Ethics

Frederick W. Nessler has been practicing law throughout the state of Illinois and the United States for over 40 years. Mr. Nessler opened his law office in Lincoln, Illinois in 1977. Since that time, he has helped injured people recover hundreds of millions in compensation for the injuries they suffered due to the negligence of others. Mr. Nessler has been awarded numerous recognitions throughout his career, each of which is detailed below. Nessler & Associates now has offices in Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Decatur, Lincoln, Rockford, Sherman, and Chicago, Illinois. Nessler & Associates also maintains offices in Denver, Colorado; Ft. Worth, Texas; Orange, Texas; Largo, Florida; Tampa, Florida and St. Petersburg, Florida.

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.

Thomas K. Herren, born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, has strong ties and commitments in the Central Kentucky area. Tom is a graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Law. In 1994, Attorney Herren became board certified in civil trial law by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certifications (formerly NBTA), an ABA-accredited organization. The requirements for certification include numerous trials to jury verdict or judgment; continuing legal education; submission of trial court briefs for review; attorney and judicial references; proof of good standing in the legal profession; and a daylong examination on trial techniques, evidence, and ethics. An attorney who has taken the extra time and effort to achieve board certification can be justifiably proud. He has also earned Fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Fellowship is by invitation only to the top one percent of outstanding trial lawyers who are considered the best in their state. Besides being lead counsel on several significant cases (more fully described below), Tom Herren has been on the Board of Governors of the Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys since 1988. He has served as District Vice-President. Tom is also an active member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Kentucky Bar Association, and the Fayette County Bar Association, serving on various committees.

Ryan P. Barry received his B.A., with honors, from the University of Connecticut and his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. During law school, Attorney Barry worked as a Judicial Extern for United States District Court Judge Dominic J. Squatrito. He was also selected to membership on The Connecticut Law Review and is the author of "ERISA's Purpose: The Conveyance of Information from Trustee to Beneficiary," 31 Conn. L. Rev. 735 (1999). Attorney Barry is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut, the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Manchester Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and the Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys. In July 2018, Attorney Barry was appointed by the judges of the Superior Court to serve for a 3-year term on the Statewide Grievance Committee. Attorney Barry is also a Life Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation, membership for which is by invitation only, and is evidence of professional distinction. He has been named to Connecticut Super Lawyers List since 2020 for his work in personal injury.

A Louisiana native, Stephen Babcock has developed a reputation for taking on high-profile cases involving catastrophic personal injury matters and business disputes. Born and raised outside of Ruston, La., Stephen attended Louisiana Tech University, where he received a B.S. in marketing in 1997. Already a licensed real estate agent at the time, his intention was to go to law school and become a title attorney. However, not long after he began his studies at Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Babcock changed his mind and realized he wanted to be a trial lawyer instead. Read more below… After receiving his J.D. in 2000, he launched his legal career, joining Allstate Insurance Co., as an in-house trial attorney. A year later, he joined the law firm of McKay Williamson Lutgring & Cochran as an associate attorney handling mostly personal injury cases. In 2003, he ventured out to create his own firm, which would inevitably become Babcock Trial Lawyers. Babcock has been serving the legal needs of clients from his Baton Rouge office ever since. His practice focuses solely on litigation and he has tried cases in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana. A licensed pilot, Babcock often flies to his destinations to more efficiently make use of his time for clients. Although he never turns down the chance to try cases before juries, Babcock is also a strong proponent of alternative dispute resolution and participates in mediations and arbitrations as much as possible. His high-profile cases have included a nearly $2 million arbitration award for a hotel manager against the owner of a Hilton Hotel. He also represented the sportsmen’s organization Ducks Unlimited in a million-dollar federal lawsuit involving a New Orleans artist’s prints. Babcock filed motions for summary judgment in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on behalf of his client, and the case resulted in a voluntary dismissal. He also made the national news in early 2008 when LSU played Ohio State for the BCS National Football Championship game. Babcock — an ardent LSU football fan — was successful in convincing a state judge to delay a trial that was scheduled to occur at the same time as the game (which LSU won, 38-24). Babcock’s work has earned the recognition of a number of professional organizations. They include being named a Top Ten Personal Injury Attorney Baton Rouge by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, selection by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers of America for personal injury law and commercial litigation, a “Superb” rating in the Avvo legal directory, and “Rising Star” status by SuperLawyers magazine. In addition, Martindale-Hubbell Ratings has given Babcock its coveted Client Distinction Award, for excellence in client service. Stephen has always aspired to provide superior client service, including a 30-day client-satisfaction guarantee. Babcock is an avid outdoorsman and strong supporter of Ducks Unlimited and the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana.

My experience spans more than 30 years representing accident victims and injured workers. I represent injured clients across the entire state of Iowa. The primary focus of my practice is personal injury. I represent victims of car, truck, motorcycle and work place injuries, slip and fall victims, and others injured by the fault of another. Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t pay unless we recover money for you. I also handle medical malpractice cases, workers' compensation, wrongful death, dog bites, as well as industrial accidents, products liability, and class actions. I speak fluent Spanish and can assist Spanish speaking clients with a variety of legal needs. Let me put my legal experience to work for you.

Mark Edward Godbey is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and owner of Godbey Law LLC. Our law firm is a full service, general practice firm, serving clients in Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Our five attorneys have over 70 years of combined experience. While each attorney focuses on one or two specific areas of practice, our office as a whole can provide a variety of legal services to our clients. Since 1993, we have been representing and advising clients in the areas of auto accidents and other types of personal injury claims, divorce and other areas of family law, consumer bankruptcy and debt reorganization, criminal and traffic defense, estate planning and probate, immigration, and small business representation. We pride ourselves in providing high quality, cost effective legal representation to individuals and small businesses, while also giving the personal attention and service that each client deserves. Our mission is to advocate for our clients with excellence and integrity. We recognize that our clients rely upon our advice and expertise in the courtroom, but also deserve our attention and responsiveness. Our attorneys and staff are committed to the pursuit of excellence in the courtroom, to communicate effectively with our clients, and to demonstrate the strictest personal and professional ethics. We strive daily to establish relationships with our clients that will endure.

Sara M. Salger received her undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, graduating cum laude, and Saint Louis University School of Law for her J.D. where she received an International Law Certificate and litigation focus. She spent two semesters abroad during law school attending Università Cà Foscari di Venezia in Venice, Italy and University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Ms. Salger's legal career has been focused on advocating for individuals wronged by the actions of others, with a particularized focus on representing victims of mesothelioma and lung cancer, as a result of exposure to asbestos. She has also handled complex benzene litigation and general personal injury claims. Working at The Gori Law Firm since the firm's inception, and a Partner since May 2016, she is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri, is a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Madison County Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Missouri State Bar Association, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, American Association for Justice, National Asbestos Mesothelioma Trial Lawyers (Member), National Women Trial Lawyers, and is on the Illinois Trial Lawyers Executive Committee and Board. Actively involved in her community, Ms. Salger serves on various philanthropic boards in the area and volunteers her time speaking to local high school and college law classes and groups.

Practice Areas: Auto Accidents, Slip and Fall, Premises Liability, Maritime Mark Hanson has been practicing law in Florida for nearly thirty years. Born and raised in Michigan, Mark went to the University of San Diego after graduating high school. There he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration, finishing near the top of his class. From there, he attended Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and obtained his law degree in 1985. Mark moved to Palm Beach County and began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney for Palm Beach County. During his six-year tenure with the State, Mark prosecuted every type of case from DUI to first degree murder. After leaving the State, Mark embarked on a successful career as a civil and criminal litigator. He specializes in plaintiff's personal injuries cases including auto accidents, slip and falls, and premises liability injury claims. He is one of the few attorneys in South Florida with an emphasis on maritime claims. These include recreational boating accidents, cruise line passenger injuries and commercial crew claims. Mark is a National Board Certified Trial lawyer who has been elected to Florida's Legal Elite and Florida's Super Lawyers on several occasions. He carries an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating available for ethics and competence. Mark has obtained numerous million dollar results for his clients over the years. Mark is a member of the Florida and Colorado Bar associations and is admitted to practice in state and federal court in Florida and state court in Colorado. He is a member of the American Association for Justice Florida Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Bar Association and the MBA. Mark is married with two children and resides in northern Palm Beach County with his family. They are active in mission work in the Dominican Republic and local community service.

Attorney Edward Kraus is the Managing Partner of Kraus Law Group, LLC in Chicago, Illinois. Since 1999, he has taught Health and Disability Law classes and has represented individuals in many cases involving complex health and disability matters. Previously, Mr. Kraus served as an attorney at the law firm of Plotkin, Jacobs, & Orlofsky, Ltd., focusing on civil litigation and consumer class actions in Chicagoland. Mr. Kraus is the director of the Vaccine Injury Litigation Clinic, where he represents those who have suffered from vaccination injuries. He served on the Advisory Commission of Childhood Vaccines from September 2011 to January 2017, where he was one of nine members who provided input regarding the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). Edward Kraus is an active member of the American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice. He has also been actively involved on the American Diabetes Association, Health & Disability Advocates, Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, Department of Health & Human Services, and the Vaccine Committee of the Advisory Council to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Mr. Kraus has been admitted to the Illinois Bar Association, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. District Court, the Northern District of Illinois, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He is a proud graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.