Champaign, IL

Jason R. Reese

Jason Reese is a co-founder and managing partner at Wagner Reese, LLP, with over 28 years of experience. He co-founded the firm in 2000, focusing on personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona and received his J.D. with honors from Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington in 1997. Mr. Reese has successfully resolved over 100 cases with seven-figure verdicts and settlements. He has been recognized as an 'Indiana Super Lawyer' (2004-2024), a 'Top 50 Indiana Lawyer' (2016-2024), and a 'Top 100 Trial Lawyer' by The National Trial Lawyers (2013). He received the 'Leadership in Law Distinguished Barrister Award' in 2019 and has been continuously recognized in 'The Best Lawyers in America' since 2019. He was also named 'Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year' by the Indiana State Bar Association in 2003 and 'Forty Under Forty' by the Indianapolis Business Journal in 2005. He is licensed in Indiana and Illinois. Mr. Reese is actively involved in community service, mentoring, and providing pro bono legal services, serving on the boards of CenterPoint Counseling, Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, Edge Mentoring, and Grace Care Center Foundation.

James D. Spiros

As the founding partner of Spiros Law, P.C., Jim is a skilled litigator with extensive experience handling cases involving medical negligence, defective drugs and devices, workplace injuries, serious traffic and trucking accidents, nursing home neglect and abuse, and wrongful death. Jim’s growing list of significant victories has earned Spiros Law, P.C. a reputation as the go-to firm for injury cases in downstate Illinois. Jim is unwavering in his commitment to helping “the little guy.” As such, he has always strives to offer the highest quality of representation to those who might otherwise lack the opportunity to have their cases heard. He secured the second highest jury verdict in the history of Vermilion County, with a $9.8 million verdict on behalf of an injured minor. In 2019, he secured a $4.85 million verdict for a Vermilion County medical malpractice case. He also resolved a wrongful death case resulting from a motor vehicle collision on I-57 in Kankakee for the sum of $2 million dollars and resolved a motorcycle collision case in Edgar country for $2.25 million dollars. Other notable cases include a $3.3 million settlement he secured on behalf of a Vermilion County family against a Champaign County hospital and the largest settlement ever reported in Ford County, Illinois, of $1.45 million as well as a $1.4 million settlement in a medical negligence case for the improper administration of medication at a Central Illinois hospital, and $4.9 million for the family of a young woman killed by a truck driver, of a national retail chain, who was driving under the influence. In 2019 he secured a jury verdict of $4.85 million in a Vermillion County medical malpractice case.

Miranda L. Soucie

Miranda L. Soucie is a leading Trial Attorney who fiercely advocates on behalf of her clients who have suffered serious personal injuries. Her cases range from medical malpractice, automobile and trucking crashes, defective drugs and devices, birth injuries, nursing home abuse and neglect, and workplace injuries. She is licensed to practice in Illinois, Florida, and the Central and Northern District of Illinois Federal Courts. As a Trial Attorney, Miranda is passionate about helping her clients navigate the legal system. Having been through the process of a personal family tragedy herself, she recognizes that the law is an imperfect remedy for personal tragedies and attempts to account for the very real personal aspects of her client’s experience while providing fierce legal advocacy. Miranda’s passion and fierce trial advocacy have led to an ever-growing list of substantial victories within the courtroom and millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. As a result, Miranda has been recognized by her peers throughout the Country. In 2019, she was recognized as the Illinois State Bar Association’s Young Lawyer of the Year. In 2020, she received the 7th Amendment Award from the American Association for Justice’s (AAJ) New Lawyers Division, recognizing her superior advocacy to the 7th Amendment Right to Trial by Jury. She was recognized in 2015 by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and the Central Illinois Business Magazines’ forty under 40 lists, for her professional achievements, leadership, innovation, experience, and community involvement. She has been repeatedly recognized as a leading lawyer and Super Lawyers. In 2022, Miranda was selected for membership into The National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 for being part of a premier group of Civil Plaintiff attorneys in Illinois. In addition to her fierce advocacy as a Trial Attorney, Miranda is a leader among her peers. She is an active member of AAJ, where she serves on the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus Executive Committee as a Board of Governor’s Representative, and as a member of the Membership Oversight Committee and Voter Protection Action Committee (VPAC). She is a 2020 graduate of AAJ’s Leadership Academy. Miranda currently serves on the executive board of the East Central Illinois Women Attorneys Association (ECIWAA), where she is the Past President. She also serves the Champaign County Bar Association (CCBA) on its Board of Directors and organizes the annual battle of the bars softball tournament. In addition to her service with AAJ, ECIWAA, and the CCBA, Miranda is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA). Driven by a ceaseless desire for professional and creative growth, Miranda has been published by the AAJ Trial Magazine, ITLA Trial Journal, and various other publications. She regularly speaks throughout the country on behalf of AAJ and ITLA and is a faculty member of AAJ’s Trial Advocacy College - Deposition College. She is regularly asked to speak on the use of technology to enhance advocacy on behalf of clients, as well as Trial Advocacy. Miranda is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law. During law school, Miranda received accolades for her performance in the area of Advanced Legal Research, receiving the highest grade in her class for her legal research project. She was one of ten members chosen to the Law School’s traveling Trial Advocacy Team. She was a recipient of the Pro Bono Notation for volunteering numerous hours of legal services to those in need, including service to Champaign County Court Appointed Special Advocates and Louisiana’s Resurrection After Exoneration. She earned her B.A. with High Honors from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Casey Woodruff

Experienced. Tough. Driven. Put these three words together and you have defined the lead workers’ compensation and personal injury attorney at Woodruff Johnson & Evans. Over the course of his career, Attorney Casey Woodruff has handled thousands of injury claims, recovering millions of dollars for people who have been seriously hurt. Through it all, Casey has fought tirelessly to prevent corporations and big insurance companies from trampling on the rights of working men and women.

Stephen M. Wagner

Stephen M. Wagner is a co-founder and partner at Wagner Reese, LLP, with over 30 years of experience. He graduated as valedictorian from Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in 1987, earned his B.A. cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1991, and his J.D. cum laude from Indiana School of Law - Bloomington in 1994. He began his career with the Department of Justice before co-founding Wagner Reese, LLP in 2000. Mr. Wagner specializes in plaintiff’s personal injury, wrongful death, civil rights violations, police brutality, jail death, product liability, medical malpractice, and mass torts. He has been recognized as an 'Indiana Super Lawyer' for over 20 years (2004, 2006-2025), a 'Top 50 Personal Injury Attorney in Indiana' (2018-2025), and 'Indiana Trial Lawyer of the Year' in 2006. He is also a 'Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation' and a member of 'The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 - Civil Plaintiff'. He was named the 2023 'Lawyer of the Year' in Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs for Carmel by Best Lawyers. He is a frequent lecturer and author on civil litigation topics and has secured numerous 7-figure and 8-figure recoveries for clients. He is licensed in Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Elizabeth M. Reynolds

Elizabeth Reynolds, from Ottawa, IL, joined Kanoski Bresney in 2023 where she focuses her practice on Worker’s Compensation. She takes great pride in standing up for local working people against the selfish interests of insurance companies. Elizabeth was raised in Downers Grove, IL and knew she wanted to be an attorney since she was eight years old. After graduating with her bachelor’s from Marquette University, she set her childhood dream aside and accepted a coveted position with the Social Security Administration. Thus, launching her career serving and helping those who needed it the most, the disabled, survivors, and retirees. She quickly demonstrated a natural ability to patiently and clearly explain complicated Social Security law to thousands of claimants filing for benefits and those who attended her educational presentations throughout the Illinois Valley area. Additionally, Elizabeth was the only person in her office fluent in Spanish and was certified as a Spanish Translator by the Social Security Administration. She used those skills daily to translate important legal documents into English and assist claimants that spoke Spanish. In 2008, Elizabeth temporarily set her professional goals aside to stay at home and raise a family full-time. She selflessly raised two beautiful and kind children which are her pride and joy. Once her children were older, she was afforded an opportunity to return to school to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an attorney. While in law school, Elizabeth clerked at criminal defense and estate planning firms. Although both were rewarding and educational, she was presented with several opportunities in which injured people needed legal representation. While working for a labor and employment law firm, she quickly realized that her true interests were in the area of worker’s compensation and personal injury law. Elizabeth has been helping others most of her life and after witnessing first-hand how cunning insurance companies ruthlessly profit from the fragile lives of everyday people, she felt outraged and will not stand for it. Elizabeth is proud to take up the fight against insurance companies so her clients can rest easier and focus on healing.

Todd E. Schum

Attorney Todd Schum has practiced injury law since 1987. He is knowledgeable in the nuances of personal injury law and is familiar with all aspects of personal injury claims. He has successfully concluded personal injury cases by recovering millions of dollars for his clients. Residents of Champaign, Illinois, and surrounding communities know they can depend on Attorney Todd Schum; in fact, many of his clients come from referrals. His commitment to fighting for his clients’ rights has earned the respect and confidence of his clients throughout Illinois. Todd Schum was elected to the Board of Managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association by other top Illinois injury lawyers. The ITLA is the leading injury lawyer organization in Illinois. He has resolved cases well in excess of $1 million.