US Courts

I graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami where I clerked for the Hon. Edward Moore of the 11th Circuit Court and interned with the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. I have been practicing law in New York for almost 30 years. I am a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Bronx Bar Association, and I am a member of the Bronx 18B panel which appoints private attorneys to represent indigent individuals charged with crimes in the Bronx. I am admitted to practice in all of the Courts of the State of New York as well as the Southern and Eastern District Courts. I have represented clients in immigration matters in the Federal Immigration Court and before the USCIS in several different States. I represent attorneys in disciplinary proceedings before the Office of Character and Fitness, and I volunteer as a Judge at mock trials and moot court competitions at NYU Law School, Cardozo Law School, and NY Law School. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. Working with a same-sex couple where we are on the verge of obtaining permanent residence status for the beneficiary through the Immigration court. Prio counsel didn’t take the time to listen to the clients to really establish the bona fides of the relationship Got a criminal matter dismissed on behalf of a client whose spouse had lied about him in order to obtain government benefits. The client was facing incarceration and was devastated both by the loss of the relationship, the nature of the charges and of course the consequences. We proved that the charges had been fabricated, without subjecting the client to the financial and emotional burden of a trial. How did you build a successful practice? Listening to my clients and working with them. Understanding that the client needs to be part of the process. Providing cost-effective, successful results. What should clients look for in a lawyer? Someone who has the time to handle their case. Someone who will give them an honest assessment of their matter in advance. Someone who is personable and with whom they can establish a relationship of trust. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? Knowing your venue and your possible Jury pool can be essential in certain types of cases, especially in personal injury matters. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? Depending on the type of case that answer will vary greatly. A short conversation can generally point the client in the right direction and put them at ease whether or not they retain my firm. Things like the type of bankruptcy, whether they should be speaking to law enforcement, or whether they have a case at all. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? That answer will vary greatly. Generally, the nature of the case, when, where and how they the matter arose, and then the broad particulars of the matter. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I believe that it is my level of empathy and my ability to visualize situations and present creative solutions that sets me apart. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Achieving a successful result for a client where the consequences would otherwise be truly life-changing. Things like saving someone from deportation, or jail, or crushing debt gives me a feeling that is almost indescribable. Its why I continue to practice law. What are your other interests in addition to law? My family of course. I also enjoy staying fit and outdoor activities hiking and cycling. Are you involved in your community? Besides being on the board of a local county bar association, and being on the Bronx 18b panel for appointments to criminal cases, I am a member of the NY Bar Association, and I am affiliated with the National Action Network, and STARR, (Strategic Trans Alliance for Radical Reform.

Dennis J. Gruenke, Esq. was selected as Main Line Today’s “Personal Injury Attorney of the Year” in 2007. He is a 1987 graduate of Villanova University, where he double majored in Political Science and History. He received his law degree in 1990 from the University of Maryland, School of Law. He was admitted to the Maryland State Bar in 1990 and to the Pennsylvania State Bar in 1991. Mr. Gruenke practices in both state courts and federal courts, and is a member of three local bar associations: Lehigh, Montgomery and Delaware.

Mr. Banker is a board certified specialist in criminal law with 30 years experience. He is dedicated to the best interest and well-being of those he represents, and with whom he is a true “brother in arms”. As such, he advocates for the success of his clients in courts of law all over Texas and the United States. A native Texan, Mr. Banker was born and raised in the Houston area. He graduated with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin and received his Law degree (J.D.) from the University of Houston Law Center. In between these degrees, Mr. Banker achieved a Master’s degree in Theology from Regent College, and a Master’s in Legal and Constitutional History from Rice University. Additionally, Mr. Banker has travelled extensively throughout Latin America and is fluent in the Spanish language. All this training and education has prepared Mr. Banker for what he believes is his vocational “calling” in life: To stand with and defend those who have found themselves in the very difficult circumstance of facing judgment in a court of law. As a Christian lawyer, he believes that helping people through difficult times is a natural outworking of this faith. Additionally, he counsels his clients to ultimately look to God as their helper, and see that adversity often produces more strength of character and greater faith in Him. Over the years, Mr. Banker has been involved in several “high profile” cases. One of which involved his representation of a high ranking member of the separatist group, the Republic of Texas. Several members had been charged in Federal Court in Dallas with bank fraud. After a month long trial, Mr. Banker’s client was the only one of the nine defendants found "not guilty". Another case involved the owner of a bus company, whose bus caught on fire when evacuating the Houston area because if Hurricane Rita. More than a dozen elderly people were killed in the accident. Mr. Banker’s client was charged in Federal Court in McAllen with several counts involving the operation of his buses. He was found “not guilty” of the felony charges that could have put him in prison for up to ten years, and given probation for two minor misdemeanors. On a personal note, Mr. Banker has been happily married to his wife Rose for over 20 years, and he has been actively involved in the lives of their children, Stevan, Faith and Joshua. They are members of Christ Family Church, where Mr. Banker teaches Sunday school and has been active in leadership for many years.

John O. Yow, PLLC has a thorough understanding of Texas law. I work hard to help you get the best possible results. Our first priority is providing clients with prompt and courteous legal services. We pride ourselves on our high level of professionalism and our understanding that we are often dealing with families during difficult times in their lives. We have spent more than twenty years developing our knowledge of this area of law and the needs of families, whether planning for the future or dealing with the death or incapacity of a loved one.

Ted is the founder and owner of Colquett Law. After spending more than two decades at prominent insurance defense law firms, he opened CLAW to provide industry-leading legal services to individuals and businesses with the flexibility and efficiency of a law firm dedicated to insurance claim, insurance coverage litigation, commercial litigation, and accident and injury litigation. Ted has practiced insurance and personal injury law exclusively for his entire legal career. Having handled thousands of insurance disputes involving accidents and personal injuries, catastrophic property damage claims, bad faith denials of coverage, and COVID-19 business interruption claims, he is uniquely positioned to provide elite litigation services to his clients.

Edward C. Lawhead, born in Chicago, Illinois, November 21, 1974; admitted to the Bar in 2007. Education: Purdue University, Bachelor of Science-Finance 1997; Valparaiso University School of Law, Juris Doctorate 2006. Associations: Lake County Bar Association; American Bar Association; Indiana State Bar Association; National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives. Courts admitted into: All Courts in the State of Indiana; United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Edward C. Lawhead practices in the areas of Worker’s Compensation, Social Security Disability, and Personal Injury.

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.

Mr. Santana is a native of Southeast Louisiana and was born in Thibodaux. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Louisiana State University. He then received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. Attorney Santana prides himself on his accessibility, hands-on approach, and effectiveness in achieving results for his clients. He is a trial attorney who spends the majority of his time in court. Mr. Santana represents clients in both civil and criminal matters, which range from personal injury cases to homicide. Attorney Santana is also a licensed real estate title agent and is licensed to practice law in all state courts of Louisiana and in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Mr. Castro is an attorney who prides himself on advocating aggressively on behalf of all clients. Having been recognized as a top tier attorney by Super Lawyers (Rising Star, 2019-2020) and Lawyers of Distinction, Mr. Castro started his own practice to represent members of communities with poor access to critical services. To that end, it is Mr. Castro's chief goal to effect change for his clients in the areas of business litigation, personal injury, family law, and trust and estates law. In those personal injury cases, he has extensive experience in matters involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, auto accidents, pedestrian/bicycle accidents, dog bites, dangerous property condition, premises liability, slip and fall, trip and fall, insurance bad faith, government tort claims, construction site accidents, on the water injuries, and defective products/products liability claims. In matters of business litigation, Mr. Castro has experience with matters involving breach of contract, tortious interference with contracts or business relationships, business partner disputes, real estate disputes (including both residential or commercial real estate), business entity formation, contract review, breach of fiduciary duty, and other matters arising from the day-to-day operations of running a business. As for matters involving family law, Mr. Castro handles matters requiring financial and property division concerns, child custody disputes, child support, modifications of family law orders, enforcement of family law orders, and document preparation/review. Mr. Castro also helps his clients plan for the efficient and effective transfer of assets to spouses, to younger generation family members, to other persons clients wish to benefit, and to charities. Mr. Castro's trust and estate practice involves the preparation of trust agreements, wills, powers of attorney, medical directives, and closely held business structures, including partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. Mr. Castro graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2013 and he is admitted to practice before all the courts in the State of California including the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Central Districts of the United States District Courts of California. Mr. Castro firmly believes the key to securing a favorable result for all his clients is by exercising the highest degree of diligence and perseverance. Mr. Castro takes each case personally and always strives to obtain the best possible results for each client. During his spare time, Mr. Castro enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, wine tasting, and volunteering in any activity that benefits children. He served as a Guardian Ad Litem for the Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program in Jacksonville, Florida. He also coaches youth sports and most recently coached his son's baseball team in Rocklin Little League.

Attorney Ramy M. Louis earned his law degree from Georgetown University in 2012 and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a Business minor, from Queens College, City University of New York, graduating magna cum laude. At Georgetown, he was a member of the Barristers’ Council Trial Advocacy Team and the Criminal Law Association and served as a student attorney in the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic. Attorney Louis began his legal career as a Special Assistant District Attorney in Kings County, where he prosecuted thousands of cases—including assault, menacing, domestic violence, larceny, theft of service, trespassing, weapons possession, narcotics offenses, stolen property crimes, forgery, and Driving While Intoxicated (DWI/DUI) offenses. He later served as a prosecutor in Upstate New York, managing felony, misdemeanor, and traffic caseloads across more than 35 trial courts. He also argued appeals before the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department. As a Senior Assistant District Attorney in Nassau County, he handled a wide range of felony cases, including identity theft, wage theft, check kiting, forgery, schemes to defraud, grand larceny, and possession of forged instruments such as Social Security cards, debit cards, credit cards, passports, identification cards, and counterfeit currency. Attorney Louis then transitioned to civil litigation as a Senior Assistant Corporation Counsel with the New York City Office of the Corporation Counsel, where he handled civil rights matters involving false arrest, unlawful searches and seizures, malicious prosecution, fabrication of evidence, and police brutality. He litigated cases in the Southern and Eastern Federal District Courts of New York. In addition to his litigation experience, he presided over special education disputes as a Special Education Due Process Hearing Judge with the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH), further broadening his legal perspective. Since transitioning to private practice, Attorney Louis has successfully represented clients in Nassau County, Long Island, Queens County, and throughout NYC. His extensive experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney, and adjudicator provides clients with a distinct advantage—offering deep legal insight and a strategic defense approach. Committed to developing personalized legal strategies, Attorney Louis ensures each client receives focused attention and dedicated representation. He has successfully defended clients against a wide range of charges, from traffic violations and misdemeanors to serious felonies, consistently securing favorable outcomes in even the most complex cases. If you need an experienced criminal defense attorney or special education advocate in Nassau County, Long Island, or NYC, contact Attorney Ramy M. Louis today. Call (516) 765-5566 for a free consultation and take the first step in protecting your rights.