Macomb, IL

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.

Larry A. Apfelbaum

Larry joined the Springfield office of Kanoski Bresney in 1989 and opened the firm's Bloomington office in 1995. Along with his staff of dedicated legal assistants in Bloomington and Champaign, Larry has successfully represented thousands of personal injury and workers’ compensation clients throughout central Illinois for more than 30 years. Larry was born in Freeport, Illinois, and raised in the Chicago area with three brothers. After graduating from Illinois State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree focusing on business administration and accounting, he attended the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1987. Larry's first position was at a general practice law firm in Bloomington before he joined Kanoski Bresney to concentrate on personal injury and workers' compensation cases. Larry quickly realized that the laws are often too complicated for lay people to understand, and insurance companies like to take advantage of this fact. By focusing his legal work on helping injured people, Larry has sought to level the playing field with big insurance companies. Larry has been married to his wife, Karen, since 1988. They share their home with three rescue pugs - Ebony, Lola and Reilly - and five rescue cats - Fuzz, Banjo, Oscar, Marley and Pepper. Together Larry and Karen are big believers in giving back, and donate their time and talents to several local non-profit organizations.

Roby M. Javoronok

Roby Javoronok joined Kanoski Bresney as an associate in October 2020 with over 14 years of workers' compensation experience. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he spent his childhood in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Roby graduated cum laude at Western Illinois University and Illinois Centennial Honors College before attending law school at Southern Illinois University. He enjoys traveling and working throughout Illinois. After law school, he has happily resided in Central Illinois. Roby concentrates his practice on workers' compensation and civil litigation. Roby has litigated cases on behalf of petitioners and respondents in each Illinois Workers Compensation Commission venue, giving him great familiarity with tendencies of a wide number of opposing attorneys and developing strong relationships with judges, arbitrators, and commissioners. He has obtained several favorable decisions from arbitrators and has successfully argued before the Illinois Appellate Court. With experience in civil litigation, Roby also appears in circuit and appellate courts. Roby is a litigator at heart and has a passion for securing favorable verdicts for his clients. Furthermore, Roby knows the value of negotiating favorable settlements to avoid delays caused by trial. He knows the strategic value of utilizing investigation, depositions, and medical experts to leverage favorable settlements, or to be fully prepared for trial while remaining cost-sensitive in achieving the client's desired result. Roby has conducted numerous seminars for clients and colleagues regarding workers' compensation laws and strategic case handling. He received multiple "Emerging Lawyer" awards in Leading Lawyers magazine, a distinction that is only given to the top 2% of the lawyers in the state of Illinois under the age of 40.

John J. Waldman

A lifelong resident of Illinois, John Waldman raised his family in the Pekin/Peoria area, where he resides today. John attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, graduating with University Honors with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Paralegal Studies. He began practicing law after graduating from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1988. After law school, John began working for a law firm that primarily did work for insurance companies, defending personal injury and workers' compensation claims. Trying to save insurance companies money at the expense of innocent accident victims was not very rewarding. He joined Kanoski Bresney in 1994 and has worked tirelessly for injured victims ever since. John is an avid NASCAR fan and craft beer enthusiast.

Todd A. Bresney

Todd is the Senior Partner and Equity Shareholder of the law firm of Kanoski Bresney. He took over operations in January 2018 after his partner and firm founder, Ron Kanoski, retired. He is also the Senior Trial Attorney who manages the complex litigation division. Todd is married and has three children, which he proudly devotes 100% of his time to when he is not working. Todd was born and raised in a small farming community located 10 miles outside of Normal, Illinois. After graduating from Illinois State University in 1992, he put himself through Chicago-Kent Law School and graduated with notable honors. Namely, he received the highest grade in Trial Advocacy I and II, was named to the Dean's List, and served as co-captain of the nationally recognized law school Mock Trial Team. He has worked at the Federal Trade Commission and the States Attorney for Cook County. However, he spent the majority of his Chicago career working downtown for some of the largest insurers and corporations in the country, who he quickly realized were using the litigation system as a business tool to save themselves money at the expense of incomprehensible suffering. After this realization, Todd switched sides to work directly for the victims of this abuse, and he moved his small family back home to central Illinois in 2002. He has since dedicated his professional life to sticking up for people who were harmed by others and who he believes are bullied and victimized by powerful insurance companies. He has an incredibly unique perspective from being a top trial attorney for many of these companies. He has litigated and tried cases all over the nation and throughout Illinois.

William J. Harrington

Mr. Harrington joined the firm of Kanoski Bresney in November of 2014. Prior to making the move, he was a personal injury defense attorney for more than 20 years. This background and experience allow him to anticipate the defenses the insurance companies will use and stop them from wrongly denying your claims. Suffering an unexpected personal injury can be frightening and traumatic. The most gratifying part of his job is the initial meeting with clients, where he can answer all their questions, explain exactly what to expect, and alleviate their concerns in their time of need. His practice includes all types of personal injury cases including motor vehicle accidents, truck accidents, premises liability, construction negligence, and wrongful death and survival cases. He is an avid freshwater fisherman and can often be spotted in his waders in area lakes and rivers.

Gina Couri-Cyphers

Gina received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois and Juris Doctor from Southern Illinois University School of Law. During law school, Gina served as the Assistant Managing Editor of the Journal of Legal Medicine's Legal Medicine Perspectives. Additionally, she interned at the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office. Following graduation from law school, Gina worked for a large general practice defense firm in Springfield, Illinois. In 2018, Gina decided to focus her career on helping the injured and joined Kanoski Bresney. Gina has tried many personal injury cases to jury and bench verdict.