Read before they find out how to delete this actual/real review. I AM a former client, regardless…read moreof their response. Schwebel Goetz & Sieben (SGS) Be prepared: this process is about money, not justice or principle. Over two years ago, tragedy struck our family. Our 20-year-old son died, and our wrongful death claim involved the bar he visited that night. In our first meeting with our SGS attorney, we stressed that our priority wasn't money--it was justice. He said he understood, would file charges, and would be willing to go to court (bait and switch-read on). Their investigator gathered evidence supporting our claim. Then months of near silence passed. Eventually, our attorney said he would file charges (he never did). First red flag: he addressed me by my deceased son's name, twice. Over the following months, I personally uncovered two more critical pieces of evidence. That I had to do this myself was a major red flag--this was their job. With this new evidence, our attorney requested early mediation--without our approval and before filing charges. Reluctantly, we agreed. Before the mediation, he oddly showed doubt about our claim, then shook my hand and said, "You've done more than my investigators." Mediation failed. The mediator, hand-picked by SGS, was arrogant, dismissive. Our attorney repeated: Next step was to file charges. Again, it didn't happen. Later, the insurance company made another offer based on the mediator's suggestion. We rejected it--too low and we still wanted charges filed. But our attorney insisted we accept, otherwise find a different attorney. He gave no specifics as to why, just vague comments about the evidence, which I suspect he never fully reviewed. Integrity was simply absent, a total 180. We never requested early mediation. We were pushed into accepting a settlement we didn't believe in. Thrice, promised that charges would be filed--they never were. Meanwhile, the bar avoided court, responsibility, and bad publicity. For these reasons, they won, not us. The opposing side had better legal representation than we did. For us, this wasn't about money--it was about preventing this from happening to someone else. But without filing charges, there's no accountability. Maybe we were naïve, but we believed an attorney would fight for our principles. We were wrong. SGS focuses on volume over quality. Profit is #1. An SGS lawyer's success is measured by how efficiently they settle, not by how fiercely they fight for justice. Our attorney knew the opposing counsel, had worked with him before, and likely will again. He described him as a "reasonable guy, a real pro"--translation: a guy who'd settle quickly. There weren't just two sides--there were six: the bar, its insurance company, their attorney, the mediator, our attorney, and us. The closest bond in this party? The two attorneys. This was a business negotiation, not representation. When our lawyer said he'll "do everything he can," what he really meant was "everything he's willing to do"--Make a claim, then settle. We thought the circumstances justified more, but our claim was treated like any typical car accident. Through this process, I asked our attorney many questions, requested clarity, and posed potential scenarios. Early on, he responded vaguely. Later, arrogantly deflected and laughed-off concerns. Over 90% of claims never reach court. The system encourages mediation, and settlements can't set legal precedent. So, nothing changes, and that's the way they want it-profitable. The reality? SGS is only about profit, manipulating facts and people--not seeking justice. In our case, it meant manipulating a grieving family. (They manipulate google reviews too). SGS Attorneys say they'll "fight for you," but the key word is "for"--and it's by their definition. Once you hire an SGS lawyer, you give up control. Your goals become secondary to their financial incentives. Who holds them accountable? No one. Practicing law at SGS means knowing how to avoid it. SGS can't afford compassion, but spend millions on advertising. Justice wasn't served and our son deserved better. B.S. needs to retire.

I see my review was conveniently removed Cole dixen takes under the table pay outs and screws his…read moreclients I lost out on 250000 dollars on a case he called a slam dunk because it was a slam dunk but at the last minute he was afraid to go to trial and recommended I take a small settlement in fact guilt tripped me into it if your looking for honest representation you should look elsewhere you will remain a victim if you seek out schweble geots and sieben I've been bait and switched by them and everything was pretty standard I don't see how hiring them is a good choice and I wish I had an honest review to read before I made my mistake but of course they take down the reviews that aren't 5 stars

I recently had the good fortune of hiring Aria Pham at TSR Injury Law. I had the misfortune of…read morebeing run into by a distracted driver, resulting in injuries. Aria guided me through the recovery process, the fixing of my car and the fixing of my body. She was professional in every aspect and attentive to my needs throughout the whole process. She made sure I got proper medical attention, got my car fixed, and her hard work resulted in a financial settlement that allowed me to take the time I needed to recovery fully from my accident. I hope I never get run into again, but if I do, Aria is the first person I'm calling!

I was hit-and-run as a pedestrian last fall, and the man that hit me was likely a homeless man that…read morewas borrowing a car, so I really did not have anyone to go after to fund my medical care except for insurance companies. Rich Ruohonen did a phenomenal job fighting with both my health insurance and auto insurance. He managed to pull strings here and there that maximized the funding that I received! I know that it was a tough case because there were limited targets for Rich to go after, but I am extremely impressed with what he was able to accomplish.

I am so impressed with Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta because of their track record of winning…read morecases, and the kind of cases they take on. They are a law firm that are for the people and they really want to help people that have been wronged by their employers or wronged by dishonest businesses. I also have known one of the lawyers for almost 20 years, and have met his partners and most of his colleagues. They are all really honest, kind, and caring people who genuinely want to help those in need. And at the same time they are all extremely intelligent and passionate about the work that they do. I have also visited their offices many times. The work environment is very positive with a great energy. As a guest, I always feel very welcomed into their offices from the moment I arrive at reception. The office as a whole (interns, assistants, receptionist and lawyers) are all treated as valuable members of a team, which says so much about a company. Baillon, Thome, Jozwiak, Wanta and their team are are amazing lawyers and do their best to help every client. I encourage you to read the "not recommended" Yelp reviews from actual clients, who had never written a Yelp review, but were motivated to do so because of the great services they received. These reviews are very informative about the service and experience you can expect from Baillon Thome Jozwiak and Wanta.

Wanta Thome wasted a great deal of my time, and I understand they have great reviews - so I don't…read moretake putting a 1 star lightly because I appreciate good business. *** BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE - THEY DEMAND 40% CONTINGENCEY FEE FOR PRE-LITIGATION WHICH IS HIGHER THAN USUAL, AND IT GETS WORSE*** I was referred by AI which maybe was my first mistake - but the website looked legitimate and the language seemed to match what I was looking for. I was on the website, and, without acting - a calendar popped up. I was strong-armed into booking an appointment with Carla the intake Lead. Well I book it, but then in the morning Carla e-mails me and tells me she's kicking it down to an entry level intake employee - which I resisted because my case is complex and I wanted someone with experience. Well I didn't get my way, the firm insisted that I get a greenhorn. The new intake person ended up getting fired or quit, but not before wasting my time. The first call was a standard 25 minutes and I submitted a timeline for her as well. 6 days later I get a text saying "Since you're not fired, we can't represent you, but reach out to us immediately if you DO get fired." Those were exactly the terms of rejecting me and leaving the door open. Well a few weeks later my employer ramps up the shenanigans threatening to fire me, then finally does - so I reach back out as instructed. The file is re-opened at Wanta, I'm told GREAT NEWS the attorney is taking a look! Then I had an attorney Kristan call me for another intake. I took the time to send her a detailed updated timeline. She called back with a retainer offer on another day and asked me to open it on the phone. I questioned the high fee and the fact that Wanta Thome will NOT coordinate with EEOC or NLRB inquiries/charges. Compared to what the website says, this seems to make no sense for an employee who did diligence before getting fired who already wants to use those agencies to help out his co-workers and himself. What's disturbing is the amount of wasted time. I TOLD THEM RIGHT AWAY ON THE PHONE AND IN MY TIMELINE THAT I HAVE AN NLRB CHARGE AND EEOC INQUIRY!!! IT TOOK THEM 45 DAYS TO REALIZE IT. I could have been told that initially, it could have been listed on the website in some form. Nobody on the planet it my situation would read the website and be led to believe anything otherwise. The intake process was wonky. Kristen on multiple phone calls assumed I was in Minnesota WHEN I CLEARLY AM IN CHICAGO and corrected her multiple times. They're just not paying full attention. ALSO she said She'd have to ask the partners about the EEOC/NLRB clause in the contract - she said she can't speak with them for 5 days because they're "away" -- I'm sorry, You have a huge law firm in multiple states - and the top 2 partners are going to be off the radar for a week? Do they meditate in the far east? That makes no sense. I respect any attorney's decision to decline a case for whatever reason - but at no point was I led to believe anything other than WANTA THOME IS THE PERFECT FIRM TO REPRESENT ME. I knew it was a wonky process but I told myself - as long as I get retained and they can help me - it'll be worth it. I was wrong. They offered to retain me - and all I said was "hey - do they mind doing something that their website makes it seem like they would totally do?" Advice to the firm - don't put Retaliation, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination on your website if you're not going to coordinate with NLRB or EEOC. Just put in big letters at the top "WE WANT TO SEND A LETTER FOR A HIGH FEE AND IF IT DOESNT WORK WE'RE BACKING OUT." A severe waste of my time - it's not OK - I'll never get it back. They don't really pay attention. I'm not sure what types of cases these reviews come or if they're incentivezed to send them in - but for the sake of helping people who need help - if you see any of these warning signs, consider going somewhere else. IM SO GLAD I DIDNT SIGN THAT RETAINER WITHOUT FIGHTING FOR A SENSIBLE CONTRACT. Change your website

I cannot put into words how much of a great attorney Hillary parsons is. She has been my go to for…read moreall legal issues in my past. God willing there won't be any in my future. If there are she will again be my first phone call. She's charismatic, extremely observant, and articulates her arguments very well. 10/10 you cannot go wrong with her on your side

Christopher and Emme were amazing in dealing with my car accident! They were always available to…read morehelp and answer questions. I know they fought hard for me! Highly, highly recommend!

I hired Steve Messick to help me with a family dispute over a trust fund that belongs to my…read moreintellectually disabled sister. I should've known right off the bat that this was a bad idea. While Christine Boulay, his assistant was pleasant, when Steve called me back to discuss the case, he was flat, unenthusiastic, and uninterested. Against my better judgement I retained him anyway as I wanted to get started as soon as possible. At no time did Steve Messick call me to explain the process of the case or what to expect. In fact, as the case moved along over the summer, there were actually incidents of him asking ME what to do!! WTH!? I'm paying you thousands of dollars to help me navigate these shark infested waters, and you're asking me what to do!?! I had to tell him yet again what I needed/wanted, even though he feigned that he already knew... Then, as important dates approached, such as filing a motion in court, the firm would hit me with another huge bill. This happened three separate times, and I found it ironic that these bills would appear right when we were at a critical point in the case process. No coincidence! 100% planned! And poor form!! I also had to constantly stay on top of Christine with case progress. I had to e-mail and call multiple times any time I needed an update on the status of any event, such as if the motion was filed in court, whether or not the opposing party had been properly served, whether or not I needed to attend certain meetings etc. In short, communication was TERRIBLE!!! In the end Christine sent me three different invoices all for the same services, with three DIFFERENT amounts!! When I questioned her about this, she wrote me an extensive e-mail trying to explain away her lack of attention to detail and non-communication! After them trying to send me yet another bill for $1900, I was DONE!! I let them know how crappy this was. Then, without a phone call of ANY kind to resolve the miscommunication, this JERK of an attorney simply filed paperwork withdrawing his services as my attorney...2 WEEKS BEFORE THE HEARING DATE!!! This spells in no uncertain terms: ZERO CHARACTER, and the WORST that most people see in attorneys!! Unless you want to experience all of the above and worse, DONT CONTACT THIS FIRM!!! P.S. I hired a smart, competent, female attorney from a different firm the same day, and told them as well to NEVER refer anyone to Steve Messick!

Messick Law is an extraordinary law firm. Steve Messick honored my needs for a power-of-attorney…read more Instead of trying to force me into a standard-one-fits-all, Steve listened to me and my concerns. He was patient with my questions of the process and the meanings in the document. I learned so much from him. When I said what I wanted, he put it in language that is understandable (to lay people like me) and legal. I found Steve to be compassionate, kind, professional, friendly, and respectful. Steve is the BEST. Plus, interactions with the other staff, for example, scheduling and documents was excellent.

I was warned by the Fields group that the SSA disability process would be disappointing as the…read morelevels progressed. They were right, as I was denied at each step. Finally it was time for the hearing stage and sure enough, I was approved. I read through the brief that my lawyer prepared and submitted and was very impressed!

I hired Fields Law Firm to help me with my SSDI case from application to Hearing only took 1 1/2…read moreyear. It went by so fas! Maddy was great, attentive and very helpful.

You are not going to find a more kind and compassionate law firm! They assisted me when my mother…read morewas raped in her nursing home and I would give them 10 stars if I could. I work at a law firm and I know what great service is but these folks go well beyond great to exceptional!

This firm is your one stop shop for serious injury claims. Greg and Pete are conscientious…read moreadvocates, and they travel the world handling complex litigation. If you have the misfortune of running into a problem they can handle, you will be in good hands.