English-Speaking Attorneys

Julia A. Cryne

Omaha, NE

Julia is a bilingual immigration attorney representing clients from every inhabited continent. With her deliberate approach to casework that involves giving each client one-on-one attention and creating accurate plans for their path to success, Attorney Julia Cryne has enjoyed many impressive immigration case successes throughout her career. Recently, Julia helped a renowned Russian biologist who was working on critical disease research, treatments, and cures to obtain a National Interest Waiver and green card. She guided a Navy veteran in applying for rapid citizenship due to his honorable service. She helped a young son who had been separated from his mother in a refugee camp in Uganda for more than 7 years to reunite with her and gain a green card. She also aided a Guatemalan family in obtaining political asylum status before the Immigration Court. When asked about what inspires her to continue to do great work, Julia often notes her clients’ courage. Immigrating to a new country, often without speaking the same language or knowing how to get by, figuring out how to survive, working so hard to support themselves and their families, and contributing to the great American melting pot all take bravery and great strides. She respects her clients as people, as well as valuing the skills and knowledge that they possess, and she is a tremendous advocate for their rights and petitions before immigration agencies in their names. Attorney Cryne is compassionate, listening to her client’s stories and finding ways to help wherever possible. She is an immigration specialist who takes the time to stay current with the constant stream of changes in this area of law to best serve her clients. She is also fluent in English and Spanish. Julia grew up right here in Omaha, Nebraska, where Carlson & Blakeman is headquartered. When not working on a case for a client, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to distant places, playing the piano, and horseback riding. She is a big fan of the music by The Beatles.

L. Kat Allen

Waukegan, IL

L. Kat Allen joined The Law Offices of Del Re Law Group, P.C. in October of 2014. Ms. Allen was admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois in November of 2010. Ms. Allen has practiced exclusively within the area of family law since graduation from law school and has also practiced in the counties of Cook and DuPage. She is a court-appointed mediator, child representative, and guardian ad litem for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit.

Lydia Pizzonia

Albuquerque, NM

Lydia Pizzonia was born in Amarillo, Texas, and moved to New Mexico in 1989. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UNM School of Law in 2019. Prior to law school, she earned a BSBA in finance from Adams State University in 2006. She worked in the UNM law clinic, practicing Indian Law, and received the 'Outstanding Clinical Student Award'. She has worked as CFO for Pizzonia Law since 2014 and became an associate attorney after graduating law school. She is licensed to practice in New Mexico since 2019.

Patricia C. Wall-Santiago

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Patricia C. Wall-Santiago is an energetic and passionate immigration attorney, focusing exclusively on helping foreign nationals and immigrants with business, investment, and residency in the U.S. She received her law degree in June 2003 from Interamerican University School of Law and has extensive experience in U.S. immigration and nationality laws, representing clients from over 15 countries.

Eric E. Kinsman

Elkhart, IN

Attorney Eric Kinsman attended Bethel College, Mishawaka, Indiana, and earned his Juris Doctor Law Degree from DePaul University School of Law, Chicago Illinois. His private law practice focuses primarily on defending persons charged with violating Indiana’s criminal law as well as clearing their name by seeking relief under Indiana’s Expungement statute. He believes in an aggressive defense aimed at obtaining a dismissal or reduction of the charge, challenging evidence and truthfulness of witnesses through pre-trial motions and hearings, and building the strongest defense possible to protect clients' rights and freedom.

William J. Edwards

Florence, SC

William J. Edwards is an attorney at Finklea, Hendrick & Blake, LLC, focusing on general litigation, business litigation, criminal law, and personal injury. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina and his Juris Doctor from the Charleston School of Law, being admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2020. He is committed to helping clients navigate difficult situations with honesty, dedication, and a strong work ethic.

Andrew P. Meier

Springboro, OH

Andrew P. Meier is an associate attorney focusing on domestic relations and civil litigation. He is a certified Guardian ad Litem and is licensed to practice law in Ohio and Michigan.

Brian holds both a Finance and Law degree from the University of Florida. Brian began his Orlando law career defending insurance companies. Since 2000, Brian has dedicated his practice to representing injured parties and their families.

Sylvia Cabrera

Seattle, WA

Sylvia Cabrera is fluent in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese. Sylvia currently heads the Hispanic department of Herrmann Law Group, leading our effort to better serve the largest and fastest growing minority in Washington State. Sylvia was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. She received her J.D. from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. Later, she earned a Master of Arts in Diplomatic Studies from the Diplomatic Mexican Academy; a Global Master of Arts from Tufts University, in Boston, MA and, recently a LL.M. from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She joined the Mexican Foreign Service in 1998 and served in different areas of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico and abroad. She has alternated her professional career between the public service and the academic sector. She was a professor in the areas of public international law, multilateral and bilateral negotiations, and world legal systems. Before joining our team, Sylvia served as Deputy Consul at the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle for 6 years where she was deeply engaged in providing better opportunities to the Mexican community in Washington State. Her work there has influenced her commitment to building alliances with numerous organizations and government agencies in the Pacific Northwest to advance the rights of the Hispanic community. Sylvia is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization La TribUne dedicated to make trustworthy resources readily available for the Hispanic community in Washington through a web-based platform. From legal assistance to business and wellness, the platform is designed to walk the user through different options to solve a particular issue. You can follow on Facebook. She is admitted to practice law in Mexico.

William Sayegh

San Dimas, CA

William Sayegh, President and Lead Attorney, founded Sayegh Law Firm in 1991. He graduated from Southwestern University School of Law and interned at the California Court of Appeals. He is actively involved in community programs, civic organizations, and teaches law at Azusa Pacific University. He also worked to declare April 27 as California’s official Stop Texting and Driving Day.

Paola Perez has focused the majority of her professional career in personal injury and general liability. Prior to becoming the Paralegal for the Law Firm of R. Sam, she worked for a total of 18 years handling third party liability claims (from pre-litigation through trial) for two of the largest personal injury law firms in the Central Valley.

Robbie Smith

Atlanta, GA

Robbie Smith represents injured workers across Georgia. He joined Moebes Law in 2025 after more than a decade defending employers and insurers in workers’ compensation claims, and then leading a high-volume claimant-side practice at Morgan & Morgan. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Mercer Law School, where he was a member of Law Review. He also holds degrees in Public Administration and Political Science from Georgia College.

Cornel Potra

Suwanee, GA

Attorney Cornel Potra attended Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia and graduated in May of 2000. During law school, Attorney Potra prayed about the area where God wanted him to live and the area of law that God wanted him to practice. He took the Washington State Bar Exam in 2000, and he began Potra Law Firm in the attic of his Virginia home in January 2001, where he first practiced immigration law. Shortly after his wife’s graduation from law school in 2001, they moved to Georgia to continue their work in this field, and he became a member of the Georgia Bar in 2005. Attorney Potra enjoys working in the field of immigration because this field enables him to integrate his education with his personal experiences as well as his passion for those new to this country. Attorney Potra sees immigration law as an opportunity to creatively and zealously fight for his clients.

Nellie Niakossary is Of Counsel to Bausch Law Group, maintaining her own law practice while collaborating on select matters. She specializes in personal injury, construction law, business law, corporate law, healthcare law, and cannabis law. She earned her Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School in 2017 and was admitted to the California State Bar in December 2018.

David W. Hands, Esq.

Charlotte, NC

As founder of Hands Law Firm, David W. Hands, Esq., is dedicated to fighting for the rights of people who suffer life-changing injuries. He earned his juris doctor with high honors, magna cum laude, from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science from Fayetteville State University. He gained invaluable experience as an antitrust Attorney with the Federal Trade Commission.

Karen Edler has twenty-four years of experience in the field of education law, including advocating for parents in connection with obtaining a free, appropriate public education for their children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”). Ms. Edler provides a wide range of services to parents including obtaining appropriate educational services from school districts, reviewing Individual Education Plans (“IEP”) and Section 504 Plans. Ms. Edler represents any student with educational issues including handling school disciplinary matters and board hearings through all levels of education. She also provides special needs planning, including the preparation of Special Needs Trusts and guardianship applications. Ms. Edler is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s School Law Committee and a member of the New Jersey Special Education Practitioners group. Ms. Edler also works as a pro bono attorney and mentor for Volunteer Lawyers for Justice. Ms. Edler presents and participates in numerous special education and advocacy seminars and panels. Ms. Edler participated in a Volunteer Lawyers for Justice free webinar, Special Education Law and Advocacy During COVID-19, for parents of children with special needs. Ms. Edler was a panelist on NJ Spotlight’s Virtual Roundtable: School’s Out: Special Education During COVID-19 which also included the Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education, the Director of the Office of Special Education and an educator from Pennsauken. Ms. Edler also practices in the areas of commercial real estate, corporate transactions, and commercial leasing. Ms. Edler manages numerous commercial real estate acquisitions and closings, including an urban renewal redevelopment matter with a loan and bond facilities totaling in excess of eighty-five million dollars. Ms. Edler also handles corporate formation, mergers and acquisitions and advises businesses on corporate matters. Ms. Edler is a cum laude graduate of Dickinson College, where she earned a BA degree in Political Science, with a minor in Latin. She earned her law degree, cum laude, from New York Law School, where she was the Managing Editor of New York Law School Journal of International and Comparative Law. After law school, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Robert E. Hamer, J.S.C., Law Division, Bergen County. During the course of her career, Ms. Edler litigated in numerous courts and represented various public entities including municipalities, planning boards, and boards of adjustment. Additionally, she served as the Public Defender in a Bergen County municipality. Karen Edler was selected to 2021 list of AV Preeminent lawyers. This award is conferred by Martindale-Hubbell. A description of the selection methodology can be found at https://www.martindale.com/ratings-and-reviews/. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. She is a partner of the firm.

Jose Luis Hernandez is a Legal Assistant with a background in engineering, psychology, and economics. He has been working in the legal field since 2008, previously with Semirog Law Firm and now with Curcio Anderson Law. He assists in personal injury, family law, traffic citations, and civil cases, successfully managing hundreds of cases. He is fluent in English and Spanish.

Towle Neu

Minneapolis, MN

Towle is a business and transactional attorney with more than 20 years of experience. His practice focuses on real estate, asset and stock transactions, new business creation and expansion, outside general counsel services, and lending. He provides strategic legal counsel to a wide range of clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, in various industries, from commercial finance and real estate development to life sciences and manufacturing. Towle started his legal career over 24 years ago at a prominent construction litigation firm in Minneapolis, but eventually transitioned to real estate transactional and lending work. Prior to joining Sapientia in 2015, he was also the owner of an independent filmmaking business and a solo practitioner. Coupled with his transactional and general counsel experience, this unique background and gives Towle invaluable insight to understanding his clients’ needs and concerns and fuels his commitment to client loyalty, cost-effective service, and creative solutions. Towle works closely with his clients on day-to-day operational and growth issues, as well as finding creative solutions to critical business decisions, including company formation, ownership structure and change, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, contracts and licensing, private equity and financing, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial business transactions. In this capacity, he prides himself on being a loyal and trusted confidante to his clients, which gives them the freedom to focus on their business priorities and strategic decisions, not legal concerns. Towle also has significant experience representing owners, developers, and lenders in all aspects of real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, construction lending, and project management, including drafting, negotiating, closing, and administering construction and term loans; negotiating construction contracts, commercial leases, purchase agreements, and declarations of restrictive covenants, and review and analysis of title and survey, environmental, corporate compliance, and all other due diligence.

William E. Mejia

Houston, TX

William E. Mejia is the founding attorney of The Mejia Law Firm. He graduated from Baylor University and Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2008. He served 10 years as a prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, trying over 40 jury trials and prosecuting thousands of criminal cases. He is licensed in Texas and is fully bilingual.

Courtney Troyan

Huntington, NY

Courtney Troyan is the newest attorney at Palermo Law. She received her undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University and her JD degree from Touro University in 2023. She focuses on personal injury law, including car accident litigation, premises liability, and construction accidents, and is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for her clients.

Jayla R. Lombardo

Rochester, NY

Jayla brings over a decade of legal experience with a focus on civil and real estate litigation and past experience in creditors’ rights. She is known for her compassionate approach to client advocacy, her skill in negotiation and courtroom representation, and her commitment to community engagement.

Jennifer Knarich has been with the firm for over twenty years and concentrates in the areas of land use, zoning and planning, governmental permits and approvals. She represents municipalities, corporate clients, commercial and residential developers in the land development approval process and is knowledgeable in all areas of local, state, and federal zoning principles. Ms. Knarich has been involved in several private mixed use redevelopment projects, senior housing, and affordable housing projects. In the field of outdoor advertising and telecommunications law, she represents several outdoor advertising companies and wireless telecommunication carriers with respect to land use and zoning, municipal contracts, title issues, public bidding and commercial leasing. Ms. Knarich also serves in the role of counsel for municipal planning boards. Ms. Knarich is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, which seeks to advance the development of the commercial, retail, and shopping center industry by bringing together owners, developers, investors, lenders, retailers, and other professionals. She is also a member of The Women’s Pipeline Network which is comprised of female professionals in retail real estate. She has served as a lecturer at several seminar events, including the Bergen County Land Use Symposium for the Bar Association and The Women’s Pipeline. Ms. Knarich is admitted to practice in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York and is a member of the American Bar Association, New Jersey, New York, Rockland County Bar Association, and Bergen County Bar Associations. She also serves on her Village’s Planning Board as a planning board member. Ms. Knarich is a graduate of Union College with honors and received her law degree, cum laude, from Pace University School of Law. While at Pace, she earned a Merit Scholarship and also participated in the Grand Moot Court Competition, the Securities Arbitration Clinic where she interned at the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), and Honor Board. She served as a judicial intern for the Honorable George M. Bergerman, Judge of the Supreme Court of New York State, Rockland County. Prior to joining Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio, P.C., she worked as a Site Development Coordinator for T-Mobile, Inc. formerly known as, Voicestream Wireless/Omnipoint Communications.

Lety Garza

BROWNSVILLE, TX

Lety Garza, a Brownsville native and Saint Joseph Academy graduate, is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her upbringing emphasized higher education, and she is a native Spanish speaker proficient in Portuguese. Lety believes in practicing law with honesty, commitment, and hard work. She is dedicated to helping individuals harmed by the recklessness of others, preparing each case for trial, and her persistence has led to favorable outcomes for her clients.

Conner C. Lee

Spring, TX

Conner was born and raised in Magnolia, Texas. After graduating from Magnolia High School, he played two years of baseball at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. He then attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas where he obtained his Bachelor degree in Marketing. He stayed in Lubbock and pursued his law degree at Texas Tech University School of Law, earning his Doctorate in Jurisprudence in 2020. Conner has been working on personal injury matters with his father since 2015 as a law clerk. His greatest joy is fighting zealously for his clients to obtain a favorable result in their case.