John has dedicated over 30 years, to serving the needs of personal injury clients in Michigan, and across the country. Some of his resilience may have come from playing Big Ten Football for coaching legend Duffy Daugherty at Michigan State University, where he was also a Rhode Scholar Candidate. He then went on to the University of Notre Dame Law School and passed the Michigan bar exam and hung out his shingle as a Personal Injury Sole Practitioner, a first for Livingston County Michigan. He is licensed in both State and Federal Court in Michigan and is a member of the Bar in California. Mr. Schalter views Personal Injury Law as his life calling. His father experienced a massive heart attack and stroke due to carbon monoxide poisoning at his job. For 11 years John’s father, once a healthy man, sat in a wheelchair watching his family suffer and feeling constant confusion and despair. He never thought about talking to a personal injury lawyer, or realized he could even afford one. Since then, John has made it his life’s mission to help bring justice to innocent victims of reckless conduct. Consequently, Jon is constantly trying to bridge the gap between law and the people it was designed to protect. The evolution of OurAdvocate is the product of these efforts. He sees this firm as a "work in progress," constantly evolving into a "better way" of protecting his clients and serving their unique needs in Michigan, and throughout our country. He has been a long-standing member of almost all state and local bar associations. In his free time, he writes screenplays for major studios in Hollywood. Also, he and his wife Carrie have spent the last year building schools in Kenya, Africa. OurAdvocate has a network of lawyers throughout the state who we think are the “best in the business.” This gives our clients the unparalled service at no extra cost to our clients!

David Adgate earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 2013 from the University of Michigan. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in 2017 from Wayne State University Law School. He then completed a Post-Baccalaureate Medprep Program at the University of Michigan in 2019 where he served as the president of the Medprep Engage Student Organization. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan, the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. David joined the firm in January 2024 and focuses primarily on first-party automobile claims, third-party auto negligence, and motorcycle and bicycle accidents. He also handles other personal injury claims, including slip and falls, dog bites, and wrongful death lawsuits. Before joining Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., David served as an associate at a personal injury law firm in metro Detroit. He also previously worked as a fellow for the Federal Defender Office in Detroit.

Rebecca Filiatraut graduated in 1991 from Oakland University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. In 1994 she received her Juris Doctor from the Detroit College of Law. While attending law school she worked at the Public Defenders Office, representing individuals charged with misdemeanors at the 36th District Court in Detroit. After her graduation, she spent several years working for a large and nationally recognized personal injury law firm. It was here that she began her career of handling federal civil rights cases which has spanned over the course of her more than twenty years in practice. Rebecca focused on §1983 civil rights actions involving police and jail misconduct, as well as other complex matters such as trucking and medical malpractice cases. Seeking to further broaden her experience, she also practiced on the defense side for a number of years, successfully defending a multitude of cases, primarily on behalf of a number of different municipalities and police departments, as well as other businesses and insurance carriers across the State of Michigan. After gaining experience on the defense side, Rebecca returned to the work she loved, representing individuals against large corporations and insurance companies in order to help these people obtain rightful compensation for their injuries. Rebecca has extensive trial experience in both state and federal courts on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, having been involved in some very high-profile and notable jury trials during the course of her career. She is licensed to practice in the State of Michigan, as well as the United States District Courts of both the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Rebecca is an active supporter of the legal community and a member of several associations, including the State Bar of Michigan Negligence Section and the Michigan Association for Justice.