Ottawa Lawyers

Athena Farmakis was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, graduated with a B.A. from Northwestern University, and received her law degree from DePaul University College of law. With over 25 years of litigation experience, Athena has tried 67 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials in complex and media-sensitive cases. Athena currently practices in all areas of personal injury including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, product liability, construction accidents, animal attacks, negligent security, wrongful death, nursing home abuse and medical malpractice.

As a former prosecutor, Athena dedicated much of her legal career to serving the public for over 20 years...

Chris Norem has recovered over $100 million dollars in complex personal injury and wrongful death cases resulting from transportation disasters, construction site accidents, medical negligence, dangerous property conditions and code violations, unsafe products, and many other cases.

With undergraduate training in both biology and chemistry, Christopher Norem is unafraid to rigorously cross-examine medical experts to prove the seriousness as well as the cause of a client’s injuries in any personal injury lawsuit. His legal work has helped change the policy of a national rail system and has served as a deterrent to numerous businesses and individuals who might be tempted to...

Plaintiff litigation firm concentrating in personal injury since 2009.

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...

Jeffery M. Leving is a nationally recognized and highly respected family law attorney based in Chicago, renowned for his formidable advocacy and pioneering work in divorce, child custody, and fathers’ rights. As the founder and president of the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Mr. Leving leads a dedicated team of top divorce and custody attorneys, guiding clients through significant victories in the most complex and challenging family law matters in America. Every child deserves a father—and every father deserves the strongest legal advocate dedicated to their case. Call 312-356-DADS (312-356-3237) or visit DadsRights.com to schedule a confidential consultation today.

Clarissa Rietveld was born in Iowa and raised in Rushville, Indiana. She received her Associate’s Degree in Nursing in 2009 and worked as a registered nurse in operating rooms across the Midwest and on the East Coast. While working as a nurse, Ms. Rietveld had a patient whose medical history documented that he did not have regular access to food and was starving. Ms. Rietveld spent the afternoon working with hospital social services to arrange for her patient to gain access to regular meals and was shocked to learn that he didn’t qualify for any of the available programs. She...

Nancy Shepard has spent almost her entire legal career protecting the rights of injured workers before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. She has won won numerous appeals at the Commission, Circuit Courts and the Illinois Appellate Courts and prides herself on providing expert guidance for her clients. Nancy works tirelessly to fight for maximum compensation for her clients.

Katherine Levine graduated from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago and was admitted into the Illinois Bar in 2008. Prior to becoming an attorney, she served four years active duty as a United States Marine and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 2001. After law school, Katherine worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney until August 2015 where she successfully tried hundreds of misdemeanor and felony criminal cases. Today, she is in private practice defending individuals accused of serious state and federal crimes. Her experience as a prosecutor provides her insight into the strategies and...

Joerika Stitt, Esq. is a dedicated and compassionate legal professional with a unique blend of expertise as a licensed attorney, social worker, and certified mediator. With a career rooted in advocacy and support, Joerika offers clients customized and collaborative solutions to amicably resolve divorce and family disputes. Starting off as a legal aid lawyer, Joerika represented survivors of domestic violence in divorce, family, and order of protection cases. This foundational experience shaped a deep commitment to providing empathetic and effective legal assistance. In private practice, Joerika continues to champion the needs of individuals and families, focusing on mediation and collaborative...

I have been a practicing attorney since 1973. I used to handle a wide variety of legal matters for individuals and families. At present, my practice is concentrated in consumer bankruptcy. In addition to our main office in Chicago, we also have offices in Skokie, Schaumburg, Naperville, Joliet and Gurnee, Illinois. I am married with one son who is married, living in California, and who is a practicing attorney working for the State of California. I am a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Bankruptcy Committee of the Chicago Bar Association....

TiShaunda McPherson is a seasoned employment and education attorney, with over 20 years of experience addressing institutional, regional and systemic discriminatory practices, with specialized expertise in Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, the ADA and Section 504. A dedicated advocate for individuals facing or impacted by civil rights violations, TiShaunda is renowned for her ability to achieve successful results for her clients and providing visionary leadership in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. TiShaunda has had an extraordinary professional career allowing her to bring unique and transformative insight into each case with compassion. Beginning as an associate...

James Oberholtzer has provided legal services to clients for over 35 years. He has provided legal representation to: Families. Estate planning, family wealth planning, wills and trusts, taxation of wills and trusts, guardianship and conservatorships, creation and administration of trusts, and probate of estates. Entrepreneurs. Closely held companies, family partnerships and individual entrepreneurs in formation and finance of enterprises, acquisitions and joint ventures, strategic planning and executive compensation, entity governance, integration of tax, legal and business objectives, protection of intellectual property and selection and supervision of local counsel. Senior Housing. Senior housing owners and operators...

My interest in the law began before attending law school. After attending college at the University of Illinois at Chicago (1996), Christopher worked one of the largest insurance companies in Illinois as an injury claims adjustor and later, a senior claims adjustor. After graduating from John Marshall Law School (2002), he worked as an insurance defense and divorce trial attorney. Since the start of his career as an attorney advocate, my practice focuses on divorce and other litigation matters including an active trial practice. My office handles matters in Cook County, Lake County, Will County, DuPage County...

Jason Wapiennik was in the field of Customs law even prior to his graduation from Ave Maria School of Law in 2008. From January 2007 until September 2009, he clerked for Edmund Maciorowski, P.C., a customs law firm and since leaving there, has been in private practice at Great Lakes Customs Law. Before attending law school, Jason began his undergraduate education at Purdue University and later transferred to Loyola University Chicago. At Loyola, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science graduating magna cum laude, and with departmental honors in political science. He is a member of Alpha Sigma...

I graduated from the University of Kentucky as a philosophy and political science double-major. I then worked in the financial services department of a Fortune 500 company for two years prior to attending The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. After obtaining my Juris Doctor, I worked as an associate attorney at a general civil litigation firm with a focus on personal injury and insurance law. There I settled countless cases for my clients, both individual and corporate. As a litigator, I obtained favorable outcomes through mediation, arbitration hearings, and bench and jury trials. Building on that experience, in 2014...

Timothy Richardson has been exposed to the law for virtually his entire life. His uncle served as a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, and his aunt served as a federal administrative judge for the Northern District of Illinois. He has followed in their footsteps with same determination and commitment to professional excellence, integrity, and respect among his peers in the legal community. In 2002, at only 34 years old, Tim received the distinguished honor from the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, being chosen as one of the "40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 To Watch." He has had verdicts...

I have nine years of experience as an Immigration Attorney. Additionally, I have a very strong knowledge of employment law and the connection between immigration and Federal and State employment regulations. While I have not counted exactly how many immigration cases I have handled, reviewed, consulted with or been associated with, I estimate that the number is easily in the thousands. Based on this experience there is rarely a situation that I have not seen before. I am AV rated perfect “5.0”, Avvo rated “Superb”, Avvo Client choice awards 2011, 2012, 2013, “Rising Star” Orlando Style Magazine, Lead Counsel Rated...

Noelle C. Cislo is a licensed attorney concentrating in the areas of divorce, post-decree issues, probate and estate planning. Noelle graduated from DePaul University in 2011 where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, Cum Laude, in Political Science. While at DePaul, Noelle made the Dean’s List and was a recipient of the DePaul Scholars Award for her strong academic achievements. Noelle received her Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude, from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2014. During law school, Noelle served as a Notes and Comments Editor on the school’s Law Review and wrote an article regarding grandparent visitation rights....

I represent clients in lawsuits in Illinois and courts around the country. My clients include whistleblowers, employees with pay and discrimiantion claims, students who face challenges at school, LGBTQ individuals fighting discrimination, individuals with significant personal injury claims, and complex business disputes. I bring substantial individual lawsuits and class action cases to fight discrimination in housing and healthcare, to stop racial bias in property tax asesssments, to end sexist employment tests by local governments, to protect the rights of individuals who live in nurising facilites, and to fight fraud. I also handle appeals in state and federal courts that include multiple successful...

I am an immigration attorney that practices exclusively U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law. As an Associate Immigration Attorney, I handle a variety of immigration matters from Waivers for Undocumented Immigrants, VAWA/other Humanitarian Relief Petitions to Employment based Petitions. We have an extremely high approve rate due to our focus on building personalized and approvable immigration strategies for our clients' unique situation.

Earning his B.A. from St. Xavier College and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School, Thomas M. Power brings extensive knowledge and experience as a partner at Power Rogers & Smith. Amidst the many large sum settlements and verdicts, he recovered the largest knee injury verdict in the history of Indiana. Outside of the courtroom, Mr. Smith serves as an adjunct professor at DePaul College of Law.

Carolyn Daley Scott joined Power Rogers & Smith as an associate in 2006. Obtaining a B.A. from Georgetown and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, Ms. Scott practices litigation in medical malpractice, automobile negligence, bicycle collision, premises liability, product liability, and defamation cases. She harnesses her knowledge and experience to secure justice for victims, and has won multiple large sum verdicts and settlements.

Jim Kane is a seasoned tax professional with more than 30 years of experience working with large and mid-sized companies on tax and incentive matters throughout the United States. Throughout his career, Jim has worked collaboratively with his clients to help them achieve significant financial benefits. Early in his career, Kane benefited from a long career with Arthur Andersen, gaining great training and experience, and developing a strong focus on developing and implementing processes to ensure service delivery quality and consistency. After launching Andersen’s Chicago property tax practice, Kane was instrumental in developing standards and processes for Andersen’s...

Kenneth A. Hoffman is an attorney and founding partner of the Chicago law firm of Mitchell, Hoffman & Wolf, LLC specializing in personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death litigation. A 1991 graduate of Washington University School of Law, Mr. Hoffman is the former Chairman of the Chicago Bar Association Tort Litigation Committee and in 2003 was named one of the top 40 attorneys under 40 in Illinois. He previously served on the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Advocates and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association and...

Ms. Kaplan graduated from Boston University in 1996 having received her bachelors degree in political science, and attended the John Marshall Law School.

Ms. Kaplan graduated from law school with a 3.5 GPA and after passing the bar in 2001, began practicing law with her father, Melvin J. Kaplan, renown bankruptcy lawyer for over 58 years and author of two books including, Chapter 13 How To Get Your Creditors Off Your Back Without Losing Your Shirt.

Ms. Kaplan has helped thousands of Chicago families save their homes, cars, and get a fresh start for over 15 years.

Ms. Kaplan is a member of...

Jason Spangehl is the Principal Attorney at the Law Office of Jason Spangehl in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. For nine years this practice has exclusively addressed immigration law in one of the fastest growing immigrant academic communities in the United States.

Jason brings nineteen years of experience in education at every level from elementary through post-secondary to his practice, including broad experience as an instructor at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, as a college administrator. He also works as executive consultant to senior administrators and governing boards at Universities across the country through his separate consulting practice, Spangehl Higher Education Associates.

The Law...

Donna J. Pugh is a zoning and land use attorney in the Chicago office of Foley & Lardner LLP where she focuses her practice on obtaining governmental approvals related to land use and zoning on behalf of her retail, health care and corporate clients. With her approach of bridging the gap between client, civic and municipal needs, Ms. Pugh has an exceptionally high success rate of securing necessary entitlements for land development projects in the Chicago area. Ms. Pugh served as 2009-2010 Chair of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Section of State and Local Government Law. A consensus builder, Ms. Pugh works...

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...

Marcia worked with the Federal Communications Commission as an attorney in the Mass Media Bureau and as Branch Manager in the Common Carrier Bureau from 1982 through 1987, and at MCI Telecommunications as a senior attorney from 1987 through 1994. Thereafter, she worked as a consultant until joining Kaplan & Greenswag LLC in January 2007.

Marcia is admitted to practice in Illinois and the District of Columbia and is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. Marcia also serves on the Northbrook Plan Commission.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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.

-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;

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...