Holiday, FL

Larry Disparti

Larry Disparti is the founder of Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers based in Chicago, Illinois. His work focuses on personal injury, auto accidents, workers compensation, employee rights, and Social Security Disability. Since he started his firm in 2004, Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers has grown to over 30 attorneys and 120 employees and has recovered over a billion dollars for his clients. Larry was raised in a union family, with his father being a Laborers’ Local 210 worker and other family members belonging to UAW, AFL-CIO, and other unions. This shaped Larry’s vision to create a firm that would fight for those seriously injured, injured workers, rights of employees, and disabled individuals no longer able to work. Larry established Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers with the goal of providing top quality, customer service focused legal services to his communities. He has always held the belief that everyone, regardless of economic circumstances, is entitled to great legal representation, no case too big or too small. Larry has been featured in numerous national news publications for his case results, and his firm has been named one of the most influential firms in America by the National Trial Lawyers Association. The first in his family to graduate from college, Larry earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of South Florida and his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law. He is licensed to practice in Illinois, Florida, Arizona, and Washington, D.C. Outside of his practice, Larry is driven to give back to the communities he serves, routinely sponsoring events such as Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, back-to-school backpack programs, and his Heads in Helmets program providing bicycle helmets for kids in need, as well as partnering with various community organizations in support of children’s food, athletics, and art programs. He is also active in supporting groups that need disability representation, such as the MS Society, Fibromyalgia groups, Crohn’s Disease groups, NAMI, and Traumatic Brain Injury groups. “I have compassion for people, and I take pride in what I do,” he says. “Current economic conditions are causing more and more people to apply for disability, and government uses more screening processes to discourage fraud. With government budgets in crisis, the process is slowing down, and clients often become frustrated.” “We are seeing the same thing now with the insurance companies, forcing us to pursue litigation for our clients which often only delays the help our clients need.” Larry realizes he holds his clients’ lives and their livelihoods in his hands, and that adds meaning to his work. “We are dealing with a government that is not customer-service-oriented, and patience comes down to compassion for our clients,” Disparti says. “I put myself in their shoes and ask myself, ‘What would I do?’”

Jonel Metaj

Jonel Metaj was born in Albania and moved to Chicago with his parents when he was nine years old. He watched his dad struggle to keep the family afloat while recovering from work injuries, unaware of his legal rights. Driven by this experience, Jonel decided to pursue a career in personal injury law. Before beginning law school, Jonel worked closely with clients on the Burr Oak Cemetery desecration case, a class action civil case involving hundreds of claimants. From this experience, Jonel developed his ability to listen, communicate, and respect each person regardless of the value of the claim. Jonel attended DePaul University College of Law while working full time and graduated in 2015. He earned CALI awards (highest grade in his class) for Litigation Strategy: Civil, Negotiations, and Fact Investigations. Jonel and his wife love to travel and often explore Europe during visits to his home town. He is fluent in Albanian and conversational in Greek. When not working or traveling, you might find Jonel cheering for his favorite baseball, football, or hockey team.

Jason Gatzulis

Jason has been a personal injury attorney in Chicago for nearly 20 years and has been responsible for obtaining millions in settlements and verdicts for injured individuals and their families in cases involving semi-truck and auto collisions, premises liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, nursing home neglect, school and daycare negligence and sexual abuse. Prior to becoming a personal injury attorney, Jason was a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where he gained valuable jury trial experience. Since leaving the State’s Attorney’s Office, Jason has dedicated himself to representing those injured due to the negligence of others.

Richard Volpe

Richard Volpe is an experienced Chicago attorney with over four decades in the field. After earning his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1980, he began his career as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, handling police and fire liability defense. He later served as Senior Trial Counsel for Fireman’s Fund Insurance, defending municipalities in jury trials and at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. In 1995, Richard co-founded Grazian and Volpe, PC, where he represents individuals injured due to occupational hazards or negligence, focusing on police, firefighters, and union railroad workers (under FELA). Richard’s defense background provided valuable insight into insurance companies, leading him to exclusively represent injured individuals. One of his jury trial verdicts was featured on the front page of the _Chicago Daily Law Bulletin_.

David C. Thomas

Licensed attorney in the State of Illinois since 1980. Majored in Political Science and received my Bachelor of Arts Degree from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York City in 1976. Received my J.D. in 1979 from The Boston University School of Law. While I loved my time on the East Coast I was glad to return to my roots in Chicago. Since 1981, I’ve had the privilege of representing individuals and families who have been damaged by the negligence of others. I have fought for their rights and stood up against the big insurance companies and their lawyers who see my clients as nothing more than an insignificant number on a large balance sheet. Coming from a working class family I know what happens when paychecks disappear or the family car can no longer be driven. Probably the most important thing I’ve learned in my professional legal career is every case and every client is different. I’ve learned how important it is to treat my clients with respect and honesty. They expect it and they appreciate it.

Hon. George Andros (RET.)

George Andros joined Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers in 2021 after a 15 year career in public service as a Judicial Officer at the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission. From 2003 to 2018 George’s work included conducting over 1000 judicial hearings, 10,000 settlement reviews/approvals plus thousands of Pre-Trial Conferences in multiple counties from northern to southern Illinois. The Governor’s Advisory Board & Chair appointed him one of five certified in Illinois under section 19(p) of the WC Act to conduct hearings with binding fact findings and conclusions of law, akin to ADR, from 2006 to 2016. In 2017 his fellow Judicial Officers elected him as their own representative to the Commission Review Board (WC Act Sec. 11) -this time as the Chicago representative after prior election as the downstate representative. As an attorney, he practiced before the WC Commission, Circuit Court on civil & chancery matters plus the Appellate Court, U.S. Federal Court on ERISA, banking and Federal Bankruptcy cases. He tried cases in most counties across the state of Illinois. His professional interests are medical legal matters of all types, and vocational rehabilitation while presenting inter alia at the University of Chicago Center for Continuing Education, Paulson Center for Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Insurance Nurses Group, Illinois Association of Service Providers in Private Rehabilitation, plus county labor organizations, Chicago Insurance Claims Association and the National Business Institute. His teaching of nationwide physicians took place at the Illinois Trauma Symposium at the doctors’ behest. IIT & UIC law schools had him present capstone lectures while judging law school mock jury trial national competition over ten years for AAJ American Association for Justice. Conference leadership took place for the Council on Education in Management’s national program & National WC Attorneys Network nationwide programs. George is a faculty member of the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education on advanced workers compensation topics. Further, he is a presenter for the Illinois State Bar & Chicago Bar. The American Bar Association engaged him to teach attorneys from across the USA in annual conferences for both their workers’ compensation conferences plus labor & employment conferences. His role at the Commission included trainer of all Arbitrators, Commissioners, and staff attorneys & coordinating doctor presenters as required under the WC Reform Act. His publications include the topics of liability when employing contingent workers plus workers compensation settlement agreements- is it truly settled.

Joseph Vitell

Joseph A. Vitell was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. Mr. Vitell worked several blue collar jobs starting when he was six years old. Some of these jobs included shoveling coal, construction on expressways, and work as a plumber’s apprentice. In 1964, he received his college degree in Political Science and English from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. After graduating from the Valparaiso School of Law in 1969, Mr. Vitell began his practice of representing those who had been injured. Throughout his career, he has successfully represented tens of thousands of injured individuals from the most simple to the most serious accidents. Mr. Vitell has obtained some of the most memorable settlements, trial awards, and appellate decisions in Illinois. In one class action case, Mr. Vitell successfully concluded settlements for over 200 workers at Wilson Sporting Goods whose chemical reaction injuries arose from the manufacture of graphite-shaft tennis rackets. He also obtained a substantial worker’s compensation settlement for secretary who had severely injured a pinky finger resulting in her inability to work ever again. Mr. Vitell also obtained a favorable appellate court decision for a Cook County employee who was an intoxicated passenger in a truck accident. He obtained a settlement of $500,000 for the family of a worker whose injuries resulted in death. A substantial recovery after appeal was obtained for a ComEd worker who was stung by a bee resulting in serious reaction and permanent job change by Mr. Vitell. He also served as co-counsel in reaching a confidential settlement for the family of the driver of a sport utility vehicle who was killed in a rollover accident with both the automobile company and tire manufacturer. Mr. Vitell was also co-counsel in several cases where children had developed cancer as a result of chemicals being dumped by a manufacturer. He currently resides in the western suburbs of Chicago. Mr. Vitell is one of the most experienced leaders in Workers’ comp law in Chicago. Although he has a tireless work ethic, Mr. Vitell takes great pride in leading a well-rounded life. Mr. Vitell’s hobbies and interests include, reading, cooking, gardening, wine tasting, and most importantly spending as much time as he can with his wife and kids.