in Kane County, Illinois. Mr. Petti's corporate law work includes serving as staff counsel for Motorola and General Counsel of Andrew Corporation, two international electronic businesses. His trial work has taken him from Connecticut to...

I am a licensed attorney with 25 years experience as a civil defense litigator and trial lawyer. For most of my practice I specialized in Personal Injury Defense with a sub-specialty in Medical Malpractice, Premises Liability and Intentional Torts. I also represented a Medical Captive Insurance Company as lead attorney, advising the Board on Risk Management issues and representing the insured doctors in litigation. I have tried cases to verdict in many counties in Illinois. I was chosen by Nautilus Insurance company to represent its insured in lawsuits in Cook County, including Multi-Million dollar Construction injury...

Kane County lawyer, Susan D. Shivers, has been practicing law for over 27 years. Susan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University (with a double major in Psychology and English) and her Law degree, with Honors, from The John Marshall Law School. Susan is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Craig S. Mielke is a founding partner at Foote, Mielke, Chavez and O'Neil, LLC and limits his practice to workers' compensation, personal injury, eminent domain, law enforcement, and complex litigation.

Emily Rapp is a partner at McSwain, Nagle, Giese & Rapp PC. Emily practices in Kane, DuPage and Kendall counties and additionally practices at the appellate court level. Emily is a past President of the Kane County Bar Association, and Past Chair of the Family Law Section for DuPage County Bar Association. She has presented at Illinois State Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association and Kane County Bar Association seminars speaking on topics relating to family law. In addition to her speaking engagements, Emily has authored legal articles including a chapter on the Parentage Act for Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal...

Ms. Chavez counsels and represents employees in a variety of employment litigation matters including discrimination (based on age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion and sexual orientation), sexual harassment, Family Medical Leave Act and retaliation claims. Ms. Chavez has experience representing employees in front of administrative agencies (the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Department of Labor) and state and federal courts. The services offered by Ms. Chavez range from the review of a severance package, to representation at the administrative level--Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, to legal representation in state and federal court.

I have always cared about children. I was once an elementary school teacher and a special education teacher. I have more than 35 years of experience in the family law area helping people through divorce, custody battles, disputes over parenting time, decision making, relocation, child support, domestic violence, and guardianship. I am constantly deepening and broadening my knowledge and skills in the family law field. I am flexible with your needs and can help you at any step in the process. Let me be the one you turn to as you go through a time...

I am an experienced Personal Injury attorney dedicated to fighting for the rights of my clients through every stage of their case. I represent clients who have been injured due to car accidents, animal attacks, sports injuries, defective products and nursing home abuse. I am a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the DuPage County Bar Association. I have been included in the Illinois list of Super Lawyers. I have a 10.0 rating on Avvo and a 10.0 rating on Justia. Let me fight for the justice you deserve. Call today for a free...

Mr. Shaw attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and graduated from Illinois College, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1983. He continued his education at the Northern Illinois University College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1986, and became a Licensed Attorney in Illinois on November 6, 1986. Having previously practiced in general and family law practices, and having served as the Child Support Attorney for Kane County Circuit Court Clerk from 1987-1995, Mr. Shaw opened his own law practice concentrating in family law in 1991. In 2000 he co-founded the law firm...

Tricia knew she wanted to be an attorney when she was 10 years old - being an attorney seemed glamorous and exciting. It was not until college, when Tricia was selected for Eastern Illinois University's mock trial time, that she realized how much she would enjoy litigation and courtroom work. After being accepted to the John Marshall Law School with a Dean's Scholarship, she added excellent writing skills to her love of working in the courtroom, winning the Dean Fred F. Herzog Moot Court Competition. Tricia was awarded a Moot Court Executive Board scholarship and went on to...

Michael Roe has over 25 years of experience practicing exclusively in the area of complex divorce and child custody litigation. He has successfully managed important cases in Kane County, DuPage County, and in all of the counties of northern Illinois, and his family law expertise was sought out by clients for cases in downstate Illinois and a few complex child custody cases out-of-state. With a strong legal education in both law and graduate-level business school, he is skilled in both the child custody/parenting side as well as the business and financial side of divorce litigation. Michael is one of the...

Known for promoting innovative litigation alternatives in family-related legal disputes, Rachel Nicole Hernandez is a collaborative family lawyer & the founder of Bruckner Hernandez Legal Solutions, LLC, a collaborative law & family law firm with offices in St. Charles & Sycamore, Illinois.

Bruckner Hernandez Legal Solutions, LLC helps families resolve legal issues without going to court, whether it be through mediation, collaborative process, uncontested divorce, pre-divorce legal counseling, or limited scope representation. Rachel Nicole Hernandez provides advice to clients regarding their rights with respect to marital/non-marital assets & debts, maintenance, & child custody issues. Rachel Nicole Hernandez solicits the expertise of...

Rachel received her undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with double minors in Philosophy and History. In 2014, Rachel received the History Department’s James R. Shirley Essay Prize for her research paper on the Soviet Union’s gulag system.

After graduation, Rachel enrolled in Northern Illinois University’s College of Law, where she served as the Symposium Editor for the Northern Illinois University Law Review and as Clerk for Phi Alpha Delta’s Dooley Chapter. Her Law Review article, Battle for Baby: Proposed Legislation for Custody Battles over Frozen Pre-Embryos, was published in the...

Henry D. Kass is a partner at MKFM Law, LLC, who focuses primarily in the areas of domestic relations, guardianship, and criminal law. He obtained his bachelor of arts from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa and also studied abroad at the University of the Basque Country in San Sebastian, Spain. Following his studies overseas, Henry attended the University of Iowa College of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctorate. Thereafter, he became an Assistant State’s Attorney with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office under now Appellate Court Justice, Joseph E. Birkett. There, he prosecuted domestic violence and...

Benedict Schwarz, II has limited his practice to matrimonial and family law for over 40 years. He is a past director of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and is also a trained divorce mediator; Mr. Schwarz has taught numerous 40-hour divorce mediation training and conflict resolution seminars and has also co-authored chapters on the subject in the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education publications.

In 1992, Mr. Schwarz was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a Commissioner of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). In 2001, Mr. Schwarz was appointed the Chairperson of the Commission from January...

Kevin G. Drendel Cornell College, cum laude, and a 1991 graduate of Northern Illinois University College of Law, magna cum laude. While at Northern Illinois University, he was a member of the Law Review, and published an article in the University’s scholarly (NIU Law Review 73, 1990). He also received the West Publishing Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. He is admitted to practice in front of all Illinois State Courts and the U.S. District Court, the Northern District of Illinois. Kevin is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Kane County Bar Association: Director (1999-2000), ...

Lauren Jackson focuses her practice primarily in the areas of real estate and estate planning, although her background includes probate, contracts, corporate formation and business succession planning. Lauren’s unintimidating, caring approach has garnered her a respectable reputation all over Northern Illinois. With her dedication for efficient cost effective services, you will learn that with Lauren on your side you have a reachable attorney with your best intentions in mind. Lauren prides herself on quality work over quantity and it has proved she is a success based on past customer positive reviews. Lauren eagerly represents...

Steven N. Peskind has reinvented Illinois Family Law. Mr. Peskind believes that a successful divorce results from the intersection of three competencies: legal skill, positive decision making, and financial analysis. As a result, he has compiled a team of highly trained professionals dedicated to helping our clients achieve that success. The lawyers at Peskind Law Firm are skilled negotiators, legal analysts, problem solvers and courtroom advocates. Mr. Peskind is one of only 100 lawyers in the nation elected as a Diplomate to the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, an honor society reflecting accomplishments in Family...

Rory T. Weiler is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) who concentrates his practice in family law, with an emphasis on cases involving child custody and more complex economic issues, especially those involving family and closely held businesses. He is a member of the Leading Lawyers Network, and has been recognized as an Illinois “Super Lawyer” and as one of the “Best Lawyers in America.”

Rory is a member of the Kane County Bar Association (KCBA) and Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA). He actively serves the ISBA and its charitable arm, the Illinois Bar Foundation. He has...

With over 30 years of legal practice, Sandra Petras Bruckner is adept in assisting clients with navigating complex financial matters & providing options that maintain assets within families as they transition. In addition to her deft analytical skills, Sandra Petras Bruckner is known for her compassion, always carefully respectfully recognizing each client’s unique interests and concerns.

As a trained family law mediator & collaborative attorney, Sandra Petras Bruckner believes that the mediation & collaborative process options can better help people resolve family related legal disputes. In these roles, she helps clients unravel their legal issues, analyze their situation, and get to...

Jason Kunowski was born on April 1, 1983. He is the Senior Associate with Ramsell & Associates. He grew up in DuPage County. Jason received his undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and went to law school at Northern Illinois University College of Law. While in law school, Jason was a 711 Intern with the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. Also while in law school, Jason excelled in Mock Trial and the National Trial Competition.

Jason has nearly a decade in courtroom experience and in practicing law. He has handled countless DUI cases from beginning to end, including: contested hearings,...

Stacey A. McCullough's career has been focused on the successful defense of the criminally accused in DuPage County for over 20 years. She has firmly established her advocacy skills through hundreds of hearings and trials for offenses ranging from traffic violations to felonies. Stacey's experiences and involvement in the legal community have instilled in her the understanding that each case and client she takes on is unique and important. She reviews all circumstances thoroughly and provides clients with explanations of proceedings, potential challenges, and possible outcomes. Clients can be confident Stacey's representation is personal, honest, respectful and dedicated.

BAR ADMISSIONS

State of...

Lindsay C. Stella is a Partner at Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC, and a highly respected attorney in the legal community. Ms. Stella’s practice is exclusively devoted to Family Law matters. Ms. Stella represents clients in all aspects of Family Law, with particular focus on Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements, complex financial situations including maintenance and child support, contested custody and parenting time matters, cases involving mental health issues, marital business interests, and high-net worth cases. Ms. Stella has handled all types of cases from non-contested divorces to complicated high-profile disputes involving multi-million dollar estates.

Ms. Stella is a seasoned litigator,...

Lynn M. Mirabella is a partner at MKFM Law, where her practice is concentrated almost exclusively in the area of family law, including high-profile cases and complex litigation files. Prior to joining MKFM Law, she worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. She is certified to represent children as a Guardian ad Litem, Child’s Representative, and Attorney for Child. In addition, she is certified in collaborative law, arbitration, and as a mediator. She has taught several classes and seminars in both DuPage and Kane Counties. She is a member of the DuPage County, Kane...