Prudenville Lawyers

Laura Breckenridge has been practicing bankruptcy law since 2003 and has helped hundreds of people in Michigan get financial help and freedom from overwhelming high interest and debt. She has focused her practice on solely bankruptcy law and has developed one of the top bankruptcy firms in the area. She maintains and excellent reputation in the community for her knowledge of the law and her professionalism. Breckenridge & Davis cares about their clients: "our goal is to make sure that our clients get personalized attention and have access to their attorney whenever they need it for any...

Over 35 years of trial experience. Former prosecutor and public defender of criminal cases. Handle divorce, custody, child support, and paternity cases in the area of family law. Also, adoption, guardianship and conservatorship cases. Represent parents and/or children in juvenile court cases. Estates and estate planning.

Joshua Reinert received his Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law on May 6, 2003. Josh also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. Josh has dedicated his professional life to bankruptcy law. He has assisted thousands of consumers in Chapter 7 & Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases in addition to assisting many small business through Chapter 7 liquidations. Josh has represented debtors, creditors and bankruptcy trustees in all aspects of bankruptcy cases. Josh has been a guest lecturer for Legal Services of Michigan, the International Credit Association (ICA), and the Northeast Michigan Bankruptcy Bar in addition to...

Zach Backlund works in our Gaylord, Michigan branch office and has handled numerous family law, estate plan, and real estate cases over the past several years in many counties in northern Michigan. He previously practiced law in the Traverse City, Michigan area, working on a variety of cases involving both transactional and litigated matters. Before becoming an attorney, Zach Backlund worked as a landman (2014-2016), taught English as a second language (2006), and also served as an AmeriCorps Corps Member (2005-2007).

Sterling Law practices in the areas of Family Law, Immigration, Estate Planning, Probate, Civil Litigation, Real Estate, and Business...

Upon Graduation from Law School in 1997, Attorney Chefalo worked in Lansing Michigan for the 30 th Judicial Circuit Court as a law clerk for the Honorable Thomas L. Brown. While there, he researched complicated legal issues and drafted proposed opinions on all civil and criminal matter that came before the court. In 1999, Attorney Chefalo moved to Traverse City Michigan to work in private practice. When asked why he picked Traverse City, Attorney Chefalo stated: “if you are going to start a law office from scratch, you might as well do it in a beautiful place.” His goal...

Jennifer Zeleznik is a devoted advocate, empathetic counselor, and experienced family law attorney who is passionate about guiding her clients through challenging transitions. A natural advocate with a strong desire to help others, Jennifer takes pride in helping people navigate the legal system and supporting them as they embark on new chapters in their lives. Originally from Burr Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Jennifer always knew she wanted to become a lawyer, a dream she pursued with unwavering dedication. She moved to Michigan to attend law school and has made it her home ever since. Jennifer earned her Bachelor’s degree from...

Jon Tomaso has years of experience as an attorney, practicing in the areas of family law and criminal law. Along with his associates at Sterling Law and ADAM (American Divorce Association for Men), the attorneys seek for their clients dignity and fairness and for all they seek social justice in a biased system. Sterling Law attorneys care for their clients by totally dedicating themselves to their cases, by giving guidance and answering questions in a timely effective way, and by being well-prepared in court. They take their clients' cases to heart and pursue their goals with the talent and...

Nathan P. Miller is a partner and co-founder of Miller Embury, PLLC. He focuses the majority of his practice on plaintiff’s personal injury litigation. He represents people who have been injured in traumatic accidents and helps them receive compensation from insurance companies. He also represents people in actions against their own insurer, suing insurance companies to get benefits for his clients, benefits that have been illegally denied. In addition to personal injury law, Nathan specializes in real estate matters, landlord tenant law, and general civil litigation. Nathan has experience handling cases from inception all the...

Brian L. Johnson was born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Michigan State University, and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. He is a member of the Benzie County Bar Association and the Probate and Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections of the State Bar of Michigan.

Brian’s areas of practice include estate planning, business formation, general business practice,...

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I graduated from Swartz Creek High School in 1982, from the University of Michigan - Flint in 1986 and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School (now Western Michigan Law School) in 1989. I have been practicing since 1989. My practice is mostly confined to the family. I do divorce, child custody and support, parenting time, paternity, child abuse and neglect, wills, estate planing, guardianship and conservatorship.

I believe most people are in my office for stressful situations. I try to relieve that stress and walk you through the court process as easy as possible.

Shaw has spent nearly 30 years as a litigation attorney. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1989 from Michigan State University. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1993 from Wayne State University School of Law and is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan and the United States District Court of the Eastern and Western District of Michigan. Shaw joined Buckfire Law Firm in September 2023 and focuses mainly on first-party auto claims, third-party auto negligence, and motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle accidents. He has tried countless personal injury trials and has extensive experience handling a wide variety...

Patrick Dougherty has been helping individuals and their families through legal challenges and the complexities of the legal system for over 24 years. Patrick is licensed to practice all issues of law in the State of Michigan. He is authorized to practice law in all State Courts in Michigan, including all State Circuit Courts; all State District Courts; the Federal Eastern District and Western District Courts; the Bankruptcy Court for the Western and Eastern Districts of Michigan; the Michigan Court of Appeals; and the Michigan Supreme Court. Patrick Dougherty is also authorized to practice law in the 6th Circuit Court...

Mas/Stig-Nielsen was founded because there is a need for high-quality, smart criminal defense in northern Michigan. We are committed to serving the needs of people accused of crimes by the government. Our firm is guided by the words of author and activist Bryan Stevenson,
each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. Regardless of what you stand accused of doing, we will help you.

Defense attorneys often sell themselves as being aggressive advocates in the courtroom, however, in our experience, that is not enough. Mas/Stig-Nielsen vehemently fights for our clients but more importantly we are prepared,...

Working in Michigan since 1979 to understand and serve my corporate and individual clients in the areas of Estates & Trusts, Elder Law, Business and Contracts, Real Estate, and General Civil Law to develop cost effective solutions and strategies.

Elizabeth graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2020. While there, she was an Executive Article Editor for the Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property, interned in the legal departments of a national trade organization and Illinois’ top children’s hospital, and worked at law firms that focused on civil litigation and transportation law. Prior to law school Elizabeth earned degrees in Biochemistry and Biology from Ferris State University, where she participated in the biochemistry research lab and was president of the school’s chapter of the American Chemical Society. After graduating, Elizabeth relocated to Traverse City and began her career as judicial assistant...

Raised in Michigan and Florida, Attorney Powers maintains her private practice of law in Petoskey, Michigan, a resort community nestled along Lake Michigan's Little Traverse Bay. However, she handles matters throughout the State of Michigan and often works with out-of-state counsel. Attorney Powers practices in the areas of real property law, appellate law, business law, estate planning and probate and trust administration, and municipal law. Ms. Powers served as City Attorney for the City of Petoskey for several years and also wrote, implemented, and coordinated the Paralegal Program for North Central Michigan College, an associate degree program,...

Shelley Kester is an award-winning attorney, a community leader, a dynamic communicator and a caring individual. She is Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Her practice includes nearly all aspects of family law, including divorce law and child custody. She was among the first in Northern Michigan to complete the Family Law Certificate Program through the Institute of Continuing Education and the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. She is President of wilson Kester, the Empowered Divorce Source. A frequent contributor to the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Ms. Kester is...

I graduated from law school in 1986 and started my law career in Los Angeles, California, where I practiced until 1993. At that time, I moved back to Traverse City, Michigan to establish Dingeman & Dancer, PLC with my lifelong friend, Dan Dingeman. Throughout my career, I have handled a diverse range of legal matters, but in recent years, I have focused my practice on serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. Having been seriously injured myself during college, I personally understand the challenges faced by those injured due to the negligence of others. I have secured numerous large settlements and...

Kevin Hirzel is the Managing Member of Hirzel Law, PLC. Hirzel Law has offices in Farmington and Traverse City and services clients throughout the State of Michigan. Mr. Hirzel focuses his practice on condominium law, homeowners association law, litigation and real estate law. He has received numerous recognitions on a local and national level for the high level of representation that he provides to clients. Mr. Hirzel is a fellow in the College of Community Association Lawyers, a prestigious designation given to less than 175 attorneys in the country. He was named a Leading Lawyer in Michigan in 2018,...

I am a graduate of the Michigan Law School, JD '83 and the U of M business school, BBA '80. Best thing I got in Ann Arbor was my bride Rachel. We married in '84 and have raised 4 now adult children together. My father was a lawyer and we moved to Boyne City in 1961 from Detroit. I am a member of the Walloon Lake Community Church and have served there as board chairman since 1998. I coached baseball, softball and basketball for many years mostly so I could hang...

Described as a true jack-of-all trades, Mike has a professional history within commercial real estate, construction, governmental utilities, and mechanical service industry. Mike has done everything from swinging a hammer, to owning small businesses, and helping to run multi-million dollar businesses. He’s not afraid of the hard work that needs to get done. Mike is a Grand Rapids native, Double major in business and finance from Grand Valley State University, and a Cum Laude graduate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He also holds a Michigan residential builders license and licensed real estate salesperson. After law school, Mike found his...

Practice Areas: Immigration Law, Social Security Disability, Family Law, Estate Planning Admissions: Michigan, 2004 U.S. District Court, Eastern District, 2005 U.S. District Court, Western District, 2005 Law School: Wayne State University, J.D., 2004 Utrecht University, The Netherlands, exchange student, 2003 College: Eastern Michigan University, B.A., cum laude, 1998 La Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, México, exchange student, 1998

Mas/Stig-Nielsen was founded because there is a need for high-quality, smart criminal defense in northern Michigan. We are committed to serving the needs of people accused of crimes by the government. Our firm is guided by the words of author and activist Bryan Stevenson,
each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. Regardless of what you stand accused of doing, we will help you.

Defense attorneys often sell themselves as being aggressive advocates in the courtroom, however, in our experience, that is not enough. Mas/Stig-Nielsen vehemently fights for our clients but more importantly we are...