Consumer Rights

Roger Merrill is a practicing attorney in the state of Texas. He graduated from the University of Houston with his J.D. in 1991. He currently works at his privately owned firm of The Law Offices of Merrill and Associates specializing in Personal Injury.

Bill Abbott leads his team of aggressive workers’ compensation lawyers at Abbott & Associates. Although he has handled many different kinds of cases (including personal injury, employment law, maritime offshore injury cases, longshore claims, and more) Bill focuses his firm and practice primarily on representing injured Texas workers. Bill Abbott was raised for most of his life in the Houston, Texas area. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin before attending law school at Texas Tech University. Since 1998 Bill has been licensed to practice in all Texas courts. In 1999, Bill joined the established Ogletree Law Firm, where after becoming a partner, helped grow the firm’s workers’ compensation practice into the largest claimants’ representation firm in the whole state. Bill is the proud husband of Sally Abbott, and father of two sons, Cory and Drew Abbott. He is an active supporter and participant of many youth programs, and stays busy throughout the year overseeing the day-to-day operations of his law firm.

Established in 1972, our knowledgeable legal team can advise you on your rights and options for negotiating a viable solution to your credit woes. We're not afraid to stand up for our clients.

James J. Ruane is a practicing lawyer in the state of Connecticut.

Leonard H. Stone is a co-founder of Shook & Stone and has been a trial attorney for more than 26 years. As a founding partner, Leonard has played a significant role in establishing the firm as a highly regarded plaintiffs' law firm committed to individual rights. Leonard's practice focuses on personal injury litigation as well as all forms of Disability Law. He has represented adults and children injured or killed by killed as a result of defectively designed and manufactured products, as well as victims of malpractice, premises defects, motor vehicle negligence, and industrial accidents. As a trial lawyer and negotiator, Leonard has recovered millions of dollars for deserving clients, handling many of the firm's most complex and most valuable claims. For a more detailed description of Leonard's areas of practice, please visit the Personal Injury Section of this website. You are also referred to the firm case results for a sampling of the types of cases Leonard has handled during his career. Leonard received his Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors from Brandeis University before earning his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Marymount University Law School in Los Angeles. He was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 1995 and is a long-time member of the Nevada Justice Association, currently serving on its Board of Governors. Leonard is a member of the American Association of Justice ("AAJ"), the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Nevada, and the Consumer Attorneys of California.

Bill Hopkins was born and raised in Bishopville, South Carolina. He attended North Carolina State University where he received his B.S. degree in Textile Chemistry in 1988. After graduation, Bill worked for nearly three years for Springs Industries, Inc., a large textile company, at a dyeing and finishing plant in Lancaster, South Carolina. Bill was working as a third shift superintendent at the time he was accepted into law school at the University of South Carolina. During law school, Bill served as the Research Editor for the South Carolina Environmental Law Journal. It was also during law school that he began clerking for the law firm of Whaley, McCutchen, Blanton & Rhodes, LLP, one of the oldest and most prestigious litigation firms in South Carolina, which had originally been founded in 1936. Bill continued to work at the firm after graduation and ultimately became a partner in the firm and then was elected Managing Partner in 2005. Bill and the firm were selected by South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster to represent the State of South Carolina in lawsuits brought against several pharmaceutical companies regarding their reporting of false and inflated prices for drugs which resulted in overpayments by the State Medicaid and State Health Plan programs, known as the AWP litigation. Bill remained as the Managing Partner until December 31, 2007 when the firm dissolved after 71 years of continuous practice. Bill founded and started a new law firm called McCutchen Blanton Hopkins & Campbell, LLP, where he continued to practice with Thomas McCutchen and Hoover Blanton, two of the most well known leaders and stewards of the South Carolina Bar. Bill ran this law firm until November 1, 2010, when he joined the national law firm Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles, P.C. in Mongomery, Alabama in the Consumer Fraud section with an emphasis and focus on class action litigation. Bill has been active in various bar associations and organizations, including the South Carolina Bar. At the time he joined Beasley Allen, Bill was serving on the Professional Responsibility Committee and the Conventions Committee of the South Carolina Bar. Bill is currently serving as the Co-Chairman of the Class Action Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice. Bill served as the Chairman of the Employment Rights Section of the South Carolina Association for Justice for three years. In 2010 Bill Hopkins was elected to the South Carolina Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is a distinct recognition and privilege. ABOTA is a national organization of both plaintiff and defense trial attorneys which is committed to the preservation of trial by jury. To be eligible for consideration, an attorney must have tried at least 20 civil jury trials to jury verdict as lead counsel. Bill has tried over 70 civil cases to jury verdict as sole or lead counsel, in areas such as personal injury, business torts, fraud, products liability, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, insurance matters and employment. Bill has also had an active appellate practice and has argued 8 cases before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, including an en banc argument in the case of Ocheltree v. Scollon Productions, Inc., a seminal case regarding the law of sexual harassment, in which many organizations (including the EEOC) made appearances and submitted amicus briefs, and which case was the subject of numerous articles, including an article in the New York Times. Bill has also argued several cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. Bill has also developed a successful class action practice, being appointed by several different courts as lead counsel or liaison counsel in many different class action cases.

Chris Edwards is the managing attorney for the Upstate of South Carolina office of Moss & Associates Attorneys, PA. Chris served in the military before attending the University of South Carolina where he obtained his A.S. and B.A. degrees. After his undergraduate studies, Chris worked in public safety in Charleston, SC before receiving his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. His first job as an attorney was for Moore, Taylor & Thomas in West Columbia, SC where he practiced criminal, civil, and family law. Now, Chris' practice involves filing Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 Bankruptcies for individuals and businesses. His focus is on getting people the fresh start they need, saving people's homes from foreclosure, and assisting with tax debts. His office is located near downtown Greenville, SC on Laurens Road near I-385.

Alexander Laufer joined the firm in 1994. His practice is concentrated in civil litigation and real estate transactions, providing services in the areas of personal injury law, medical malpractice, construction law and employment law. Mr. Laufer grew up in Montreal, Canada but also lived and attended school in Jerusalem and Johannesburg, South Africa. He speaks four languages, English, French, Hungarian and Hebrew. Mr. Laufer graduated (cum laude) in 1972 from Loyola College and with High Honors from the University of Florida School of Law in 1976. Mr. Laufer has been an adjunct professor at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida and more recently at the Marymount University School of Business. He is a member of both the Virginia and Florida bars and is a Commissioner in Chancery in Fairfax County. Mr. Laufer has over 35 years of experience in complex litigation in both state and federal courts, including bankruptcy court and has handled thousands of residential and commercial real estate transactions. In recent years Mr. Laufer has litigated numerous cases involving noncompliance by residential builders with the federal Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act. In addition, Mr. Laufer has become a member of the Vaccine Injury Program Bar and the Federal Court of Claims Bar Association and is assisting families with members injured by vaccines, in obtaining compensation pursuant to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a federal program whichimmunizes (pun intended) pharmaceutical companies from suit, but substitutes a fund as an alternative. This is a relatively obscure and poorly understood program which, however, represents the only real recourse for those suffering injury from vaccines listed on the Vaccine Injury Table.

Attorney Mubasher has gained extensive knowledge about law, medicine and business. He is also very experienced in dealing with people in high-pressure situations. He can put this experience to work for you. Mr. Mubasher can provide you all the details on the cost of representation, the likelihood of success, and what action to take depending on your appetite for risk. Most importantly, Mr. Mubasher provides genuine care and concern for you, and will stand by you throughout your matter. Mr. Mubasher earned a post-doctorate LL.M. at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, a J.D. at American College of Law, and his B.A. at University of California, Riverside. He is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in California. He is also an active member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys.

Linda B. Green graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2013. Prior to joining Oliver & Cheek, PLLC, she worked as a Staff Attorney to the Honorable Richard D. Taylor, Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. Ms. Green is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Wake County Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association Bankruptcy Section. Her primary practice will be in our Raleigh, NC office.