English-Speaking Attorneys

Michael C. Black

Miami, FL

Michael C. Black has over 25 years of experience with admiralty and maritime law, handling cases ranging from cruise ship injuries to cargo damage claims. His skill as a litigator is a valuable asset. Mr. Black has been invited to speak on maritime issues at meetings held by such prestigious organizations as the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (SEALI) and the Florida Bar Admiralty Committee. Michael C. Black has been recognized by the Florida Bar Association as Board Certified Specialists in admiralty and maritime law. Board Certified lawyers are legal experts dedicated to professional excellence in their area of law.

Tina Zhang

Phoenix, AZ

Tina Zhang has successfully managed over 200 auto-accident cases, including complex commercial-vehicle collisions, coverage disputes, catastrophic-injury claims, and insurance bad-faith matters. She also advised clients on intellectual-property, estate-planning, and immigration issues. Fluent in English and Mandarin, Tina is admitted to practice in Arizona and California and serves on the Board of the Maricopa County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division (2025-2026). She brings a results-driven, client-first mindset, emphasizing early preparation, honest communication, and relentless advocacy.

Manuela Maria Freitas

Hartford, CT

Attorney Manuela Maria Freitas has worked with Attorney Dressler & Associates, now Dressler Strickland, since 1994. "Nela" speaks three languages fluently - English, Spanish and Portuguese, and is committed to the Latino and Portuguese community. She represents personal injury cases of considerable size and scope and brings a strong work ethic along with cross-cultural understanding to her practice.

David H. McCain

Macon, GA

David H. McCain, Esq. is an attorney who treats every client’s matter as the most critical case. He values relationships with clients, listening to their stories and empathizing with them to pursue compensation and closure.

Joel D. Kershaw

Monroe, MI

Joel D. Kershaw has been practicing law since 2007 and is a lifelong resident of Southeastern Michigan. He graduated from Wayne Memorial High School, Western Michigan University, and Ave Maria School of Law, where he served as an editor for the Law Review. He is an active member and former President of the Carleton Rotary Club, and a member of the Board of Directors of Embrace Monroe. He is a proud advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Monroe County Bar Association, and the Monroe County Criminal Defense Bar Association. He is licensed to practice in Michigan state courts, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the Federal Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

Rey Padron is a personal injury lawyer who handles car accident injuries, property insurance claims, criminal, and traffic defense. He is dedicated to getting clients the compensation and justice they deserve, treating them like family, and is not afraid to go to trial.

Alexander T. Lewis has a proven track record fighting for the rights of victims and getting them the compensation they deserve. He earned his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law in 2014 and has years of experience in personal injury law, including catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, and commercial vehicle accidents. He is known for his aggressive litigation style, results-oriented approach, and personalized attention to clients, with a record of multiple million and multi-million dollar recoveries. He is admitted to The Florida Bar and the U.S. District Court. He has served as President of the St. Petersburg Bar Association Young Lawyers Section and is active in the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and the St. Petersburg Young Professionals group.

Ashley Spencer

El Paso, TX

A native El Pasoan and proud graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, Ashley's upbringing translated into a passion for helping others in her community. She practiced in the medical field as a Certified Clinical Laboratory Scientist with The Hospitals of Providence throughout El Paso before shifting her career into law. While attending Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas, Ashley was selected to be a teacher's assistant to help prepare for and teach classes to her colleagues. Ashley graduated in two and half years from Thurgood Marshall with the highest academic distinction of "Summa Cum Laude." Before graduating from law school, Ashley took and passed the Texas Bar Exam, making her one of few students in her class to walk the graduation stage as a licensed attorney. Ashley prioritizes giving back to the community by volunteering at various locations to provide legal advice on various immigration issues. She was a guest speaker at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Nationalization Ceremony in 2019, where close to 1,000 immigrants became United States citizens. Her practice areas include Probate/Estate Planning and Immigration.

David Gelman

Cherry Hill, NJ

David Gelman was born and raised in South Jersey, attending Moorestown High School. He received his education from the University of Arkansas, where he obtained both his undergraduate and law degree. Upon admission to the bar, David served a clerkship for the Honorable John Tomasello in the Superior Court of New Jersey. He then spent time in private practice before joining the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office in 2013, where he handled numerous cases from drug offenses to murder. David founded Gelman Law to provide outstanding service and favorable results to his clients.

Donald S. Andersen practices in Kansas, focusing on medical malpractice, personal injury, premises liability, and workers’ compensation. He received his B.A., cum laude, from Kansas State University in 1982 and his Juris Doctorate from Washburn University in 1985, the year he was admitted to the Kansas bar. He is a member of the Wichita and Kansas Bar Associations and the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Governors). He joined the firm in 2008.

James Shoecraft

Dallas, TX

James Shoecraft has been a Dallas-based attorney since 1965. He has been Board Certified in Personal Injury by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization continually since 1987. He specializes in personal injury and worker’s compensation cases and is certified as a general and family law mediator. He is an active member and past director of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association.

Jane E. Unsell

Wood River, IL

Jane Unsell graduated from Oklahoma City University Law School at the top of her class in 1979. Following her admission to the Illinois and Oklahoma bars, Ms. Unsell began her private practice with the Madison County law firm of Bernard and Davidson located in Granite City, Illinois. She remained there until 1986, at which time she opened her own law practice in East Alton, Illinois. During her work at Bernard and Davidson, Ms. Unsell prepared and tried multiple cases before Madison and St. Clair County, Illinois juries. She has represented insurance companies, defended individuals and prosecuted claims for injured parties. In 1995, after leaving Bernard and Davidson and opening the law office of Unsell & Unsell she obtained a jury verdict for an injured plaintiff in an auto/truck which was recorded as the largest plaintiff verdict at the time in Macoupin County, Illinois. At present, she focuses her practice primarily on representing clients injured in motor vehicle accidents. Additionally, she represents individuals who have been wrongfully denied insurance coverage. She also handles contested estate and guardianship cases, she now sits as a hearing panel member for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission in Springfield, Illinois. Mrs. Unsell is the senior partner in the law firm of Unsell, Schattnik & Phillips, PC which she founded in 1992. In 2010, she relocated the office from East Alton to Wood River, Illinois.

Alan Eisner

Encino, CA

Alan Eisner has practiced criminal law for over 28 years in Los Angeles County. He is a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by The California State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization. He has litigated hundreds of felony and misdemeanor criminal cases and successfully represented clients at all stages of courtroom proceedings.

Eugene Bykhovsky is a personal injury attorney and the leader of Bykhovsky Law, specializing in personal injury, workers' compensation, and employment law in Wisconsin. He offers services in English, Spanish, and Russian.

Jeanette M. Petersen

Seattle, WA

Jeanette M. Petersen is Of Counsel at PWRFL, specializing in appellate litigation of personal injury cases, civil rights litigation, and business disputes. She graduated cum laude from the University of Washington and earned her Juris Doctorate from UW School of Law in 1998 with high honors. Her career includes judicial clerkships for appellate judges and ten years at the Institute for Justice, focusing on First Amendment and civil rights litigation. She joined PWRFL in 2018.

Philip F. Spillane

Danbury, CT

Philip F. Spillane received his J.D. from Western New England College School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Connecticut. He has been practicing law since 1978, focusing on Personal Injury and Worker’s Compensation. He successfully argued Harpaz v. Laidlaw Transit, Inc. in the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Timothy D. Houston

Charleston, WV

Tim Houston’s practice at Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC primarily focuses on representing clients whose lives have been devastated by the medical malpractice of healthcare facilities and providers. Tim is a seasoned litigator with nearly 15 years of experience litigating cases involving highly complex matters of science and medicine in state and federal courts across the country. Tim has substantial trial and appellate experience representing West Virginians who have been tragically injured through no fault of their own as well as businesses large and small in complex contract and commercial disputes. Tim’s practice areas include medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, toxic exposure, environmental contamination, product defect, premises liability, workplace discrimination and harassment, and complex business disputes. Before joining Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC in 2022, Tim was the member-in-charge of the Charleston, West Virginia office of a multi-state law practice specializing in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims in addition to medical malpractice and product defect cases. Tim also served as the firm’s general counsel. Tim’s recent successes include cases against neurosurgeons, general practitioners, hospitalists, chiropractors, and emergency personnel for the failure to timely diagnose vertebral osteomyelitis and Cauda Equina Syndrome resulting in paraplegia as well as surgical error and negligent post-operative care cases causing catastrophic personal injuries and death. Tim has also successfully brought claims against healthcare professionals for the over-prescription of highly addictive and highly lethal opioids and against nursing homes for failure to provide adequate care to patients who cannot care for themselves during the most vulnerable time in their lives. Tim has also successfully resolved product defect claims against manufacturers, importers, and online retailers. While studying at The Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University, Tim finished third in his class, graduating summa cum laude. Tim served as senior staff member of the Duquesne Law Review, was a member of Duquesne’s renowned National Moot Court Team, earning Order of the Barristers, and was the recipient of the Distinguished Student Award and other various accolades for the highest academic achievements. A few years after graduation, Tim was accepted into the prestigious Trial College at Stanford Law School in Palo Alto, California, where he studied trial advocacy.

Emily France

Charleston, WV

Emily France began practicing law in 2011 and joined Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC as an attorney in 2021. Emily’s legal career spans commercial litigation in a large global law firm, federal and state judicial work, and plaintiff-side representation of injured clients. Her current practice focuses on personal injury claims, civil rights, and federal appeals. She has earned a reputation for excellence in complex legal drafting. After earning an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a master’s degree in writing from the University of Southern Maine, Emily was awarded the Jurist Scholarship to Valparaiso University School of Law, where she was named the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. Emily completed a one-year federal judicial externship in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana for the Honorable Joseph Van Bokkelen. She also completed a summer judicial clerkship in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, for Judge Randye Kogan. Outside of the legal field, Emily is an accomplished writer. Her books have been chosen as a Washington Post Best Book, an Apple Best Book of the Month, a POPSUGAR Best New Historical Fiction, and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly.

Jesse M. Minc

New York, NY

Jesse M. Minc is an associate at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff, LLP, known for his dedication and advocacy for the injured. He graduated from Vanderbilt Law School in 2011 and previously worked at a Wall Street law firm and served as a law clerk. He is admitted to practice in New York and federal district courts.

Michael D. Cleaves

Statesville, NC

Attorney Michael D. Cleaves is a talented and versatile lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, known for his reputation for results in criminal, personal injury, and workplace accident matters. He protects clients' rights in court and in negotiations with insurers, helping them understand their legal options and tailoring representation to their specific circumstances.

Yara Garcia is the leader of Yara Garcia & Abogadas, a bilingual law firm in Birmingham, Alabama. She has a deep understanding of the emotional and financial impact of court proceedings and provides guidance and representation in family law, immigration, and personal injury cases. She is admitted to practice in the Northern District of Alabama and the Immigration Court and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Cassandra L. Block (formerly Dulepski)

Hartford, CT

Attorney Cassandra L. Block is a graduate of Quinnipiac University and the University of Connecticut School of Law. Her practice is focused on the areas of personal injury and workers' compensation, as well as housing and animal law matters. Attorney Block handles all aspects of the firm's cases from intake to filing suit in court, mediation, arbitration, trial and settlement. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, including the Young Lawyers Section, Women in the Law Section, LGBT Section, and Chair of the Animal Law Section, as well as the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association. Attorney Block is committed to pro bono work in several areas including eviction defense. She and her wife have three dogs - Everest, Logan and Ro - all of whom love coming into the office, and three cats - Bernice, Cocoa Puff and Grayson! They also welcomed their son Reilly on September 25, 2024.

Clay Phillips

Montgomery, AL

Clay Phillips is a Montgomery, Alabama native and attorney with a unique background in construction. He holds a B.S. in Building Science from Auburn University and a Juris Doctorate from Thomas Goode Jones School of Law (2014). Prior to his legal career, he worked in construction for four years and owned his own construction company from 2002 to 2014, holding general contractor licenses in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, as well as an Alabama real estate license. He also served as a Deputy District Attorney in Montgomery for almost two years. Licensed in Alabama and Florida, Clay is known for his passionate, logical, and persistent approach to law, particularly in personal injury and construction litigation. He is actively involved in his community, serving as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church of Montgomery, and is a past board member of the One Place Family Justice Center. He is dedicated to providing personalized legal representation and a client-first approach.

David I. Grunfeld

Philadelphia, PA

David Grunfeld is Of Counsel, specializing in Family Law, Commercial Litigation and Collections, Bankruptcy, Estate Planning and Administration, and Professional Responsibility. He is recognized for his expertise in legal ethics and has served as an expert witness.