Loda Lawyers

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.

Fred Nickl is a partner in Williams & Nickl, LLC concentrating on defending and consulting with licensed professionals before the Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, and litigation involving licensed professionals and their businesses.

Fred has 20 years’ experience in counseling, litigation, and investigation and uses that experience to defend and consult with licensed physicians, nurses, dentists, real estate and mortgage brokers, private detectives, and other licensed professionals. He has litigated numerous claims on behalf of clients in the medical and health-related fields, and alarm fields, in both state and federal courts.

He is licensed to practice throughout every court in...

Mr. Reeder fights for his clients bringing over 15 years of defending persons charged with violating the law to serve his clients. Mr. Reeder is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and has a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy. Mr. Reeder coached youth football for five years, participated in the American Pool Association, and founded a charity softball games between attorneys and the police department in Joliet which helped raise almost $3000.00 to help feed children in Will County.

Mr. Reeder served five years as an Assistant Public Defender in Will County at the felony,...

Eric J. Blatti was born in the Joliet area and has since remained closely connected with the local community. After graduating from Joliet Township High School, he received his Associate’s Degree in Arts from Joliet Junior College. He continued his education and graduated cum laude from Lewis University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Eric then attended the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, MI., where he earned his way onto the Dean’s List and was awarded his Juris Doctor in January of 2008. Eric began interning for the Will County Public Defender’s Office in April of 2007....

Dave Carlson is a seasoned attorney based in Illinois, with practice areas encompassing Personal Injury and Criminal Defense. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2001 and subsequently admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2002 and the Northern District of Indiana in 2003. Dave's educational journey reflects his deep dedication to the legal field. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1993, where he majored in Political Science and was an active member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Demonstrating a strong work ethic from the outset, Dave paid for...

Paul Ciesielski is dedicated to providing assistance to those that find themselves in need of help navigating the complicated area of personal injury law. Not everyone knows what to do following a Chicago car accident, truck crash, health care error, or other incident. Paul walks clients through the legal process step-by-step.

Paul received his B.S. from Indiana University. He earned his J.D. from the John Marshall Law School, where he gained valuable knowledge, as well as relevant experience outside of the classroom. While in school, he volunteered at JMLS Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic. The veterans he helped...

Former Will County prosecutor with over 25 years experience within the Will County court system. Past chairman of the criminal law committee of the Will County Bar Association. Capital litigation lead counsel certified by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Michael Lichner received his Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Upon graduation, Mr. Lichner joined Teach for America, dedicating the next two years of his life to teaching middle school students in inner-city Houston, Texas. While teaching in Houston, Mr. Lichner earned his Master of Education from the University of St. Thomas. After returning to Chicago to help build a family construction business, Mr. Lichner attended The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois, where he received his Juris Doctor in May of 2010. While attending law...

Marques A. Eason is an attorney serving clients on the South Side of Chicago and throughout the South Suburbs in matters involving real estate property and a range of other legal issues. His areas of concentration include residential and commercial real estate, probate, and estate planning. Eason has 10 years of legal experience, including three years as a licensed practicing attorney in the State of Illinois where he founded his own practice, The Marques Eason Law Group, in 2017. He also worked for seven years as a paralegal on cases involving real estate, contract, and family law, including with the Law...

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.

I am a highly-educated and motivated lawyer with a unique blend of legal, marketing, and technology skills.

I believe in using technology to help lawyers and clients navigate through the court system.

Free Consultation - Senior Attorney - experienced in all areas of divorce and family law.

2004 Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D.
1997 Western Illinois University, B.A.
2008 Police Sergeant Retired
1990 U.S. Army Honorable Discharge

As a police officer Gonzalo was exposed to family law issues such as domestic violence, child abuse, crisis intervention, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.

Gonzalo saw how these people needed his help and he was drawn to the practice of family law.

As a lawyer Gonzalo has dedicated himself to helping clients with divorce and family law problems ever since. These cases include litigation over custody, visitation...

Attorney Kezy is a compassionate attorney who understands the emotions involved in divorce and family law matters. Mark L. Kezy, who is no stranger to the courtroom focuses on providing straight forward, common senses solutions as an alternative to expensive, protracted litigation, while promising aggressive, uncompromising representation in Court when compromise is no longer an option.

Sherlyn ("Sherry") Smith has fought and advocated for the rights of others for more than 20 years. Prior to embarking upon her legal career, attorney Smith was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specialized in DCFS involved families and mental health issues. Observing the nexus between individual legal and family problems, she concentrated her legal practice on family law, probate/guardianship, and family-based/humanitarian immigration law. She truly cares for her clients and works to help them really move forward once their cases are finished.

Deeply rooted in her beloved Chicago, attorney Smith is the proud graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana...

Cheri Costa is an attorney serving the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago and Chicagoland since 2005. My goal is to provide you and your family with Legal Advice and Legal Representation that you may need throughout your life. I understand the difficulties life may bring and I wish to be your Personal Attorney there for you at those times, whether it is going through a Divorce, obtaining Child Support, Maintenance (Alimony) or Parenting Time with your Children, helping with debt situations using our Bankruptcy Laws, Preparing your Estate Plan with Trusts and Wills, buying or selling your home, or...

Paul D. Richter is an experienced trial attorney who has spent over 20 years practicing personal injury & wrongful death litigation. His career has been dedicated to representing those who have suffered serious, life-altering injuries caused by the negligence of others and seeking justice for the families of those victims who have lost their lives due to negligence. Paul has successfully resolved multiple personal injury & wrongful death lawsuits, including cases of nursing home abuse & neglect; medical malpractice; commercial & private aviation crashes; accidents involving semi tractor-trailer trucks, watercraft, & other motor vehicles; construction accidents, & negligently manufactured and/or...

George Schoenbeck represents clients in estate planning, estate administration, business succession planning, business general counsel matters. He enjoys assisting his clients in navigating through the various obstacles they face in their estate and business matters. George Schoenbeck received his juris doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and was conferred a Bachelors of Science in Accountancy with highest honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Schoenbeck has written articles published in the Illinois Bar Journal and various Section Council Newsletters of the Illinois State Bar Association on the topics of estate planning, estate administration, land use, zoning...

John Wonais has helped thousands of Chicagoans obtain a fresh start through filing bankruptcy while offering affordable and zealous legal representation. He previously worked at one of the largest bankruptcy law firms in Illinois where he appealed a case against the City of Chicago all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States. He believes that everyone deserves a voice and a chance to be debt free. As a smaller law firm, John prides himself on being available to his clients 24/7 – call now for a free consultation!

John L. GreenLeaf, Jr. has been in practice over 37 years representing consumers and businesses in Central Illinois. The firm concentrates in all forms of Bankruptcy, Business formation, and the preparation of Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning and administration of Probate Estates and Guardianships.

A trusted and highly experienced attorney, Joseph M. Laraia is a representative in the courts of DuPage, Kane, and Will Counties in Illinois. Mr. Laraia has been a trial attorney for more than 48 years and takes pride in serving clients in both criminal and civil cases. When Mr. Laraia first started our law firm back in 1966, attorneys had to be versatile enough to represent clients in all types of legal cases. Because of this experience, he has been successful in cases ranging from traffic violations to capital murder, as well as in family law and business litigation.
Experience Makes...

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...

Megan Lafata (Elsner) is the Founder of Lafata Law LLC. Megan received her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and went on to work as a law clerk with a DuPage County Law Firm specializing in local prosecutions, criminal defense and family law. She then was admitted to Northern Illinois University College of Law. After graduating from Northern Illinois University College of Law, Megan embarked on her legal career as an Assistant State's Attorney for DuPage County. Her hard work and ambition catapulted her from prosecutions of traffic offenses to misdemeanors including DUI, battery, domestic battery, orders of protection, theft,...

Attorney Tom Elsner, Partner at Lafata Law LLC. Tom received his undergraduate degree in business management at Arizona State University. Tom had found his calling for helping others attain what was just and right while working as a business manager. He then was admitted into law school at Northern Illinois University. While enrolled, Tom worked as a Clerk for the US District Court in Northern Illinois and as an intern with the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. Since graduating from law school, Tom went on to become an Assistant State's Attorney for DuPage County where Tom worked in the traffic, misdemeanor and...

We have had several thousand satisfied clients from throughout the Chicagoland area who we've provided top-quality legal services for over the past 35 years, since 1988, and our clients have given us a rating of 4.53 stars based on over 55 online reviews (on Avvo.com, Google and Lawyers.com).

Over twenty eight years of legal experience working with businesses on the issues they face daily during their business cycles. I act in the capacity of an outside general counsel assisting business owners to make smarter decisions, build stronger relationships and make and save money. I stress the importance of recognizing that correct legal answers alone do not necessarily translate into the correct best business decisions. I represent all types of businesses in every stage of their business cycles from start up through eventual sale. Specialties: The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialities in the...

Ann Leone is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Psychology. She then attended The John Marshall Law School and received her Juris Doctorate. She has worked in various government agencies, including the Department of Children and Family Services and The Cook County Office of The Public Guardian as a Guardian ad litem. Through these agencies, she gained invaluable experience working on various complex juvenile immigration cases and handling many domestic relations cases, including custody disputes and divorces. Additionally, she has worked with numerous non-profits, specializing in...

Axel R. Cerny grew up in the DuPage County community, attending Wheaton Academy in West Chicago. Following graduation in 2006, Axel attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications/ Journalism studies in 2010. From there, Axel returned to the area to study at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree in 2013, and after passing the bar exam was promptly hired to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office as an Assistant State’s Attorney. There he worked for two years under DuPage County State’s Attorney, Bob Berlin, prosecuting...

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...

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...

Rina Infelise is currently a partner at Rohde and Infelise, PC where she practices in all areas of Criminal law, traffic offenses, domestic violence and orders of protection. Additionally, Rina defends parties that are the subject of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigations. and abuse and neglect proceedings.

Kyle D. Sellett is a Partner at Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, where he practices matters in Divorce & Family Law. Mr. Sellett’s legal career began as a Creditor’s Rights attorney and eventually acting as a Supervisor at one of his previous law firms. During his time practicing in Collection Law, he routinely handled trials, hearings, and other contested matters. His experience in this field makes him an ideal option to handle any case where there are delinquent debts involved. Additionally, he is an experienced negotiator who has a history of settling cases with favorable terms for his clients. Mr. Sellett joined...

Inspired at a young age by family members practicing criminal defense law, John has had a lifelong passion for legal defense. John attended Indiana State University graduating Magnum Cum Laude in 2012 with a degree in criminology, criminal justice and political science. While attending Indiana State, John pursued his interest in flight by becoming a pilot. John then attended Indiana University Robert McKinney School of Law. While in law school, John was admitted to the Dean’s Tutorial Society and tutored other law students. John also participated in moot court, trial team and was awarded two scholarships for his extensive knowledge...

Shahina grew up in Skokie, Illinois and has lived in the Chicagoland area most of her life. She graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2018 with Juris Doctorate. Before coming to Driver Defense Team, she was a staff attorney for numerous judges at the Cook County Criminal Division for over two years. While in law school, Shahina clerked for one of the largest and most respected prosecutor’s offices in the United States – Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. As a 711 law clerk, she successfully litigated several bench trials and gained a wealth of experience in advocacy. She also clerked at...

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...

James Goodnow is Fennemore’s President and CEO. Nearly two decades after starting his career at our firm as a file clerk, he became the youngest known chief executive of a major law firm in U.S. history. He holds his JD from Harvard Law School and dual management certificates from MIT, where he was an enrolled MBA student before pivoting to the University of Cambridge Business School (U.K.). He earned a BS at Santa Clara University, where he graduated first in his class. James is known for his thought leadership at the intersection of law and business. He has been featured on...

Justin G. Randolph has been an attorney since 2001. He studied immigration law at DePaul University College of Law in the late 1990s, where he was taught by experts in the field. A clinical asylum course at DePaul gave him his first hands-on experience with highly sensitive and personal cases. Justin worked for boutique law firms after law school, where he handled a wide range of immigration and employment discrimination cases. He established the Law Office of Justin G. Randolph in 2004. In the Chicago area, the firm handled immigration and deportation/removal cases, as well as employment discrimination and harassment...

Andrew Hughes represents railroad workers and other tradespeople diagnosed with cancer and leukemia following exposures to toxins such as diesel exhaust, asbestos and benzene-containing products. Before starting Hughes Law Offices LLC, Andrew defended railroads and asbestos manufacturers in FELA and product liability cases. His prior defense work makes him uniquely qualified to bring railroad cancer, mesothelioma, and benzene product liability claims on behalf of his clients. In proving up his cases, Andrew consults with top experts in industrial hygiene, epidemiology and occupational medicine. These experts help establish links between exposures to herbicides, diesel exhaust, asbestos, benzene, welding...