I began my practice over 11 years ago with the determination to make things better for my clients and my community. That continues to be the focus of my practice, and I look forward to many years of future service to my neighbors and friends. I grew up in Libertyville, graduating from Copeland Manor, Highland Jr. High, and eventually Libertyville High School in 1997. I attended college at Miami University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business, Majoring in Marketing. During college, I was president and judicial board chairman of my college fraternity, and was involved with Associated Student Government, various volunteer, and civic groups, and volunteered as a tutor. I attended law school at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where I was active in Student Court, Moot Court Honor Board, the Tenant Information Project, the Human Rights Quarterly, and was a member of the Dean’s list. During this time I also volunteered as a youth mentor for the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, taught a High School class curriculum in civics called StreetLaw, and worked part-time for Kaplan tutoring and preparing students for the Law School Admissions Test. I continue to be actively involved in the community. Currently, I sit on the Board of Directors of the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County, a non-profit tasked with improving housing options throughout Lake County. I am also currently exploring the formation of a non-profit to rehabilitate abandoned, nuisance homes to stabilize housing values and rid neighborhoods of dangerous and often unsanitary hazards. I am regularly appointed by judges to serve as guardian ad litem in guardianship matters. I currently live in Mundelein with my wife, Dr. Amanda R. Johnston, DVM (veterinarian), our son Merritt, and our dog and cat. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, keeping aquariums, bicycling, hiking, canoeing, golf, coaching youth lacrosse, and rooting for the Chicago Cubs. Effective, knowledgeable, and ethical criminal defense. Call for a free consultation. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. A homeowners association recently tried to enforce long-dormant deed restrictions (ignored for 30 years against) my client, in a discriminatory manner. The association followed none of its own rules, and was ostensibly re-formed solely to discriminate against my client by forcing the costly removal of valuable improvements on his land. A neighbor filed suit, arguing the dormant deed restrictions against my client, who is a person of color and substantially younger than others in the neighborhood, while ignoring blatant violations on their own property and at nearly every other property in the neighborhood. At the close of discovery, we successfully moved the court for summary judgment on the grounds that there was no way the suing neighbor could possibly prevail. My client’s property rights were maintained and the discriminatory action was thwarted. How did you build a successful practice? Mutual respect. I am proud of the fact that my firm offers free initial case consultations. This stems from a recognition that, while my time is valuable, so it the time of my clients. I strongly believe that initial case consultations, even if valuable to clients, should be free, because I do not believe it is fair to charge for time spent evaluating whether my firm can help a certain client, and in developing the plan of action. Once we come up with a plan of action, we communicate that proposed scope of work to the client so they can accept or reject our proposal for representation. Only after a client has agreed to hire us, based on the agreed plan, are legal fees assessed. This approach, based on mutual respect, has been crucial to our firm’s success. What should clients look for in a lawyer? It’s a personal relationship as well as a professional one. Clients must be comfortable with their attorney on both these levels. Clients should be sure that they can communicate well with their attorney. A knowledgeable professional in any field should be able to explain even the most difficult contexts in terms a layperson can readily understand. If you cannot understand your attorney, its probably not a good fit. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? The saying goes “A good attorney knows the law, a great attorney knows the judge.” This is true because the practice of the law is not only theoretical, but also practical and pragmatic. An experienced local attorney will typically know the courts, judges, clerks and local procedures better than an attorney who does not practice in the county on a regular basis. Thus, clients represented by local attorneys will reap numerous advantages in the course of a case. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Typically, after learning enough about the case for a proper evaluation, I explain how the law works in the area, how I expect the law will be applied to their situation, and how my firm can potentially be of service to the person (and how we would charge for our services). Often, in order to properly conduct an initial consultation, I will need to review relevant paperwork, but with smart phones, scanners and teleconference software, it is increasingly easy to share documents electronically. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? Every case is different, but in general, I will need to know the parties involved in a case (so that I can make sure there is no conflict of interest), I will need to know the location of the case, and often it is very helpful to review relevant documents. Every case is different, and many of the documents I would need to review may be available online (like court records), so a potential client should not be dissuaded from calling to schedule a free consultation. If we need more information, we will let you know. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I do my best to build a strong professional network both within and outside of the legal community. If a potential client comes to my firm and, for whatever reason(s), the case is not a good fit for my firm, we do our best to match the client with the right attorney. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Helping people. This is how attorneys help ensure equal justice under law. That’s why good attorneys enter the practice. What are your other interests in addition to law? My hobbies include: canoeing, hiking, bicycling, golf, fishing, disc golf, and keeping aquariums. Causes that I support include Affordable and Just Housing, Medical Research, and community efforts to foster local, small businesses. Are you involved in your community? Yes, I am active in my local and state bar associations, the GLMV, and business networking groups. I am regularly appointed by judges in Lake County to serve as a Guardian ad Litem. I serve on the Lake County Chamber of Commerce as a Board Member. Additionally, I serve as President of the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County (AHC), which works closely with Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) to serve the joint mission of fostering safe, affordable housing in our area.

Michael V. Favia is a well respected and connected health law, litigation and licensing attorney with experience from a variety of perspectives. Michael V Favia & Associates represents individuals, licensed professionals, large and small corporations, professional groups, and organizations throughout the State of Illinois. His highly skilled team of affiliated attorneys have over a century of legal expertise in all areas of law. The Law Offices of Michael V Favia and Associates emphasizes Personal Injury cases and has over fifty years of specialized experience in this area. Other practice areas include Personal Injury, Real Estate Law, Estate Planning, State Licensure Matters, all levels of Corporate Law, Medical Malpractice and any other legal needs you may have. Michael V Favia is the last attorney you’ll ever need to find. As the former Chief Attorney for the Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulations, Michael V Favia also represents all types of medical providers and health professionals in licensure matters, investigations and contested hearings before the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, Illinois Department of Public Aid, Illinois Department of Public Health, and at Hospital and Professional Society Disciplinary Proceedings. Practice also includes General Civil Litigation, Managed Care Consultations, Contract Review, and Personal Negligence Matters.

I received my Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work degrees from Loyola University Chicago with a certificate in child law and a concentration in non-profit program management and development. There, I also received a public interest recognition award and a leadership and service award. Before forming Hunsinger Law Group, LLC, I worked with multiple disenfranchised populations in various parts of the world. For example, I worked with refugees in southern Mexico at the United Nations, conducted field research about child domestic servitude in Tanzania, and assisted with representing high-risk youth in South Africa at the University of Pretoria's Child Law Centre. In fact, a case wherein I drafted a brief about triple jeopardy for students, received a favorable opinion from the Constitutional Court of South Africa (USA's Supreme Court equivalent). In the United States, I also gained valuable experience at Loyola University's Civitas ChildLaw Center and Northwestern's Bluhm Legal Clinic's Child and Family Justice Center as a student attorney appointed by the court to represent children in custody disputes and protection proceedings. Within that capacity, I conducted home visits investigating the child's safety within the environment. I also met with incarcerated youth and adult clients, writing reports for the legal team about the clients' well-being and institutional adjustment. In addition, I represented juveniles, parolee candidates, and people with disabilities in hearings. My past non-profit experiences include helping one non-profit program increase revenue by 25% in 6-months, drafting mission statements, creating and implementing a mental health screening process for a volunteer program, writing a training component for behavioral health practitioners, specifically a curriculum about military sexual assault, organizing summits that connect service providers to families who lost loved ones, analyzing legislation pertaining to a non-profit's interests and writing fact sheets and briefs to inform staff.

Darren VanPuymbrouck is a trial lawyer with an active nationwide trial practice. As first-chair, he has successfully tried dozens of high-profile, bet-the-company cases involving myriad issues before juries in state and federal courts around the country. Most of his cases involve complex engineering, science, medical, and financial issues and he has successfully deposed and cross-examined thousands of expert witnesses. Recently, he successfully completed a month-long jury trial as first-chair in Ocean County, New Jersey involving construction defect and professional liability issues resulting in one of the largest verdicts in that county. In the fall of 2014, he successfully tried a high-profile product-liability case that resulted in a $22 Million jury verdict, among the top 100 verdicts nationally. Mr. VanPuymbrouck recently won the dismissal of a RICO class action in the Northern District of Illinois that has been the subject of national press coverage. Mr. VanPuymbrouck has also successfully briefed and argued appeals in state and federal courts around the country, including in the Missouri Supreme Court and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. VanPuymbrouck has litigated and tried cases for well-known companies in the consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical supply, financial services, construction, professional services, electronics, food, gas and electric public utilities, chemical, and many other industries. In addition to trials, those cases have included the defense of nationwide class actions, including MDL proceedings, national litigation strategy, and the trial of bell weather case, arbitrations, and mediations. Utilizing his trial experience, Mr. VanPuymbrouck also advises and conducts investigations for domestic and international clients on risk avoidance, regulatory compliance, and litigation strategy. Mr. VanPuymbrouck is also an internationally recognized leader in the investigation and litigation of catastrophic fire and explosion matters about which he is a frequent nation-wide speaker. He also conducts emergency response exercises for clients in the petroleum, natural gas, electric generation and transmission, and transportation industries. He has specialized expertise in the defense of claims involving lithium-ion and polymer batteries.

Thomas was born and raised in Cherry Valley, Illinois. He attended Western Illinois University where he received his Bachelor’s in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration. Thomas went on to attend law school at Southern Illinois University School of Law where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. During law school, Thomas was on the Board of Editors for the Journal of Legal Medicine and the President of the Healthcare Transactions Team. After graduating law school, Thomas began his legal career as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office. Thomas joined the firm in 2017. He is currently a member of the Winnebago County Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Nicolas Nelson is a client-focused lawyer and the founder of NN Legal Group. Recognized as a knowledgeable attorney, Mr. Nelson concentrates his practice family law, business law, estate planning, real estate, and civil litigation. Understanding that the legal system can be complex and overwhelming, Attorney Nelson works with his clients in order to achieve legal success. Representing clients inside and outside of the courtroom, Attorney Nelson is passionate about protecting the rights of the individuals, families, and businesses that he works with. Located in Glen Ellyn, IL, Attorney Nelson and his team offer a free consultation. To learn more, visit his website, or call 630-474-0925. Hablamos Español.

Attorney George Schoenbeck represents clients in estate planning, estate administration, business succession planning, business general counsel matters and commercial transactions. He enjoys assisting his clients in navigating through the various obstacles they face in their estate and business matters. Mr. Schoenbeck received his Juris Doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and was conferred a Bachelors of Science in Accountancy with highest honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. To schedule an appointment, contact an Orland Park estate attorney by calling 708-448-8141.

T. Phillip Boggess is the principle in his law firm, the Law Office of T. Phillip Boggess. The focus of the law firm and of his practice is to help clients understand their situation and to make solid plans to help navigate any future potential pitfalls while pursuing their goals for themselves, their businesses, and their families. With over 20 years representing clients, Mr. Boggess has helped both individuals and businesses from their small beginnings through their growth, accomplishments, stumbles in the road, reaching their goals, exit strategies, and passing on their legacy to the next generation. Mr. Boggess has represented: individuals looking to have strategies available for their personal lives and making sure everything was in order for the uncertainties of life ... business owners who want to be sure his or her business was formed properly, and whether he or she was taking the proper steps to continue the success by following proper procedures and also attracting, rewarding, and retaining key employees ... business owners who were looking to transition out of the business ... athletes and entertainers who were looking to capitalize on their moment along all available avenues ... and other individuals who wanted to make sure they understood the options and opportunities available.

Michael F. Bonaguro graduated from Marquette University with a BS in Business Administration with a specialty in Finance. He worked at American National Bank as a credit analyst while attending the John Marshall Law School. While attending law school, Mr. Bonaguro also worked as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Monica Reynolds in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Upon graduation, Mr. Bonaguro worked for the law firm of Fraterrigo, Best & Beranek. While with the firm, Mr. Bonaguro participated in a variety of cases including excessive force, personal injury, and liability claims. Mr. Bonaguro went on to work as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the criminal division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. As an assistant, Mr. Bonaguro wrote over 50 appellate court briefs and argued many before the Appellate Court of Cook County. Mr. Bonaguro prosecuted over 60 criminal trials that included bench and jury trials. Before joining Leinenweber Baroni & Daffada LLC, Mr. Bonaguro began a law practice focusing on civil litigation, real estate, probate, divorce, and criminal matters. Additionally, he sat on the Business Conduct Committee at the CME/CBOT for 4 years. As a panelist, Bonaguro presided over many cases involving CME and CBOT rule violations. His role included making dispositions on complex trading cases that involved CME, CBOT, and CFTC rule violations. These decisions were made at various procedural levels including evidentiary hearings, settlement agreements, and probable cause hearings. Mr. Bonaguro maintains a strong dedication to assisting clients in the futures and commodities industry through regulatory and compliance practice. Throughout his practice of law, Mr. Bonaguro has been active in litigation before State and Federal Courts and is a member of the Federal Trial Bar and the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Mr. Bonaguro has successfully litigated in these courts and devotes his practice to empowering his clients.

Mr. Gibson is one of the premier business and intellectual property attorneys practicing in Las Vegas. Not only is Mr. Gibson one of the most experienced attorneys in Nevada practicing in intellectual property and business areas, Mr. Gibson’s practice in Tokyo with one of the nation’s largest law firms as well as in Chicago with a major, international Chicago-based law firm provides a level of experience very few, if any, attorneys in Las Vegas can claim is comparable. Indeed, Mr. Gibson’s experience as an attorney spans nearly twenty-five years and is international in scope. Ranging from years of in-country practice experience in Japan to years of practice in his hometown of Chicago, Mr. Gibson’s experience is hardly only Nevada-based. That having been said, Mr. Gibson’s experience spanning well over a decade as an attorney in Las Vegas has made him well aware of the unique issues faced by companies doing business in or with respect to Nevada. Mr. Gibson focuses his practice in the areas of intellectual property and representation of business clients with respect to contracts, entity formation and commercial litigation. With respect to intellectual property, Mr. Gibson has counseled clients with respect to thousands of trademarks and service marks, has prosecuted hundreds of trademarks to registration and has engaged in numerous trademark litigation cases. Mr. Gibson also drafted hundreds of contracts involving intellectual property assets, protecting the full range of such assets, such as patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and other intangible assets. Mr. Gibson has also been, and continues to be, the primary attorney in a range of cases involving disputes regarding patent infringement, trademark infringement, copyright infringement, trade secret infringement and the misappropriation of other intangible assets. Mr. Gibson’s representation has included some of Nevada’s largest companies and through the years, his representation has included some of the world’s largest companies. Indeed, Mr. Gibson feels very fortunate to have maintained representation relationships with large media companies, large gaming/casino companies, large software development companies and a range of companies in a wide array of industries. Mr. Gibson’s client relationships range across the country and around the world.