English-Speaking Attorneys

Robert H. Smalley III

Dalton, GA

Robert is an AV Preeminent rated attorney, with a wide range of experience in many areas of the law. Robert excels in wrongful death, personal injury, worker's compensation, local government law, commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Since commencing his practice in 1992 in Georgia and 1993 in Tennessee, Robert has handled countless complex matters, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in difficult and contentious litigation in State and Federal Courts. Due to his diverse practice, Robert has developed a unique understanding of how to manage controversies and how to achieve the right result for his clients. In 2001, Robert was named Whitfield County Attorney and has held that position since. In that capacity Robert represents the County Board of Commissioners and all elected officials, and provides legal advice to many local agencies. In 2002, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia appointed Robert as Liaison Counsel in the nationwide Tri State Crematory Litigation. He was tasked with coordinating nearly 1,500 claimants through the years-long federal litigation. Robert's steady hand, genuine care for the victims and tough strategy led to a stunning multi-million dollar result against the nearly fifty funeral home defendants involved in the class action. In 2007, Robert was again tasked with leadership in a multi-district litigation, regarding tainted Peter Pan peanut butter. In Re: ConAgra Peanut Butter litigation consisted of thousands of injured plaintiffs and approximately 1500 cases. Robert negotiated hundreds of settlements for the victims in the case and was commended by the appointing court for his diligence in the matter. In addition to his complex litigation experience, Robert has handled a number of wrongful death cases and catastrophic personal injury cases to conclusion over his career, including a jury verdict in 1997 that was among the largest personal injury verdicts ever awarded in Whitfield County at the time. Given his extensive experience, even-handed demeanor, and ability to get along with all sides, Robert has built a successful mediation practice in North Georgia and the surrounding areas. Over the last 20 years, Robert has successfully mediated a wide range of cases, including personal injury cases, estate matters, commercial disputes, condemnation matters and domestic relation cases. Robert is particularly proud of his track record of resolving complicated and complex matters brought to him for mediation. In addition to his mediation practice, Robert has been appointed on a number of occasions as an arbitrator or special master, both by Courts and by private attorneys. In addition to his professional experience, Robert has given freely of his time in the local community and to organizations promoting the profession. Robert has served for the past seventeen years on the Whitfield Healthcare Foundation, supporting the local hospital. For the past five years, he has led the organization as Chairman, completing a $6.2 million dollar capital campaign. He presently serves as Chairman of the Signature Gifts Committee of the Foundation as it embarks on an $8 million dollar campaign for a new regional cancer institute. Robert also served as Chairman for the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce for the past two years, leading that thousand member organization and chairing the search committee for a new Chamber President in 2015. Robert has been equally active in his church, First Presbyterian Church of Dalton. He is an elder and recently served as Chairman of the Building Committee. He also serves the larger church on the Synod of the South Atlantic Permanent Judicial Council and he will serve the Cherokee Presbytery in 2017 as Moderator (or Chairman) for all the churches in North Georgia. Robert has been elected three times to represent his local Bar as a member of the State of Georgia Board of Bar Governors and has served in that position since 2011. In 2016 he was named by the judge of the Federal District of Court to serve on the United States Magistrate Committee. Robert graduated from Davidson College in 1989 and continued his education at the University of Georgia School of Law where he graduated with honors in 1992. He is licensed to practice law in Georgia and Tennessee, and is admitted to all appellate courts in Georgia and Tennessee, along with Federal Courts in both states, including the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sean Pleus

Boca Raton, FL

Sean is a native Floridian who earned his degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida, and his Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University. He began his career as a claims adjuster for a major insurance company. Sean then worked as a paralegal for a Personal Injury firm where he gained additional valuable experience. Sean earned his degree while working full time and attending classes at night. His experience working for both Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s has given him a greater understanding of how the claims process works, fine-tuned his negotiation skills, and taught him how to tailor the management of each claim to the client’s specific goals to get their life back on track. Sean is passionate about giving back to the community and stays involved in various charitable organizations, including Gilda’s Club of South Florida, Leadership Broward, Children’s Harbor, ARC Broward, and his Church. Sean is admitted to practice in the State of Florida and is a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association.

John Cannady-Miller

Louisville, KY

John Cannady-Miller is an attorney at Isaacs & Isaacs, specializing in personal injury cases including car, motorcycle, and commercial truck accident injuries. He earned his J.D. from John Marshall Law School in 2012 and dual degrees from Frostburg State University. With prior experience in the insurance and finance industries, John brings valuable insight to his practice. He has secured multiple million-dollar settlements for injured clients and is a member of the Louisville Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, Kentucky Justice Association, and Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In his free time, he enjoys coaching youth baseball, golfing, and spending time with his family.

Kenneth H. Stone

San Diego, CA

Kenneth H. Stone is the managing attorney and has been licensed to practice law in California since 1978 and has been representing clients in litigation matters for the past 45 years. He has substantial jury trial, bench trial, arbitration and mediation experience in the areas of probate litigation, will & trust contests, business, real estate, personal injury, and professional liability. He holds an AV Preeminent 5 out of 5 peer review rating from Martindale Hubbell.

Zachary N. Gordon

Pittsburgh, PA

Mr. Gordon’s practice focuses on commercial, personal injury, medical malpractice, and appellate litigation. He has served clients as lead counsel before trial and appellate courts across Pennsylvania. He also regularly represents media and other clients in matters involving the Right-to-Know-Law, Freedom of Information Act, and other methods of obtaining public records and court records as well as defending those accused of defamation. Mr. Gordon received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude and earned membership in both the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Barristers. He also earned the John P. Gismondi certificate in civil litigation for completing specialized litigation coursework. Before law school, Mr. Gordon graduated magna cum laude from Juniata College earning his Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Politics.

Joseph T. Ireland

Covington, KY

My name is Joseph Ireland. I am one of the firm's managing partners. Since my first year of law school, I knew I wanted to be a trial attorney. I am proud to say I followed my passion and have never given up my drive to become one of the best attorneys in my field. On my journey, I have been fortunate to gain more courtroom experience than most will ever see. I started off working in a high-volume plaintiff's personal injury firm, it was baptism by fire. Eventually, my career took me to a firm that specialized in complex litigation all across the country. Many of the cases I worked had catastrophic damages and involved cutting edge legal issues against the best litigators in the country. In 2010, I decided it was time to open my own firm and begin building my own local practice. That decision has been deeply rewarding and provided me the opportunity to represent more than 1,000 minors and their families. Today, Russell & Ireland Law Group, LLC has grown into a highly successful litigation firm that is proud of the way it helps its clients and community. When I am not representing clients, I enjoy hiking, camping, and soccer. I volunteer as a soccer coach for the YMCA and can never say no to a home improvement project.

Charles N. Therman

Chicago, IL

Attorney Charles N. Therman is a tough, effective and experienced injury lawyer. For many years, Charles N. Therman has dedicated himself to fighting for the most seriously injured and their loved ones to obtain the maximum compensation and respect they deserve. He has made a name for himself by effectively handling some of the most serious wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, personal injury, auto injury and work related injury cases. Charles has tried multiple cases to successful jury verdict. You can expect truthful, honest, realistic and straightforward answers and solutions to your needs.

Jaleh K. Slominski

Lynchburg, VA

Jaleh K. Slominski is an attorney with over 30 years of experience, practicing law since 1991. She provides effective and affordable representation to clients in the Lynchburg metro area and throughout Virginia. Her practice focuses primarily on workers’ compensation injury claims, personal injury, wrongful death claims following auto accidents, and lemon law claims. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the Lynchburg Bar Association, and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. She was named a 'Go-To Lawyer' for Workers' Compensation Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.

Keetick L. Sanchez

Jackson Heights, NY

Keetick L. Sanchez is a lifelong resident of New York dedicated to helping clients. She represents clients in courtrooms throughout New York City, skillfully handling administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings. Before and during law school, she worked as a trial litigation paralegal for personal injury actions. After graduating from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law School, she became a litigator in a NYC personal injury law firm, prosecuting hundreds of cases and earning a reputation as a tough and tenacious attorney. She also gained experience in Criminal Law and Immigration Law, interning with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the International Refugee Assistance Project. She is admitted to practice law in all boroughs of New York City and in the State of Texas.

Ryan Dean

Oklahoma City, OK

Ryan Dean's practice areas include civil litigation with an emphasis in insurance law, personal injury, and real property. He has been recognized by Oklahoma Super Lawyers® as a Rising Star in 2012 and 2013. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2002 and Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law in 2006.

Wrix McIlvaine

Brunswick, GA

Partner Wrix McIlvaine is an experienced advocate that has battled for justice in trial and appellate courts throughout Georgia for nearly two decades. He is a specialist in criminal defense and regularly takes on difficult and high profile criminal matters in State and Federal Courts. He is recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer and is regularly named as one of the Top 100 trial lawyers in America and as a Top Ten Criminal Defense Attorney by the American Association of Attorney Advocates. Wrix is a zealous defender of citizen rights and civil liberties under the United States Constitution and is one of the few attorneys in Southeast Georgia that takes on civil rights litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. His trial and appellate practice also focuses on representing those who have been seriously injured by medical malpractice, police misconduct, governmental abuse and corporate malfeasance.

David D. Mordekhov

Issaquah, WA

David Mordekhov is an accomplished trial lawyer passionate about helping injury victims. He joined ILGNW after two decades as a litigator in insurance defense, giving him unique insight into how insurance companies operate. He has litigated and tried high-stakes cases throughout Washington State and represented clients in appeals. David is peer-rated as AV-Preeminent and selected as a Super Lawyer. He is also a faculty member at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and is fluent in Russian.

Austin S. Pieratt

Oklahoma City, OK

Austin S. Pieratt is a personal injury attorney at Pieratt Law PLLC in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He holds a B.A. in Management of Information Systems from San Diego State University and a Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law. Clients praise his professionalism, honesty, and effective handling of personal injury cases, including auto accidents, wrongful deaths, and premises liability. He is licensed to practice law in Oklahoma and is fluent in Spanish.

Jodi Page

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Jodi Page is a personal injury attorney with a remarkable legal career since 1999. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston College and earned her law degree from the University of Miami Law School. She specializes in various personal injury areas, including auto accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, and product defects. Her unwavering commitment to justice has earned her respect and admiration.

Jesse Baez

Richmond, VA

Jesse Baez is an experienced trial lawyer practicing family law, criminal law, and personal injury. He is a graduate of McGill University and the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law (2013). He has served as a Guardian Ad Litem and litigated cases in various Virginia courts. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Orlando Garcia

Edinburg, TX

Orlando Garcia, a Rio Grande Valley native, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, and his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude. He was on the Dean’s List, ranked in the top 5% of his class, and a member of Phi Delta Phi. He won the Renna and Jeff Embry Mock Trial Tournament and the William Danial National Mock Trial Tournament, where he was selected best advocate. His practice focuses on personal injury, commercial, pharmaceutical, medical device, and catastrophic injury litigation.

Jason L. Harr

Daytona Beach, FL

Jason L. Harr is the founder of The Harr Law Firm, a Daytona Beach-based legal practice. He is known for his tireless advocacy and proven results in personal injury law and civil disputes, representing clients in a broad range of legal matters including car and truck accidents, slip and fall injuries, sexual abuse claims, product liability, nursing home abuse, ADA legal advocacy, defamation, and expungement of criminal records. He has 25 years of experience trying cases in state and federal courts in Florida and has received numerous awards and honors for his ethical service and dedication to clients.

Robert V. Parenti

Stuart, FL

Robert Parenti, a trial lawyer for over fifty (50) years, became interested in writing after his discovery of letters written in 1943-44 as a young soldier from the battlefields of Europe. He graduated from Detroit College of Law in 1951 and was admitted to practice in Michigan. He was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 1958 and the Florida Bar in 1978. In 1985, he joined Willie Gary and Lorenzo Williams, forming the litigation law firm of Gary, Williams & Parenti.

David Sanchez

Irving, TX

David Sanchez is a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer and owner of David Sanchez Law Group. With over 13 years of experience, he holds a computer engineering degree from the University of Notre Dame. He has been recognized by Texas Lawyer Magazine as 'Litigator of the Week' and has received accolades from Super Lawyers and Top 100 Trial Lawyers.

Dirk B. Padgett

Vinton, VA

Dirk B. Padgett is a highly accomplished attorney with over 30 years of experience in criminal litigation, international law, military operations law, and constitutional law. He served in the U.S. military, including the 101st Airborne Division and as a war crimes prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay. He successfully prosecuted the first al Qaeda terrorist under the Obama administration. He specializes in family law, criminal law, DUI, auto accidents, and personal injury.

Lon Engel

Baltimore, MD

Lon Engel is a managing partner at Engel Law Group, P.C., with 41 years of experience. He has vast experience in various practice areas including Medical Malpractice, Legal Malpractice, Qui Tam, Whistle Blower Actions, Wrongful Death, Personal Injury, Securities Malpractice, Accounting Malpractice, and Criminal Defense. He has been recognized with the American Jurisprudence Award, Who’s Who in America, and as a Maryland Super Lawyer.

Erica Buckley is the President and CEO of Buckley & Associates. Her practice is entirely personal injury and wrongful death litigation. She represents a diverse clientele in negotiation, trials, arbitrations, and the Court of Appeals. She has successfully resolved over 500 injury and wrongful death cases and recovered millions of dollars for clients. Erica has earned employee of the year honors and attorney of the year awards, was recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, and was rated one of the Top 10 attorneys for years 2017 and 2018 by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. She is admitted to practice law in Washington and California.

David Ratner

Walnut Creek, CA

David Ratner has been trying civil cases since 1974. He has been involved in approximately 300 jury trials, most as first chair. David spent most of his career as a New York lawyer. From 1998 to 2015 David was the managing partner of Morelli Ratner, PLLC a firm representing plaintiffs in personal injury, medical malpractice, mass tort pharmaceutical and employment discrimination actions. Several of David’s employment cases received notoriety and a great deal of press coverage. The firm litigated the first sexual harassment case against Bill O’Reilly, (Mackris v. O’Reilly), obtained the largest individual sexual assault verdict in a single plaintiff case (Alford v. Aaron’s -$95 million) and his most recent verdict was the seventh largest intentional tort verdict in New York in this century (Bouveng v. New York Global Group-$18 million). David was appointed to leadership positions on Plaintiffs’ Steering Committees in several mass torts, including Chantix, Bextra/Celebrex in New York, Bausch & Lomb Contact Lens Solution where he was lead trial lawyer, and Testosterone Replacement Therapy. David served on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and was Editor in Chief of the Association’s magazine for eight years. In 2011 David purchased a house in Walnut Creek. He spent five years traveling to and from New York each month. Finally, when that got really old, David left his firm, took the California bar exam, passed and opened a practice here. David represents employees in a wide variety of workplace disputes including sexual harassment, gender discrimination, wrongful termination, and age and disability matters. He also represents individuals who are denied access to places of public accommodation in violation of federal and California law. Not one to shy away from high profile cases, David recently filed a case on behalf of a transgender man against Rosario Dawson and her family alleging that his client was a victim of transgender discrimination and assault. David also tries cases in the Bay Area with and for other law firms. David was the 2020 president of the CCCBA Employment Section. He is part of the leadership team of the Senior Section and a member or CCCBA’s Membership Committee. He is a member of several other California bar associations as well as a Super Lawyer, member of ABOTA and was named as a LawDragon 500 top lawyer. David is on the Executive Board of his synagogue, Congregation B’nai Tikvah of Walnut Creek. His wife, Claire Bernardo is a Contra Costa County Master Gardner. He has three sons, Gabriel, Lee and Dale. Lee and Dale are lawyers practicing in the Bay Area.

Eric D. Bruce

Bradenton, FL

Eric D. Bruce focuses his practice on wrongful death and serious personal injury cases. He moved to Florida from Baltimore, Maryland in 1979. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 1989 with a BBA in Accounting. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law in 1992. Service and advocacy activities were an active part of his law school career. These included the University’s Moot Court Board, Bar and Gavel Honor Society, American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Team, along with a clinical placement at the Attorney General’s Office handling criminal appeals. His law school career culminated with him being awarded the Roger Sorino Award for outstanding graduating student in service and leadership. This record of service has continued since his admission to the Florida Bar in 1992. He served on the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Suncoast two separate times. He has participated in reading programs in the public-school system while his children were in elementary school and has served on the SAC Committee at Miller Elementary School. He continued his involvement with the schools by coaching the high school mock trial team at Manatee High School for 15 years. On the professional level, he served on the Board of the Manatee County Bar Association for several years, culminating with being President of the Association in 2009-2010. He has also served on committees with both the Florida Bar and the Florida Justice Association. Most recently he completed a 3-year term on the 12th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee. His professional career included almost 5 years as a sole practitioner, followed by 11 years at the Manatee County Clerk of Court handling child support cases, before joining the firm in 2009. He has attained an AV rating (highest possible) on Martindale Hubbell along with a superb 10.0 rating on AVVO.