Swansea, IL

David Cates

Attorney David Cates is a seasoned trial lawyer and founding principal of The Cates Law Firm, LLC, focusing on nationally-recognized complex personal injury cases, including class action and mass torts lawsuits. He prides himself on preparing every case for trial and has been recognized as a member of the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Trial Lawyers since 2014 and selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers list each consecutive year since 2013 (Rising Star 2013-2021, Super Lawyers 2022-2025). He was part of a trial team that secured a record-breaking $95 million verdict in a corporate discrimination case and a $60 million verdict in an NEC baby formula case in 2024. David represents clients in work-related accidents, product liability, medical negligence, and employer-employee civil rights actions, and previously served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for St. Clair County and Hamilton County, Illinois. He is a strong proponent of union rights and protecting individuals against corporate fraud and deception.

Keith Short

Keith Short is a skilled and experienced litigator who has tried cases throughout Illinois and Missouri. He has litigated 26 jury trials in the last 10 years, winning 6 of 7 trials in 2023-2024, including medical malpractice, trucking, car accident, and premises liability cases, with his biggest case to date being $9.5 million. He has handled over 40 appeals and thousands of workers' compensation cases, winning approximately 90% of over 200 trials. He started his firm in 2011 after being a defense lawyer for 6 years and then a partner at a plaintiff firm. He was an elected alderman for the City of Edwardsville and is a certified mediator by Harvard and Northwestern Universities. He teaches continuing education legal seminars to other lawyers.

Laninya Andrea Cason

Laninya Andrea Cason is a licensed and experienced legal practitioner with over 20 years of diverse legal knowledge. She previously served as an Associate Justice in the 20th Judicial Circuit, St. Clair County, Illinois. Ms. Cason is dedicated to helping clients with criminal defense, personal injury, family law, and probate and estate administration matters.

Gary A. Growe

Gary A. Growe is founding partner of Growe Eisen Karlen Eilerts and has served as its managing partner since the inception of the firm. His law practice has focused on complex personal injury and commercial litigation. He has represented small and large businesses in a variety of contract and business tort cases, including bank litigation, partner and partnership disputes, shareholder disputes, fiduciary responsibilities, franchisor/franchisee relationships, real estate transactions, and security cases. In addition, he has represented well over one thousand clients in personal injury litigation, including claims of medical negligence, product defect, automobile collisions, premises liability, and employment related disputes. Mr. Growe has also handled class action cases and has served on court appointed steering committees for national class action claims. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Growe earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Indiana University in 1974 and his law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center in 1977. He has served on numerous not-for-profit boards and served three terms as an elected member of the Board of Education of the Ladue School District. He was a member of the adjunct faculty at the Washington University School of Law between 2005 and 2015. Mr. Growe’s accomplishments as a civil trial lawyer in the State of Missouri have earned him recognition in The Best Lawyers in America in the categories of commercial litigation and personal injury litigation. He has an AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, which is the highest professional and ethical recognition that can be given. Mr. Growe has been annually selected to Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers (recognizing the top five percent of lawyers in Missouri and Kansas) since 2011 in the areas of personal injury and commercial litigation. He is recognized as one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®.

Ryan J. Mahoney is a founding partner of The Cates Law Firm, LLC, focusing on employment law and personal injury, including catastrophic injury for clients in both Illinois and Missouri. He has extensive courtroom experience, recovering millions in settlements and verdicts, and has a strong reputation in high-profile cases involving sexual assault and employment discrimination. Ryan is admitted to practice in Illinois, Missouri, and Minnesota, as well as several U.S. District Courts. He was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2019 and 2020, and to the Super Lawyers list in 2021 and 2022.

Paul Marks

Paul Marks is an Attorney-At-Law at Sivia Law, directing litigation with over 15 years of experience in business, real estate, trusts & estates, insurance, complex-litigation, financial injury, and personal injury cases. He joined Sivia Law in 2014 and focuses on business entity matters and acts as general counsel for small-business clients. He is admitted to practice in Illinois, Missouri, U.S. Court of Appeals: Seventh Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, and U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois.

Matthew T. Nagel

Matt joined Growe Eisen Karlen Eilerts in 2023 and is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Illinois. Before joining GEKE, Matt was the founder and managing partner of BiState Law Center. Matt has extensive civil litigation experience, including personal injury, workers’ compensation, real estate, business, and intellectual property law. Matt earned both his Juris Doctorate and an LLM in intellectual property law from Washington University School of Law. Matt is an adjunct professor of law at Washington University School of Law and also teaches courses at Maryville University and Ranken Technical College. In his free time, Matt enjoys playing and coaching soccer. He also volunteers with SPENSA and the St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts.