Top best R Lawyers in ZIP 61602 | 260 available

Trial experience for your case: I'm a former prosecutor, former public defender, and former state court judge.  Over 45 years legal experience. I've handled thousands of cases litigating over 150 jury trials to a verdict.

Shaun D. Cusack was born and raised in Peoria. He began his pursuit to become a trial lawyer at Black Hawk College where he earned an Associate Degree (A.A.) in pre-law. At Black Hawk, he also received the Academic Achievement Award and was selected for Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges. Shaun then attended St. Ambrose University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) in History and Political Science in 2004. After completing his undergraduate studies, Shaun remained at St. Ambrose University for one more year and earned a Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.). Shaun attended Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School graduating in 2009. While in law school, he was an honor roll student, he competed in intra school evidence mock trial, and was a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Shaun was admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois in 2010.. Shaun is at home in the courtroom and has achieved successful results in a wide variety of cases. He has successfully tried and won a number of jury trials. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Peoria County Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.. Shaun has received many awards that reflect his drive to win for his clients. Shaun has been selected as a Leading Lawyer and Emerging Lawyer which recognizes the top 2% of attorneys under the age of 40, an honor which is voted on by his peers. Shaun has also been recognized by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys as a nationally ranked Top 10 under 40 attorney and American Association of Premier DUI Attorneys.

Practice in labor and employment law representing employers, and related litigation in federal and state courts. Represent clients before EEOC, OSHA, USDOL, NLRB and similar state agencies. Work-related visa practice before USCIS. Regular speaker and author on labor, employment and immigration topics.

Phil received his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Philosophy and Math from Southern Illinois University in 1972. He received his Juris Doctor in the charter class of Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1976. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois; United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court.. Prior to attending law school, Phil served with the United States Army. He is a decorated Viet Nam veteran and was awarded two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and the Air Combat Medal, among others. Phil joined Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White & Frederick, P.C. as an Associate in 1976 and became a Member of the Firm in 1982. He represents, as General Counsel, over 150 public libraries throughout the State of Illinois and six of the ten regional Library Systems. In addition, he assists other types of local governments, including cities, school districts, and park districts. He is an experienced appellate advocate and practices before the Industrial Commission in Worker's Compensation matters. Phil is also a published author on behalf of the Illinois State Bar Association.. Phil is a member of the Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois, the Peoria County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association. He has served for over thirteen years in the Assembly of Delegates of the ISBA and has served on dozens of committees, section councils and task forces during his tenure. Phil is also active in a number of community organizations, including the Children's Home Association of Illinois and the Peoria Youth Service Network. He is a regular presenter to numerous Illinois State Library Institutes, the Illinois Library Association's Annual State conventions, the Illinois Association of Park Districts State Convention and Annual Legal Symposia, and to dozens of continuing education programs for various library systems.

Nina Gougis began her legal career at a large school law firm located near Chicago, Illinois. During her time there, Nina trained under some of the state’s most highly-recognized labor and employment attorneys. She successfully represented large- and mid-size employers in a wide variety of labor and employment disputes, including disputes in federal and state court, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) and the Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB). Nina also regularly advised management on employment best practices, employee rights and employer responsibilities.. After several years representing management, Nina decided to fulfill her dream of representing individual clients. She began working at a debtors’ rights and family law firm located in Peoria and Pekin, Illinois. While there, Nina was trained by one of the top bankruptcy attorneys in the area and quickly gained expertise in the areas of bankruptcy, debtors’ rights and family law.. Being no stranger to adversity herself, Nina displays a deep compassion for all of her clients, helping them navigate what often are the most difficult times in their lives. She strongly believes that every single client deserves the very best of her efforts.. Nina’s tough, but fair, effective and level-headed approach to the practice of law helps to ensure that her clients receive the very best outcome possible in a way that keeps costs to the client as low as possible. In addition, Nina strongly believes in keeping clients in-the-know about their cases by promptly returning phone calls, providing regular updates and communicating with clients in a way that is easy to understand.. Nina currently serves as the newsletter editor for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – Peoria Branch. She also is very active in the Peoria County Bar Association, as past chairwoman and current member of the Association’s Diversity Committee. Nina is admitted to the United States District Court of Central Illinois and the State of Illinois and is registered with the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Central District of Illinois. She also is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA).. NOTE: Free consultations are for select areas only, including bankrutpcy and family law.

MR. URBAN  concentrates his practice primarily in the area of Family Law and is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.  Mr. Urban has been involved in all facets of Family Law practice since 1990, including divorce, contested custody matters, original and post decree support and maintenance proceedings, division of large and complex marital estates including medical professionals, legal professionals, executives, farm divorces, business owners and self employed individuals, division of retirement income plans and stock option plans, domestic violence matters, paternity, custody modification matters, contested grounds matters, pre and post nuptial agreements, modification of divorce judgments, and appeals.  In addition to his Family Law Practice, Mr. Urban has over fifteen years of experience in the representation of employers in employment law related matters including discrimination claims, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, wage and hour claims, assisting employers in development of procedures and employment documents such as employee handbooks and related materials, and advising employer's human resource personnel on a regular basis on employment matters as a preventative measure.  Mr. Urban also is available to assist clients with a variety of litigation related matters including real estate, personal injury, contract disputes, probate/estate litigation, and administrative proceedings.

Karen focuses her practice on the transactional needs of individuals and their families - estate and retirement planning, business planning and succession, trust and estate administration. Additionally, she provides the firm and its clients with up-to-the-minute Federal and State Tax Research and prepares estate and income tax returns for many of the Firm's clients. She is a frequent lecturer on estate and business legal issues.. A native of Alton, Illinois, Karen resides in Peoria with her husband, Scott Bell, and their two daughters. She is active in community organizations and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Methodist Health Services Corporation (Methodist Medical Center of Central Illinois), Human Service Center, and Community Foundation of Central Illinois.

JOSEPH M. BORSBERRY concentrates his practice in criminal, juvenile, traffic and family law matters. He has lectured on Illinois family law issues to lawyers and judges at the Peoria County Bars Association.

Joel E. Brown is a dedicated attorney in Peoria and the founder of Joel E. Brown, Attorney at Law. With over 20 years of experience, Attorney Brown is adept at handling a variety of very complex personal injury and criminal defense cases. At the firm, he focuses his practice on cases involving wrongful death, commercial vehicle accidents, car collisions, defective products, and workplace accidents. With every case, he works to provide personalized attention, consistent communication, and honest, straightforward legal counsel. He is a skilled and aggressive litigator, committed to fighting for the justice and recovery his clients are owed.

Jim has been affiliated with the Kavanagh firm since 2004, providing sole representation to most of his clients as well as collaborating on various cases. Jim’s 47 years of experience affords expert counsel to the rest of our attorneys on numerous matters. Born and raised in Peoria, Jim graduated from Woodruff High School in 1954. He served the next four years in the United States Navy Submarine Service, including a tour of duty in the Pacific. Following his military service, Jim graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign, in 1962 and earned his Juris Doctor from the University Of Illinois College Of Law in 1964. In 1965, Jim opened his first law office in Peoria. In the decades to follow, he was a leading partner in several firms, including Hafele & McDade. He is admitted to practice before all Illinois courts, as well as area Federal and Appellate courts and the Supreme Court of the United States. Jim has served as Secretary of the Peoria County Bar Association and President of the Abraham Lincoln Inns of Court. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Haute, a Peoria-based nonprofit group dedicated to developing entrepreneurship in African nations. Haute was founded by Ben Hafele, Jim’s son and a former Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. Jim and his wife, Lynda, live off Koerner Road near the City of Peoria, where he enjoys family time with two grandsons. A past member of the Peoria Ski Club, Jim frequents the Colorado mountains each winter.

I was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois.   I attended the University of Illinois College of Business and upon graduation I headed down to Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale.   During my time in Carbondale I was able to volunteer for two years at the Self Help Legal Center earning recognition both years for the amount of time I provided pro bono services.   I also volunteered my time with the Immigration Detention Project at the Tri County Detention Center in Ullin, Illinois. In my third year of law school I was asked to run the Self Help Legal Center, which I gladly did.. During the summer after my first year of law school I studied abroad in Ireland (Dingle, Galway, & Dublin) and in Wales. Classes ranged from International Criminal Law to International Intellectual Property.  This five week program was one of the deciding factors in choosing which law school to attend.. During the summer after my second year of law school I obtained a license to practice law under the supervision of the Peoria County State's Attorney, Jerry Brady.  Through this license I handled the Traffic docket nearly every day which ranged from first appearances to bench trials.   I also used my license in the Misdemeanor court room where I had bench trials and handled my first jury trial which we received a favorable verdict.  I also did research for Felony cases when I wasn't in court.. With this license, I returned to the Peoria County State's Attorney's office on my winter break from school to assist in the Traffic and Misdemeanor courtrooms. I also utilized this license during my Spring semester my third year of law school when I worked with the Williamson County State's Attorney's Office in Marion, Illinois.  I worked in Traffic and Misdemeanor Courts there as well.. Upon graduation and passing the bar, I returned to central Illinios and I am honored to be working at firm that I clerked for throughout college and part of law school.  I am happy to be back in Peoria and I am working with many attorneys who teach me about all areas of the law.

I help cannabis business, banks, start ups and even people achieve their legal goals.. I also develop websites and do SEO - so I find it amusing that I can make bullet points and bold stuff - but add zero links.

I have always considered myself an advocate for those in need of assistance.  The practice of law is a perfect outlet for my thirst to assist individuals in many aspects of their lives.  Personal injuries suffered by innocent people and caused by careless tortfeasors can often leave people feeling ignored, confused and helpless.  While advocating for the injured, I am determined to create an even playing field with insurance company often too mindful of their bottom line than the injured.  At Hall, Rustom & Fritz, we work hard to make sure our clients receive legal protection, responsiveness and the timely resolution to their cases.

Gary received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and History from Denison University in 1974 and his Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1977. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.. Gary joined Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White & Frederick, P.C. as an Associate in 1978. In 1982, he became Of Counsel to the Firm to accept the position of President and Trust Officer of a local bank. He rejoined the Firm full time in 1993 and became a Member of the Firm in 1995. Gary is a member of the Central Illinois Estate Planning Council. He also is a frequent speaker at Estate Planning seminars. He is a member of the Peoria County Bar Association and sits on its Real Estate Committee. In addition, Gary serves as legal counsel for various not-for-profit organizations in the Peoria area.. An area native, Gary is a graduate of East Peoria Community High School. He and his wife, Trina, reside in Peoria with their two children. Gary has been an officer and member of the Board of Directors of the East Peoria Chamber of Commerce, The Children's Home Association of Illinois, Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences Foundation, American Cancer Society, and the East Peoria Historical Society. He is also a member of the East Peoria Rotary Club.

G. Edward Murphy is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Murphy & Dunn, P.C. and has been one of the best divorce, custody, and family law attorneys and lawyers in Peoria, Bloomington, and Central Illinois for the past 32 years. He knows how to litigate your case when necessary, negotiate favorably if possible, and win your case for you and your children in court. He is a skilled trial attorney, but also a capable mediator and problem solver.. He has been lead counsel running Murphy & Dunn, P.C. for the past 30 years since he was 26 years old and has been winning cases ever since. He and his firm have handled over 8,000 cases and he knows what he is doing. He knows the law, the other family law attorneys, and the family law Judges and uses those skills and his experience to obtain the best possible result for you and your family. He is the divorce and custody trial attorney you want on your side. Together with his team of attorneys and paralegals, they will do their very best to win your case.. G. Edward Murphy is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois, the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he graduated 3rd in his class. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Peoria County Bar Association. He serves on local family law committees and is a member of the family law section at both the national, state, and local levels. He is also a certified family law mediator. G. Edward Murphy is the lead attorney for the law firm and handles cases throughout the State of Illinois.. G. Edward Murphy has a history of success in all that he has undertaken. He was a successful student-athlete, excelling in sports as an All-State baseball player and golfer in high school, and pitching in baseball for Illinois Central College and The University of Iowa in college. In law school, he continued this level of success by graduating 3rd in his entire class, writing as an Editor for the Law Review, and competing in the Moot Court competition. This history of accomplishment in both academic and athletic arenas prepared him well for becoming the trial lawyer that he is. For the past 30 years, Mr. Murphy has continued to excel in all areas of family law. Each year he is repeatedly voted one of "Illinois Law and Leading Attorneys" in Family Law, a distinction given to only the top six percent of attorneys in the State of Illinois.. He is a respected member of the bar and a leading attorney in the family law arena. He can handle all areas of family law, including all aspects of custody and divorce, dissolution of marriage, legal separation, civil unions, gay and lesbian custody and divorce, farm divorces, child support, visitation, maintenance and alimony, hidden assets and income cases, relocation and removal, college expenses, high income, and high asset divorce cases, adoption, paternity, post-decree matters, and all family law related matters. He also handles family law appeals.

For over 20 years I have represented people and businesses through the difficult process of bankruptcy, under Chapter 7, 11 and 13, offering reasonable fees and payment plans.  I am always available to answer questions and explain the process.

Bruce Thiemann is a member of Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White & Frederick, P.C. He has practiced law in Peoria since 1978. Bruce joined the firm in 2005 and previously practiced as a sole practitioner. Civil litigation, corporate, real estate, insurance defense, licensing, trust and estate, and municipal cases and clients have all formed Bruce's area of concentration. A fourth generation Peorian, Bruce is a 1967 graduate of Woodruff High School. Following high school he attended Cornell College and Illinois State University before joining the Army where he served a Helicopter Door Gunner with the 7th Squadron, 1st Air Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam in 1969. Following service, Bruce attended Illinois Central College, Bradley University, and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History in 1975. Bruce then attended Southern Illinois University School of Law, New England School of Law in Boston, and Washington College of Law of the American University in Washington, D.C. where he received his Juris Doctor Degree in 1978. He is admitted to practice law in all Illinois State Courts, and is admitted in the United States Supreme Court, Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Central and Northern District Federal Courts. A resident of East Peoria since 1986, Bruce and his wife, Teri, have two children, Bob and Maggie. Bruce has been active in local Veterans' activities including spearheading the WWI and WWII Memorial on the Courthouse Square in Peoria, Illinois.

Brian Mooty is a member of the law firm of Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White and Frederick P.C. Brian was admitted to the practice of law in Illinois in 1986. He concentrates his practice in real estate law and represents both buyers and sellers of residential and commercial real estate. Brian also assists many clients with commercial real estate issues including sales and acquisitions, leasing, property tax assessments and exemptions, development, subdivisions, zoning, environmental problems and status of title and title insurance. Brian's real estate practice also includes public housing and the development of mixed finance affordable housing and local government law. Brian's firm is an agent of the Attorneys Title Guarantee Fund and he has personally acted as title agent on numerous transactions and has issued many real estate title commitments and title policies as a title agent. He has an extensive practice assisting landlords with leasing and evictions. Brian also represents condominium and homeowners associations.

Bill was born and raised in Peoria, IL. In 1976, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. degree in Government. He received his law degree (JD) at the University of Iowa graduating with honors in 1979. He has been practicing law in Central Illinois since his graduation and admission into the Illinois Bar.

Before James P. LeFante opened his own personal injury law office, he worked for some of the same insurance companies he goes up against today. His particular niche was medical malpractice. It was not an inspiring line of work: Attorneys worked hard to devise ways to deprive injured persons or their survivors of the benefits promised to them in their policies.. It was a relief for Jim to leave that business and to take up representing ordinary people here in Central Illinois, who have been injured through the negligence of others, and to obtain rightful compensation for them.. In addition to personal injury services, LeFante Law Offices, P..C., also provides representation to individuals charged with a criminal offense.. If you are dealing with a DUI or drug charge, or have been injured through no fault of your own, we invite you to request a free consultation to discuss your case.

After graduating from Illinois Valley Central High School in Chillicothe, Illinois, I enlisted in the United States Navy where I spent the next four years serving my country at home and overseas. I was stationed at many places throughout the country, including Illinois, California and Texas. I served overseas for over two years at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I still value and use the many skills I learned in the military such as discipline, hard work, integrity, toughness and persistence.. When my enlistment was up, I came back to Illinois and attended Illinois State University. I pursued a degree in Political Science, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree, Magna Cum Laude. While a student at Illinois State University, I became a member of Golden Key International Honor Society and President of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society).. After graduating from Illinois State University, I enrolled in law school at Northern Illinois College of Law where I was on the Dean's list for four semesters. During law school I became fascinated with criminal law and the criminal justice system. I worked as a student attorney at the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office and completed my first jury trial while still in law school. I then became a student attorney at the Northern Illinois College of Law Criminal Defense Clinic, defending indigent clients under the supervision of a licensed attorney.. After graduating from law school and passing the Illinois Bar Examination, I accepted a position as an Assistant State's Attorney in Peoria County, where I was in court everyday of the week trying cases. While at the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office, I received rapid promotion, from traffic to misdemeanor prosecutor after only three months (the normal promotion time is nine months to one year).. While an Assistant State's Attorney, I gained a lot of experience in the courtroom, often undergoing a trial every week, which enhanced my trial skills.. In April 2008, I opened my own law practice with my business partner and former prosecutor, Robert Pugh. Criminal, Traffic and DUI defense continue to be my areas of concentration. I enjoy the work and derive a great deal of satisfaction utilizing my knowledge and skills fighting to achieve the best results for my clients and protecting their constitutional rights.. Personal Interests