Klamath Falls, OR

Dennis Black

Dennis H. Black, a retired firm founder and honored attorney emeritus at Black, Chapman, Petersen & Stevens, was born in New York in 1945. He graduated summa cum laude from Fordham College in 1967 and obtained his L.L.B. from Yale Law School in 1970. He is licensed to practice law in Connecticut (1970), California (1972), and Oregon (1976), and has an outstanding reputation for advocating for individuals' rights. Dennis is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a 'Superlawyer' since 2009, and has the highest possible Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He was also appointed to the Board of Directors of the Children’s Advocacy Center in 2010 and selected as Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel in 2015, 2016, and 2018.

Tom Petersen

Tom Petersen is a Partner at Black, Chapman, Petersen & Stevens, specializing in Personal Injury, Sexual Abuse, and Civil Rights. Born in 1951 in Sanger, California, he graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1976 with a B.A. in Dramatic Art and from Southwestern University School of Law in 1981. He has been practicing law since 1982 and is admitted in California, Oregon, and Washington. His career includes roles as a law clerk for a federal judge, district attorney, public defender, and civil litigator, trying hundreds of cases in state and federal courts. He has received awards in Forensic Science and Federal Courts, and has been recognized with the 10 Best Attorneys Award for Exceptional and Outstanding Client Service and the 10 Best Attorneys Award in Oregon for Client Satisfaction.

Damian M. Idiart

Damian is a personal injury lawyer at Idiart Law Group. Damian started the group in 2001 and is licensed to practice in California and Oregon. Damian handles all types of personal injury cases from car accidents to dog bites, slip & falls and more throughout Oregon and California. Damian loves what he does because he gets to help people who have been through some of the worst experiences get back to as close to a normal life they can. He understands how to listen to his clients and make sure that he is giving the best possible. Damian grew up in the Bay Area (San Bruno, CA) and now lives in Southern Oregon with his family. He loves to spend time with them and loves sports. He is bilingual in English and Spanish. Damian lives by his montra, Family, Faith, Career. He truly finds his peace and happiness in helping others. Damian serves as a pro tem judge and a Court Appointed Special Advocate in Jackson County. Damian has been appointed as Jackson County Justice of Peace.

David deVilleneuve

David has degrees in Business-Finance, Political Science and Religion from Brigham Young University. His law degree is from the University of Oregon. Prior to joining Shlesinger & deVilleneuve Attorneys, David prosecuted Federal offenses on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office. For over 20 years he has been appointed by the Oregon Supreme Court to serve as a Jackson County Judge Pro Tempore. He is a member of the Jackson County Bar Association, Oregon State Bar and the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. David has been accepted into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Less than 1% of attorneys qualify for this distinction. He has been honored with an A+ rating in the National Registry for Attorneys. David’s practice areas are Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice and Civil Litigation. He has been involved in over 2,000 settled cases and has successfully litigated cases to verdict in Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Douglas, Klamath, Multnomah and Curry Counties. David has fought for injured Oregonians for 25 years all over the state, including the Oregon Court of Appeals. David feels strongly that his mission is to fight for the rights of the injured, against abusive insurance companies.

Itzik Shlesinger

Itzik received his Bachelor degree in Political Science with emphasis in Psychology from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law. He was also honored with the Order of Barristers for his advocacy accomplishments while at Willamette. For over 25 years Itzik has dedicated his professional career to assisting Oregonians navigate through difficult times brought on by unfortunate circumstance. Itzik genuinely cares about people and is personally offended when insurance companies or corporations use their limitless resources to suppress and take advantage of everyday folks. After dozens of trials and arbitrations, Itzik has fostered a formidable approach to leveling the playing field and forcing those responsible to treat his clients as human beings, not a faceless number or statistic. Itzik has been admitted to practice law in the states of Oregon and Washington. He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court of the District of Oregon. He is a member of the Lane County Bar, Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, and National Trial Lawyers. Itzik has also served on the board of several non-profit organizations, Oregon State Bar Committees and is a former President of the Emerald Business Partners.

Shayla Steyart

Shayla is an attorney at Shlesinger & deVilleneuve. Since joining the firm in 2016, she has successfully pursued justice for hundreds of victims in personal injury cases. Her practice areas include motor vehicle accidents, wrongful deaths, motorcycle accidents, and dog bite injuries. Shayla is admitted to practice in both the states of Oregon and Washington. She is a member of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Oregon Women Lawyers, and the Jackson County Bar Association. She has been recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 attorney and has been accepted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Shayla earned her law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law, where she graduated with honors, and her undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Clemson University. She resides in Southern Oregon with her husband and their two children.

Michael Fuller is an American jury trial lawyer and law professor, and a partner at OlsenDaines. He is also an adjunct professor of consumer law at Lewis & Clark Law School. He worked for Senator Gordon Smith prior to law school. He focuses on Class Actions, Civil Rights, Wrongful Death, and Pro Bono cases, representing clients against unfair corporate practices. He has recovered over $50 million for clients and has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine for a decade. He received the Arthur H. Bryant Public Justice Award in 2025 and was included in Portland Business Journal's '40 Most Influential Business Leaders Under 40' in 2023. He also sponsors a boxing gym for at-risk youth and serves on the Board of Directors for The Western Farm Workers Association and the Oregon State Bar House of Delegates.