Kankakee County Lawyers

Benjamin Lawson is a former prosecutor who now runs his own practice handling cases ranging from criminal defense to DUI defense and traffic tickets. He also handles personal injury cases and advises small businesses. He practices primarily in Kankakee County, Will County and Cook County.

Stella Day is a seasoned litigation attorney with a focus on probate and guardianship matters. She brings her wealth of experience to Johnston Tomei Lenczycki & Goldberg, LLC, following a successful tenure at the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. With over 16 years in the field, Stella has adeptly handled a variety of complex felony and misdemeanor cases, including DUI, Aggravated Battery, Sexual Assault, and Murder. Her track record includes successful litigation in numerous jury trials and evidentiary hearings across different courtrooms. Stella has also extensively dealt with cases involving mental health and competency issues. As a guest speaker on trial...

My academic interests encompass both information technology and law. I am a Professor and H. Ross & Helen Workman Research Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Law. I have a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a JD summa cum laude from Georgetown University. I have served as a technical expert in numerous patent lawsuits in the communication and computer areas, especially wireless communication, RF, e-commerce, software applications, integrated circuits, microelectronics and semiconductors. I am an inventor and hold 20 U.S. patents and serve on the boards of directors/advisors...

Marc Whipple grew up in Iowa and has a degree in Physics and Math from Drake University. After receiving his J.D. from John Marshall, he became the General Counsel for Meyer/Glass Design, a Chicago invention studio descended from legendary innovation firm Marvin Glass & Associates. When Meyer/Glass started an interactive division, he helped set up, grow, and eventually spin off the software studio, in the meantime negotiating development agreements with companies like Hasbro Interactive and Microsoft for PC and console titles.

After his work at Meyer/Glass, he became the General Counsel of Incredible Technologies, Inc., and helped it take its first...

Attorney Lauren A. Anaya has over 20 years' experience in the practice of law and is ready to put her experience to work for you. Dr. Anaya began her legal career with the United States Department of Justice after being hired pursuant to the Attorney General's Honors Program, the largest and most prestigious federal entry-level attorney hiring program of its kind. She served with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and subsequently went to work for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in the Office of the General Counsel. She knows immigration law and can assist...

Dean Hedeker is a leading Chicago-area authority on estate and tax planning, business law and investments. A long-time resident of north suburban Lincolnshire, Dean has more than 25-years experience helping business owners and families grow, protect and pass on their hard-earned money through tax planning, estate planning and investment management services. Dean is among a rare breed of professionals because he possesses wide-ranging experience and certifications in the fields of law, estate, tax and financial planning and accounting. Over the past 10 years alone, Dean has created more than 2,000 estate plans and every year he handles more than 300 complex...

When experience counts, count on me. My career as a young attorney began in commercial litigation and quickly grew into Corporate & Business Litigation; with a very strong accounting and tax background I began to do more business and corporate law, estate and trust planning and the garden variety practice from bankruptcy to taking a small company public to heading a group in the successful purchase of a bank, and so on for the first 20 years of my practice. When someone asked me to handle my first divorce, I approached it as a business dissolution: logical and...

Anthony (Tony) Perrelli is a partner of Hedeker & Perrelli and has provided his legal expertise to the firm since 2005. A resident of north suburban South Barrington, Tony specializes in estate planning, estate administration, and business and tax law. Clients rely on his smart, honest and compassionate approach to helping ensure their Hedeker & Perrelli LifePlan is protected from creditors, predators and the IRS. Tony is trusted by the hundreds of families and businesses who rely on Hedeker & Perrelli to plan and preserve their wealth. He has a deep understanding of tax laws and the estate planning process...

I love working with my clients and I treat them as best as I can. My number one goal is to get them the compensation they deserve after they have been injured. I have won millions of dollars on behalf of my clients over the years.

Liz has presented seminars to divorce recovery groups, counselors, lawyers, hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies and was an instructor for several years for a personal injury trial practice course presented by the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and classes for medical practitioners to area hospitals and staff regarding how to respond to legal inquiries and how to avoid malpractice. She has also presented seminars for the Illinois State Bar Association including a recent basic family law seminar.

Liz tried several cases to juries including a case that was decisiv with respect to the use accident reconstruction experts, evidence of...

-Former Assistant State's Attorney in Lake County from 2001 through 2004;
-Associate in private law firm from 2004 through 2014 practicing criminal defense, real estate law/closings and local village prosecutor for two municipalities;
-Partner in former law firm of Nutschnig & Cavanaugh Attorneys at Law P.C. from 2014 through 2019
-Current president and founder of the Law Offices of Jeffery J. Nutschnig LLC
-Almost 20 years legal experience;
-Member of the Lake County BAR Association;
-Illinois State Bar Association member;
-Member/Counselor of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois;
-Honest and truthful legal representation;

Born and raised in Chicago, Mr. Thompson earned his B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1984. In 1987 he graduated with his J.D. at the Northern Illinois University in Chicago. He is fluent in Spanish.

Mr. Thompson has 18 years of experience litigating Personal Injury claims, Workers' Compensation, Criminal Law, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy & Traffic cases. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Admission to Federal Trial Bar, and is a board member in good standing with multiple charitable organizations.

Mr. Thompson has been married for thirteen years and...

Steve McCollum has extensive experience in Criminal, DUI, and Juvenile cases, including 16 years as a prosecutor and 20 years as a defense attorney. Formerly the Chief Deputy State's Attorney for Lake County, Steve is a member of the Board of the Lake County Bar Foundation, the past President of the Lake County Bar Association, and has been the Chairperson of the Criminal Law Committee for the Bar Association. He was previously selected by the Illinois Supreme Court to the screening committee for the Capital Litigation Trial Bar for the 19th Judicial Circuit. As an Assistant State's Attorney and...

Kristen M. Stoicescu is an attorney at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, joining the firm in 2024. She focuses her practice on mass torts, medical malpractice, personal injury, and products liability cases. Prior to her role at the firm, she clerked for Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and worked as a litigation associate at leading defense firms, where she represented corporate clients in complex mass torts, intellectual property litigation, and other high-stakes legal matters. Ms. Stoicescu earned her Juris Doctor with honors from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2020. During law...

Graduated university of Wisconsin 1977. John Marshall Law school 1980 work in the Lake County states Atty.'s office as a prosecutor for five years up until 1985. Handled all prosecutions from traffic cases to misdemeanors then onto felonies and everything including armedrobbery ,drug charges,murder sexual assault. Since 1985 I have been vigorously defending clients for the last 30 years on all types of criminal and traffic matters in Lake Cook Mckenry counties, and Kenosha county in Wisconsin. I have the knowledge and experience of dealing with all these prosecutors and judges in this area for a long time , which...

I am a licensed Illinois attorney currently practicing at McHenry county's largest criminal defense firm, Donahue and Kililis, PC. I represent clients in criminal and civil court daily, in McHenry, Lake, Cook, DuPage, DeKalb, and Boone counties. I represent clients at all stages of need, in various criminal offenses, including but not limited to: DUI/Summary Suspension, Domestic Battery, Drug offenses, Petty & Misdemeanor Traffic Offenses, Battery, Sexual Misconduct, License Reinstatement. I also handle civil matters including trial and hearings on Orders of Protection, Civil/No Stalking No Contact Order, Forcible Entry & Detainer, Small Claims and limited areas of...

Ms. Wechter thoroughly enjoys advocating for her clients and uses her caring, yet firm demeanor to obtain optimal results. She is a fierce, knowledgeable, and confident litigant inside the courtroom, while remaining a compassionate and empathetic ear to her clients outside of the courtroom.

Amanda Brasfield is a highly experienced trial attorney with a focus on personal injury litigation. From medical malpractice to construction accident negligence, Amanda has obtained a number of multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. Amanda has worked on dozens of complicated medical malpractice cases involving birth injuries, cerebral palsy, surgical mishaps, delayed diagnosis of cancer, and missed diagnosis of conditions. From depositions through trial, Amanda works tirelessly to uncover what proper medical practices were not followed and what steps could have been taken to prevent injuries and deaths related to medical care. In addition to her experience with medical malpractice cases, Amanda has...

Since entering private practice, Attorney Smith has maintained a general practice with a concentration in family law. He has been a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Winnebago County Bar Association for over forty years each. Attorney Smith is currently a member of the family law section of each of these associations. He is currently on an advisory panel for the American Bar Association. He has been a presenter to other attorneys locally on family law and child related topics.

For over forty years Attorney Michael J. Smith has provided experienced family law representation. Family law...

Diana Taylor focuses her practice on solving employment-related disputes for her clients. Whether assisting an employee or employer, Diana seeks to address these disputes from an approachable perspective. However, she has also successfully litigated and defended matters before various state courts, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and employment-related administrative agencies.

Having begun her legal career in a litigation practice focusing on personal injury and contract disputes, she led litigation against individuals, small businesses, and professionals and served as a key contributor in multi-faceted litigation and disputes against corporate defendants including insurance carriers, car...

Jordan has been practicing law for nearly 30 years, litigating hundreds of cases and 69 jury trials in state and federal courts. Jordan was named one of the 40 Illinois Attorneys under 40 to Watch by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, which praised him as "one of the city's most energetic and resourceful trial attorneys. The results he's gained have earned him the praise of judges, city officials and his fellow lawyers.” Jordan knows personal injury and civil rights law from both sides. He spent years defending the City of Chicago and its employees in personal injury and civil rights...

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...

Andrew Long has been representing Plaintiffs in personal injury litigation for over 27 years. Mr. Long attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he graduated with honors in 1990 then completed his legal education at the John Marshall Law School in 1993. Since becoming a licensed attorney, Mr. Long has concentrated his practice on the litigation of disputed personal injury claims. He has successfully represented thousands of personal injury victims in the greater Chicago area and completed over 200 jury trials in Cook, Kane, Will, McHenry, DuPage and Lake Counties. Andrew Long has numerous...

Vicki Hathaway Gonzalez is an experienced facilitator of real estate transactions. Vicki is known for her style of representation that insists that her clients are fully informed of their rights and obligations under their real estate contract, as well as the real consequences of their decisions regarding those rights and obligations.

Vicki's interest in real estate started long before her graduation from John Marshall Law School in 1992. She started investing in real estate in the 1970's, then became a licensed real estate agent, and also taught real estate licensing for the Century 21 Real Estate Academy. As an attorney, she...

I was born and raised in the Chicagoland area and graduated from law school in 2009. Immediately after graduation, I started my own Law Practice and Law Firm. I am also the broker owner of Main Street Real Estate Group. For the past fifteen years, I have primarily focused my attention on real estate, corporate law, and estate planning. I have been recognized as a Top 50 Attorney by the Top 100 Magazine and a Power Player by Chicago Scene magazine. My firm has been selected for the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies, and I have been named a...

The Law Offices of Sheryl Rae Ghezzi was established in 1986. General litigation developed into a boutique practice concentrating in Family Law and Estate Plannning. Focus Forward strategies are utilized to competently address the unique personal issues involving divorce, children,child custody, and individual estate directives. I support my Clients as they go through the process of transitioning their lives and assist them in Focusing Forward as a strategy to assist them in resolving the emotional stresses inherent in family law legal issues. I have lectured in the areas of child custody, family law, the divorce process and...

Born and raised in Chicago, Uri has been representing buyers and seller in real estate transactions since 2005. He has also held executive level positions in a variety of companies involving real estate investment, management and title, giving him a unique perspective that he brings to his clients in every transaction. Uri obtained his Doctor of Law (JD), graduating Cum Laude, from DePaul University College of Law.

An Evanston criminal defense attorney is competent, experienced, and ready to take on your case and fight for your rights! If you have been accused of committing a crime, you need the support of a lawyer you can count on, and you can have that confidence when you come to Pfeifer & Pfeifer, Attorneys at Law. Attorney Jeremy Pfeifer attended IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he earned his law degree. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and he is well equipped to take on your case and support you...

Aaron J. Lytle is one of the firm's suburban Chicago attorneys who practices in several key areas: estate planning and wealth protection, wills and trusts, probate administration, trust administration, business planning, taxation, real estate and special needs planning for children with disabilities. Mr. Lytle has spent several years working in the business sector on corporate issues relating to succession planning, valuation, acquisitions and generating capital. Before joining AHR, he worked for companies such as American Express and Bank One (now JP Morgan Chase).

Mr. Lytle also previously served on the Board of Trustees for DayOne Reliance, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that...

Karrsten Goettel concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial and residential real estate, real estate development, leasing, zoning and land use, business, merger and acquisition transactions (sales and purchases of assets and/or stock), corporate and business law and estate planning and administration. He has practiced among our firm's attorneys since 1997 and as a partner since 2002.

Mr. Goettel currently serves on the Board of Commissioners of the St. Charles Park District (where he is President), as a member of the St. Charles Housing Commission and as a Board Member of the Celtic Sports Foundation. From 2000 to 2002, he...

Nichole’s understanding of the great emotional toll family law disputes have on her clients helps her to assist her clients during a very difficult time. Nichole’s approach to her client’s matters is to advocate for her clients and find legally reasonable solutions which don’t exacerbate the financial toll divorce often takes on families, while also keeping her client’s best interests at the forefront. To help achieve this goal for her clients, Nichole has had extensive training with the Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago, Illinois where she further developed her skills in the art of mediation. Nichole also trained in...

As a senior attorney for Gordon Law Group, Michael Brandwein has years of experience representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service and Illinois Department of Revenue. With his knack for drafting complex financial statements, Michael has helped innumerable clients secure repayment plans and submit favorable settlement offers. His work has saved clients millions of dollars in taxes, interest, and penalties. Michael also guides individuals and businesses through IRS audits, drafts penalty abatement requests, solves complex tax-related issues, prepares delinquent FBAR submissions, and assists clients with IRS compliance and disclosure filings. Additionally, Michael has substantial experience establishing new business enterprises on behalf of...

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...

Attorney David P. Gonet comes to family law with a background in appellate law and intellectual property law. A business major in college, David went on to get his law degree from the University of Houston College of Law, where he participated in clinical work, researching and drafting state and federal appeals, and petitioning for writs of habeas corpus. Prior to practicing exclusively in the area of family law, David worked at a law firm concentrating in civil appeals, were be drafted appeals to the Illinois Court of Appeals, State of Illinois Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, and...

From Speeding to Murder, we fight for our clients every day, and are known for aggressive criminal defense. Unlike many, we don't stop fighting after that. We work on getting them their driver's license back after the State has taken it, and on expunging or sealing criminal arrests and/or convictions, including obtaining pardons for our clients.