Hometown Lawyers

Licensed in South Carolina, Georgia and Illinois. Primary office located in Charleston, South Carolina. Practice areas include Business and Corporate Law. We offer a range of business legal services to business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals of most all industries.

Ken Levinson is the founding partner of the Chicago-based law firm Levinson and Stefani. For more than 20 years, Ken has represented disenfranchised clients against corporate giants and has been recognized by Leading Lawyers and Super Lawyers magazines as one of the top attorneys in Illinois, including the Super Lawyers Top 100 in 2012, 2016. He is the co-author of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, a two-volume reference series designed to help attorneys build strong cases for their clients by highlighting real-life case studies related to Major Auto Injury and Death. The book is published by AAJ Press/Thomson...

My practice is almost exclusively representing people who have been harmed by government misconduct, primarily from law enforcement and school officials.

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 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....

Gus Kostopoulos is a former prosecutor with over 18 years experience successfully handling criminal defense matters.

Rob L. Kohen joined Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. in 2014 and was promoted to Partner in 2023. He focuses his practice in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, car accidents, truck accidents, bicycle accidents, construction negligence, and medical malpractice. Mr. Kohen has obtained a number of noteworthy verdicts and settlements in his time with the firm. In 2021, Mr. Kohen was part of a trial team that obtained a $21.05 million jury verdict on behalf of a woman who suffered a thoracic spine injury in a Maywood, Ill. car crash. In 2020, Mr. Kohen obtained a $20.5 million settlement...

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...

J. Richard Kulerski is a partner in the Oak Brook (and downtown Chicago) divorce law firm of Kulerski and Cornelison. Richard has over four decades of trial experience in the divorce courts of Cook and DuPage counties, IL. and is a Harvard trained mediator and settlement negotiator. Richard and his partner, Kari Cornelison, are staunch advocates of the settlement approach to divorce and both are active in divorce mediation, collaborative divorce law and in the rapidly growing cooperative divorce movement.

I am an Associate at Richards Patent Law where my primary areas of practice are Patent Prosecution and IP Strategy. I am admitted to practice in Illinois as well as a registered Patent Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Prior to joining RPL, I earned my J.D. from DePaul University while also clerking at the Global IP Law Group, a patent litigation firm where I worked on numerous patent monetization projects. Additionally, during my time at DePaul, I was named a National Semi-Finalist at the National IP LawMeet, awarded both the Benjamin Hooks Distinguished Public Service Award...

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...

Attorney Faraj is experienced in criminal defense, military law, personal injury, and business litigation. He is recognized nationally as a trial attorney, who has represented clients before state, military and federal courts. Mr. Faraj first began defending Armed Forces members in the United States Marine Corps. Since then he has began a private practice that focuses on defending service-members as a civilian attorney. If you need assistance with a legal matter, Attorney Faraj is diligent, decorated, and devoted to his clients.

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...

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...

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...

Attorney Scott D. Lane is a managing partner of the reputable Chicago personal injury law firm, Lane & Lane, LLC. This boutique family-managed law firm specializes in medical and professional negligence, advocating for survivors of sexual abuse, promises and product liability, motor vehicle accidents, and other related practice areas that involve catastrophic injury and wrongful death. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude; from Southern Methodist University, Mr. Lane earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1988. In 2002, Attorney Lane was selected as a 40 Under 40 Attorney to Watch in Illinois....

Attorney James J. Morici, Jr. is a trusted Chicago personal injury attorney who has gained a reputation for excellence since he started practicing law in 1979. His areas of focus include, but are not limited to, premises liability, product liability, and construction site negligence. Attorney Morici is sincerely dedicated to helping his clients obtain the compensation they are entitled to, no matter the challenges or difficulties standing in their way. Not only is he passionate about relentlessly pursuing justice on his clients’ behalf, he is endlessly devoted to exploring all possible strategies and solutions to any concerns his clients are...

Nathan Hakimi grew up in Skokie, Illinois, influenced by his attorney grandfather and psychologist parents, leading him to pursue a career in law. After earning his J.D. from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2017, he practiced at prominent firms like Sax Law LLC and HeplerBroom LLC, specializing in medical malpractice defense. He later worked at JPMorgan, handling complex corporate financing. In 2022, he founded a solo legal practice that eventually merged into the partnership of Kulek, Hakimi, & Katz in 2024. Nathan is known for his strategic and tactical approach in commercial litigation, business transactions, and negotiation. He is respected...

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 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...

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.

Unique to Ms. Taraska’s chosen career in personal injury law, she was the victim of a propane gas explosion, in which a commercial building collapsed on her, her mother, brother and a close family friend. The explosion left Taraska with extensive second and third degree burns early in her life. She was hospitalized for 3 months, during which she underwent skin grafting of her arms, legs, hands, and chest. Incredibly, a year prior to the explosion, Ms. Taraska’s father and a reconstructive surgeon opened the only downstate burn unit in Peoria where she was successfully treated despite the severity of...

For more than 25 years, Marty Preiser has strived to protect working people who have been seriously injured by the negligence of others.

Mr. Preiser’s practice areas include injuries received from car, truck, train and motorcycle accidents, defective products, medical negligence, construction accidents, animal bites, slip and falls, defective premises, nursing home neglect, work-related accidents and injuries resulting in wrongful death. Mr. Preiser also represents people in complex litigation matters.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Preiser has successfully settled or tried many complex injury cases recovering millions of dollars in compensation for his clients.

Mr. Preiser began his career as a...

Dedicated to the needs of all of his friends and clients, Joseph is willing to lend his assistance on any law related matter. Joseph relishes the opportunity to work with and learn from the other talented lawyers at Goldberg & Goldberg. Joseph appreciates the firm’s devotion to their clients, their comprehensive commitment to preparation, and their unrelenting fearlessness in the courtroom.

Mr. Munninghoff graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2011 after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame in 2007. While at Chicago-Kent, Mark was repeatedly named to the Dean’s Honor List. In addition, Mark was a member of Chicago-Kent’s Moot Court Competition Team and competed in several Moot Court competitions. In addition, Mark received multiple CALI Excellence for the Future Awards.

Since being admitted to practice law in Illinois, Mark has practiced in many areas of personal injury litigation including medical malpractice, premises liability and automobile and trucking negligence cases. Mark has successfully represented injured...

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...

I am a proactive and results-driven attorney at Bellas & Wachowski, where I represent businesses and consumers in a variety of legal matters. My background in civil litigation is extensive, and I am committed to delivering favorable outcomes through innovative legal strategies that protect my clients' interests and foster their success. My practice covers medical negligence defense, personal injury defense, and professional liability defense, providing me with a comprehensive view of complex legal challenges. I am also adept at offering compliance counsel and representing clients in regulatory hearings. My sharp negotiation skills and meticulous preparation position me as a formidable ally...

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...

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...

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....

Joshua E. Stern, Esq. is the managing partner of Stern Mendez. As a dedicated family law practitioner, his goal is to help families through difficult transitions and act as a source of stability throughout the legal process. Whether you are preparing to marry or are leaving your marriage behind, Joshua provides the legal expertise you need while lending an empathetic ear and remaining sensitive to the individual needs of each and every one of his clients. Because every matter is unique, Joshua takes the time to listen to what his clients want and outline their options, so they know what to...

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...

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...

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...

At Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, Loren handles personal injury and wrongful death cases arising out of medical malpractice, product defects, trucking and motor vehicle collisions, and dangerous construction and premises conditions.

Prior to joining Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, Loren worked as a trial attorney at another Chicago personal injury firm, where he was part of trial teams that obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients wrongfully killed or injured, including a $5.97 million record verdict in DeKalb County for an injured worker who fell 30 feet from a bucket truck after the support arm of a boom lift...