Avilla Lawyers

John is an aggressive personal injury attorney from Chicago. If you or a loved one has been hurt, visit his website to learn more about your case and to begin your free consultation.

FRANK DEVEAU serves as co-chair of Taft's Environmental Practice and represents clients in relation to all aspects of environmental law. He advises and defends clients in relation to environmental litigation involving private parties, and federal and state government. He has assisted clients in administrative proceedings, obtaining and maintaining compliance with solid and hazardous waste permits, air permits, CFO, CAFO and water discharge permits. Mr. Deveau authored The Indiana Guide to Underground Storage Tanks (Published by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce) which has been utilized by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and private practitioners throughout Indiana. He also routinely advises...

Mr. Woodward concentrates his practice on defending individuals charged with crimes in state and federal courts. He has represented criminal defendants for 24 years, both privately and as court-appointed counsel. Presently, Mr. Woodward is a panel attorney for the Federal Defender’s office representing federal defendants in such matters as drug crimes, conspiracies, felon-in-possession of a firearm, immigration violations, bank robberies, and other federal charges. He also represents private clients charged with federal charges, including white collar crimes. On the state level, Mr. Woodward represents private clients charged with all levels of felony or misdemeanor. He is also a member of...

Attorney Jessica Pasztor is a founding member of Pasztor & Coe LLC. She graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2011 with her Juris Doctorate, and then went to receive her Master of Laws degree in Taxation from the Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2012. Attorney Pasztor is licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois and Indiana, in both the state and federal courts of each jurisdiction. As a Master in Taxation Attorney Pasztor is familiar with the rules and regulations of the United States Internal Revenue Code and...

Over twelve years of immigration attorney experience in the areas of individual, family, and employment based immigration. After working in a large, high-volume law firm, I seek to provide personalized immigration assistance with a focus on customer-service.

Norman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana where he attended Crooked Creek Elementary School and Westlane Junior High. Norman and his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee when he was 12 years of age. While in Nashville Norman attended Whites Creek High School where he was inducted into the National Honor Society. Throughout his entire high school career he participated in track and field. During freshmen tryouts, he ran a 4.39 second forty yard dash and a 9.6 second one hundred yard dash when qualifying for the team. His events included the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter...

Steven graduated from the University of Utah in 2003 with degrees in Political Science and Public Relations. In 2009, he graduated from Indiana University Robert McKinney School of Law. That same year, he was admitted to the Indiana State Bar and the Southern District of Indiana Federal Court. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association, and the Indianapolis Bar Association. Steven concentrates his practice in criminal defense, including OWI Defense. Family Law where he focuses on divorce and custody cases. He also handles personal injury cases. Steven...

I have more than a few gray hairs that come from a wealth of experience. I try to find ways to resolve problems with minimal amount of cost and many times there is no cost at all. Although I am available for in person consultation many people prefer online consultations. I see bankruptcy as a last resort and try to find way to resolve debt issues with having to pursue the bankruptcy option. However, if necessary we can make it as easy as possible. I am available to handle all estate issues and consultations. We do...

I am a 1984 graduate of the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington. I have focused on criminal defense and family law for the majority of my thirty years of experience. I have handled many jury trials and filed many appeals before the Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court. I have been a speaker on multiple occasions covering topics of motions practice, speedy trial rights, evidentiary issues, and due process analysis. I have worked for the firms of McClure and Kammen, Laudig George, Rutherford & Sipes and Ice Miller obtaining experience and knowledge in...

I am a lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana. My career started in 1987 after graduating from the Indiana University School of Law. My father was also an attorney and introduced me to trial practice the first week after I was admitted to the Bar. I have done both criminal and civil trials and my practice now focuses on personal injury cases. I have been dealing with insurance companies for years fighting for my clients. This is a headache you don't want if you've been injured and are trying to heal your body. Let me do...

Highly experienced in Criminal Law. Attorney Derla R. Gross has been practicing for more than 28 years. Of those years, she was a Felony Prosecutor and Felony Trial Supervisor in the Lake county Prosecutor’s Office for over 14 years. For the last 14 years, Attorney Gross has provided representation in matters of serious criminal defense, traffic matters, license suspensions, drug offenses, family law and accident/injury law. Her years of experience have given her the insight and knowledge required in order to provide reliable and effective representation. In matters of Family Law, such as divorce, legal...

A lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana, served as a Combat Medic in the United States Army after high school. Upon returning to the states, I began to work at a property tax consulting firm in NWI, transforming it into a multi-million-dollar a year company. Opened my own property tax consulting firm in 2013 with a dedicated team, which continues to thrive. While being the C.E.O., I continued to push myself to obtain a Masters in Business in Administration from Valparaiso University and then set my sights on law school. In 2017, I graduated Cum Laude from Valparaiso School...

I HAVE BEEN A LAKE COUNTY INDIANA PUBLIC DEFENDER SINCE 1996. MY PRIVATE PRACTICE IS WITH CIPRIANO RODRIGUEZ III AND MARK CHARGUALF. I THINK THAT WE MAKE A GOOD LITIGATION TEAM!!!

Jonathan Walner is a Chicago injury attorney whose practice primarily consists of pre-litigation matters involving investigation, documenting and proving our clients personal injury, wrongful death, nursing home and medical malpractice cases.

Mr. Walner handles an extensive amount of uninsured and under-insured motorist cases. He arbitrates either in three man panels or with retired judges in many cases for alternative dispute resolution to avoid the lengthy process of litigation cutting down the time our clients wait to be compensated for their injuries.

Bar Admissions
Illinois State Bar, 1987
United states District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1987

Education
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago – Kent College of...

Thomas M. Thompson graduated from University of Notre Dame in 1990 with a B.A. in Government and International Studies. Mr. Thompson then attended law school at Indiana University-Bloomington, where he served on the editorial staff of the Indiana Law Journal and graduated with a Juris Doctorate in 1993. He represents clients in the areas of consumer bankruptcy (both chapter 7 and 13), social security disability and personal injury.

I have lived and worked my whole life in Indianapolis, and I am extremely proud to be a Hoosier. I care very deeply about my community and the people that live in it.

I have spent my entire legal career representing individuals who have been injured and families who have lost a loved one, and I purposefully chose this area of law because it affords me the opportunity and the privilege to make a real and meaningful difference in the lives of people from all walks of life. I am deeply fulfilled when I am able to help make life a...

Steele Legal Group is a general practice law firm specializing in Family Law, Personal Injury cases and Civil Litigation. Owned and operated by attorney David J. Steele, the Steele Legal Group provides professional and aggressive legal representation for every client. For just under a decade I have guided my representation of clients based on three very simple concepts where I see other attorneys fail. First, every phone call gets returned, with neither exception nor fail. Second, your file will never sit idly on my desk collecting dust. Once retained by a client, I ensure that...

I founded Hankins Law after working in the Washington, D.C. area as an attorney for a well-respected, litigation-focused law firm. While in D.C., I handled complex proceedings, which often required the interpretation of complicated business and estate planning documents. During my practice, I consistently observed a need in the legal field for accessible attorneys offering individualized counsel and real-world options to resolve legal issues. Legal problems are unique, and solutions must be tailored to each specific issue. With this in mind, I founded Hankins Law. I can assure any prospective...

My office is located in Crown Point, Indiana, and is conveniently close to the Lake County Government Center as well as the city courts located in Crown Point and Merrillville. I am concentrating my practice in the areas of criminal defense, traffic offenses, DUIs, Family Law, and Personal Injury. I will be happy to meet with you to discuss your legal matter. I am available to schedule your appointment at your convenience.

Taylor was born and raised in Southern Indiana. He is the second of five children. At the age of five tragedy struck the Ivy household when his father was severely injured in an ATV accident. Because of this traumatic experience, Taylor decided he wanted to help families impacted by injuries the way his was. Growing up on the White River, Taylor spent a lot of his childhood fishing, hunting, and helping his grandparents around the cabin. At the age of thirteen he went to work in the melon fields of Owensville, Indiana. In high school he attended the Southern Indiana Career...

I handle appeals in all federal and Indiana state appellate courts, in both civil and criminal proceedings. Besides Indiana courts, I also practice regularly in the the United States Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Eighth Circuits, and have also worked on appeals in most of the other federal circuits as well as the United States Supreme Court. Appealing a case requires different skills than preparing for a trial. On appeal, the court does not hear new evidence but looks only at the facts that were presented to the trial court. It decides the case based on the established facts...

Michael Lakes joined our Indianapolis office in July of 2024. Before that, he was employed with the Indiana Department of Child Services providing legal services to field staff to help promote compliance with Indiana law and child welfare. As soon as he graduated from law school, Michael joined a general practice firm in Martinsville, IN where he represented clients in criminal, civil, and family law. Mr. Lakes was raised in Connersville, IN. He now lives in Indianapolis with his wife, son, and daughter. EDUCATION Indiana University McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, IN Juris Doctor, 2021 Full Tuition Award Student Bar Association 1L Representative Student Bar...

Andrew J Thompson was licensed to practice in Indiana in 1990. He had previously passed the Uniform Certified Public Accounting examination in 1985, while working for KPMG Peat Marwick as a Tax Specialist. Mr. Thompson is an entrepreneur, long time estate planner, former trust officer, business owner, and experienced general practice attorney. The Thompson Law Office provides service to families and businesses with the goal of helping them achieve the best results in line with their goals. The practice is founded on a collaborative approach where the client always makes the decisions. Areas of practice...

Mr. French is a partner with the firm's Litigation Practice Group. Mr. French is a trial lawyer and certified mediator, who has represented clients in federal and state court lawsuits in many United States jurisdictions. Mr. French advises businesses and individuals of the strategies available to execute goals for resolution of disputes that require court intervention. Mr. French has represented clients in a wide variety of complex litigation matters, including class actions, intellectual property misappropriation, securities violations, commercial and business transactions, shareholder disputes, employee non-competes, real estate development disputes, and governmental enforcement proceedings.

A native of Osceola, Indiana, Andrew has focused his practice in the area of Criminal Defense at the trial, appellate and post-conviction stages since his graduation from Indiana University School of law in 1998.