Van Orin Lawyers

Jacob J. Frost practices in the areas of estate/trust administration, residential and commercial real estate purchases and sales, business organizations, governmental law, and wills and trusts. Attorney Frost has served and represented clients in the Illinois Valley area for several years. Frost earned his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, with high honors in Legal Research and Writing. He received his Associate of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Illinois Valley Community College and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was admitted to both Phi Beta Kappa...

Mr. Wilson began his legal career in 1996 practicing in Peoria County before relocating to LaSalle County in 2003. In his career, he has successfully tried numerous cases involving motor vehicle accidents, construction accidents, employment disputes, and premises liability. Additionally, he has extensive Appellate Court experience having successfully handled numerous appeals particularly in the area of workers’ compensation. In 2004, he obtained the second largest personal injury jury verdict in Marshall County history at the time. In 2017, he negotiated the largest settlement ever obtained for a workers’ compensation claim with the Chicago Public School District. ...

Mr. Arnquist is an experienced courtroom litigator who understands what it takes to win your case. Whether you need representation for an issue related to child support, a complicated divorce case, or a contested custody dispute, Mr. Arnquist will aggressively advocate on your behalf. Mr. Arnquist practices in Ogle, Lee, Whiteside, DeKalb and Stephenson Counties. Please call for a free consultation.

Sean Robertson is an experienced business law and real estate attorney with more than 14 years of experience. He graduated from DePaul University College of Law and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and he gained a strong background in taxation law during his time in law school. Sean Robertson's legal experience has been varied and has involved issues surrounding business litigation, wealth management, estate planning, divorce, and family law.

During the last recession, Sean worked to litigate a wide variety of cases involving loan disputes, business interests, creditor/debtor contracts, and post-judgment law. This background gives him the understanding needed to...

Jennifer Bunker Skerston has worked in the Illinois Valley legal community for the past seven years handling many litigation related matters including will contests, property tax appeals, breach of contract, and personal injury claims.

Jennifer Bunker Skerston is actively involved in the Illinois State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Section Council. She is the Editor of the Council’s monthly publication distributed to members throughout Illinois. She also assists the Council in providing continuing legal education to attorneys, determining the need for new legislation, and reviewing and suggesting changes to current legislative proposals affecting wills, trusts and estates....

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...

James T. Reilly has been practicing since 1979. He is an experienced trial lawyer with over fifty jury cases tried to verdict. He concentrates his practice in both civil and criminal litigation. Jury awards include medical malpractice, wrongful death, fraud prosecution and various types of personal injuries. He has defended cases in criminal courts ranging from fitness trials in murder cases to DUI’s. In addition to these, he has successfully defended persons charged with arson, aggravated battery, drug offenses and other felonies and misdemeanors.

Reilly has served as a LaSalle County Assistant Public Defender since 2000. He represents clients before the...

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...

Richard Schmack was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Berwyn, Illinois. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois in 1977 with double majors in Political Science and History. In 1980 he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Richard was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the Federal Trial Bar. Richard has made DeKalb County his home since1985. He, his wife, Jackie, who is his office manager, and...

Defending client for 26 years in State and Federal Courts. Member of National College for DUI Defense and Graduate of DUI Harvard Session. Certified Field Sobriety Expert. Certified Breath Machine Operator for Datamaster and Intoxillyzer. Advanced Blood and Urine seminar graduate. Suppression of more than 3000 lbs of contraband as Henry County Drug Trafficing Defense Attorney. Success defense of hundreds of DUI and OWI cases in Rock Island, Mercer, Henry, Whiteside, Scott, Muscatine, Johnson, and Clinton Counties in Iowa and Illinois. Successful defense in Federal Court where possession and trafficking of...

Stephany L. Impson received her law degree from the University of Illinois. In addition, she has an MBA with emphases in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University, is a certified Illinois Administrative Adjudicator, and has certification as a Family Law Mediator.

For over three decades, Stephany worked in the title insurance industry. For much of that time, she was a national underwriting counsel. In that capacity, she underwrote and closed transactions for commercial and industrial properties located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. In the four years...

Mr. White has practiced law for thirty years. He graduated from Indiana University in 1986 and received his law degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1989. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar, and admitted to practice in the Federal Court in the Northern District of Illinois, in 1989. While attending law school, he was a law clerk with the law firm of Carey, Filter, White & Boland. He became an associate of that firm upon graduating, and in 1996 became a partner.

Mr. White served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Summit Homes beginning...

Since starting practice in 2011, Attorney Cronauer has personally handled and recovered over $200,000,000 for his clients, which included a $5.3 Million and a $1 million judgments in 2017, and a$16.5 Million settlement in 2020.

Mr. Cronauer nationally ranked Top 10 Under 40 lawyer for excellence in the field of Personal Injury.

Nicholas Cronauer is a trial lawyer licensed by the State of Illinois and State of Utah and is admitted to practice in Illinois as well as Utah state and federal courts, which includes the federal trial bar. He practices law and appears in county and federal court houses throughout...

I am a general practice attorney who serves DeKalb, and Kane Counties.

Jack C. Slingerland received a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.

Jack is the city Attorney for Genoa, IL. He has served as a DeKalb County Assistant State’s Attorney, as the DeKalb County Public Defender, and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois. He served as a member of the legislative staff of the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, Michael J. Madigan.

Jack has been in private practice of law for more than 23 years, and now is the co-owner of Slingerland & Clark, P.C. He is admitted to practice in federal...

Rick Turner handles personal injury and wrongful death cases, with particular experience in trucking and motorcycle cases; as well as worker's compensation claims, throughout Northern Illinois.

Justin is a partner and chief executive officer of the firm working primarily out of our Kewanee office. Justin graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2007 and was hired on with Barash and Everett as an associate thereafter. He is a veteran of the United States navy where he served as a Sonar Technician on the Submarine, USS Nevada SSBN 733. BORN: Decatur, Illinois. ADMITTED TO BAR: 2007, Illinois. EDUCATION: Southern Illinois University (B.A., 2004); Southern Illinois University School of Law (J.D., 2007). MEMBER: American Bar Association; Illinois State Bar Association; Henry County...

Paul is an experienced civil litigation attorney. With a strong background in the insurance defense field for 30+ years, he is a knowledgeable and experienced trial and defense attorney. As well as being a litigator in trial courts, Paul has also argued cases before the Third District Appellate Court and the Supreme Court of Illinois.
He is currently a member of the LaSalle County, Illinois State Bar Assocation and the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel. Paul served on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Professional Responsibility from 2006 to 2015; and served as a special assistant Attorney General from...

David R. Freriks, JD, MLIS

Mr. Freriks is a graduate of the University of Illinois and the Chicago-Kent School of Law. He was admitted to the Illinois and Federal Bars in 1980. During law school, he clerked for the late Honorable Brian B. Duff (1930-2016), United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

In addition to his law practice, he has held administrative and management positions with the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State; Baker & McKenzie, the largest law firm in the world; the Association of Legal Administrators; the Thomson Reuters...

When you’re facing tough charges, you need a tough lawyer. Matthew Fakhoury is an aggressive criminal defense attorney who will put your needs and your rights first! As a former prosecutor, Mr. Fakhoury knows the legal system from an insider's perspective--and that helps you get the results you deserve. Mr. Fakhoury was also an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University, where he taught law courses in the undergraduate sociology department. With years of experience as a lawyer and professor, Mr. Fakhoury has tried numerous bench and jury trials for his clients with outstanding results. If you were arrested and charged...

DUI & Criminal Defense attorney with over 35 years of experience. Former law enforcement instructor for federal and state liability for unlawful use of force during arrest, search and seizure. Certified by NHSTSA to instruct DUI Field Sobriety Tests. Actively involved in writing on DUI defense issues and has attended seminars throughout the country on DUI defense and scientific lab blood testing. National Consultant on Federal Aviation Regulations related to pilot impairment and DUI.