Our team

Our Legal Team

Chicago Mesothelioma Lawyers

The lawyers of Vogelzang Law dedicate themselves to representing victims of mesothelioma throughout the country by offering a comprehensive, hands-on approach to the litigation process to ensure our clients receive the best possible outcomes for their cases.

Lead Counsel Nicholas Vogelzang

Nicholas Vogelzang

Lead Counsel
Nicholas Vogelzang has tried numerous asbestos lawsuits on behalf of families stricken with mesothelioma, in both Cook County and Madison County, Illinois. During one of his first trials on behalf of Roby Whittington in 2003, Mr. Vogelzang and his team received the most significant asbestos verdict in Illinois history at $250,000,000.

Nicholas Vogelzang

Nicholas Vogelzang has tried numerous asbestos lawsuits on behalf of families stricken with mesothelioma, in both Cook County and Madison County, Illinois. During one of his first trials on behalf of Roby Whittington in 2003, Mr. Vogelzang and his team received the most significant asbestos verdict in Illinois history at $250,000,000.

Since then, he has represented more than 200 families with every imaginable type of asbestos exposure throughout the country, resulting in more than 200 million in settlements and verdicts. In 2018, he represented a variety of workers diagnosed with mesothelioma. His clients included: a sheet metal worker; a chemical engineer from Allied Chemical; a TWA airplane mechanic; the mother and husband of a Local 597 Chicago pipefitter; a residential and commercial plumber; a window glazier; a Local 17 asbestos insulator; the wife of a John Jay High School maintenance worker; a pipe fitter that worked at Bethlehem Steel and later Kroger Dairy; and two steelworkers from US Steel. Nicholas takes pride in personally getting to know each family by working with them to determine the source of the asbestos exposure.

Mr. Vogelzang is committed to supporting the mesothelioma community through education, fundraising, and raising awareness. In addition to his legal work, Mr. Vogelzang serves the mesothelioma community through his many speaking engagements and fundraising events that help shine a light on the families affected by mesothelioma. In 2018, Vogelzang Law founded the Mesothelioma Race for Justice, an annual 5K race which donates proceeds to mesothelioma research.

Mr. Vogelzang dedicates himself to his craft, regularly appearing in court on behalf of his clients litigating against Fortune 500 companies and their national counsel. He continues his dedication to his clients by working with hard working associates that assist in every aspect of the litigation.

ACHIEVEMENTS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
  • Perrin National Asbestos Litigation Conference 2018 Speaker
  • Perrin National Asbestos Litigation Conference 2019 Speaker
  • Mesothelioma Race for Justice co-founder
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Wyatt Berkover - Attorney

Wyatt Berkover

Attorney
After receiving his B.A in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2012, Mr. Berkover graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2016. Mr. Berkover is admitted to the Illinois State Bar and is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.

Wyatt Berkover

After receiving his B.A in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2012, Mr. Berkover graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2016. Mr. Berkover is admitted to the Illinois State Bar and is a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.

While attending Chicago-Kent, Mr. Berkover was the Chicago-Kent Student Bar Association representative and the Chicago-Kent student representative to the Illinois State Bar Association. Mr. Berkover was awarded the CALI Award for the highest grade in Environmental Law and Policy 2 while studying at Chicago-Kent. Mr. Berkover began working with Nicholas Vogelzang in 2015 as a law clerk and joined Vogelzang Law as an associate in the fall of 2016.

Mr. Berkover represents victims of personal injury and wrongful death, from the initial client meeting through the trial. He focuses on representing victims of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases.

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Michael Maienza - Attorney

Michael Maienza

Attorney
Mr. Maienza earned his B.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business in 2013. He received his Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law in 2017 and served as a judicial external under the Hon. Michael T. Mullen in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Michael Maienza

Mr. Maienza earned his B.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business in 2013. He received his Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law in 2017 and served as a judicial external under the Hon. Michael T. Mullen in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

While at DePaul, Mr. Maienza competed in both Minneapolis and Cincinnati as a member of the Appellate Moot Court Society. Throughout law school, Mr. Maienza volunteered with the Legal Aid Society ultimately gaining his 711 license, allowing him to work directly with clients for the Domestic Violence team.

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NATHANIEL WALLACE

Nathaniel Wallace

Associate Attorney
Nathaniel Wallace joined Vogelzang Law in January 2019. After receiving his B.A. in Public Policy from Michigan State University, Mr. Wallace graduated from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2017.

Nathaniel Wallace

Nathaniel Wallace joined Vogelzang Law in January 2019. After receiving his B.A. in Public Policy from Michigan State University, Mr. Wallace graduated from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2017.

During law school, Mr. Wallace was named to the Dean’s List and was a member of Loyola Law
School’s American Bar Association Moot Court Team. Mr. Wallace earned his 711 License participating in the Loyola Law School’s Community Law Clinic, where he was appointed as guardian ad litem for minors living in Cook County, Illinois.

Prior to working at Vogelzang Law, Mr. Wallace worked as an associate attorney and law clerk for two prominent Chicago plaintiff’s personal injury firms where he was responsible for cases involving nursing home litigation, toxic and mass tort litigation, premise liability, and automobile collisions.

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Sadie Grunewald - Associate Attorney

Sadie Grunewald

Associate Attorney
After receiving her B.A. in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ms. Grunewald graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2018 with a Certificate in Environmental and Energy Law.

Sadie Grunewald

After receiving her B.A. in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ms. Grunewald graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2018 with a Certificate in Environmental and Energy Law.

At Chicago-Kent, Ms. Grunewald was an editor for the Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property and participated in the Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Moot Court competition. She gained experience as a law clerk at the U.S. EPA Office of Regional Counsel, Environmental Law & Policy Center, and Chicago Environmental Law Clinic. Ms. Grunewald was awarded the CALI Award for the highest grade in International Law.

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Joseph Trunk - Associate Attorney

Joseph Trunk

Associate Attorney
Mr. Trunk earned his B.S. in Agricultural and Consumer Economics with a concentration in Public Policy and Law from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016. He graduated with his Juris Doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2019 with a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law.

Joseph Trunk

Mr. Trunk earned his B.S. in Agricultural and Consumer Economics with a concentration in Public Policy and Law from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016. He graduated with his Juris Doctor from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2019 with a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law.

During law school, Mr. Trunk was an author and editor of the Chicago-Kent Seventh Circuit Review Honors Seminar, submissions editor for the Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property, and argued in Giles Sutherland Rich Moot Court Competition.

Prior to working at Vogelzang Law, Mr. Trunk was a judicial extern for the Honorable Brigid Mary McGrath.

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Daniel Flores

Daniel Flores

Associate Attorney
After receiving his B.A. in English from Loyola University of Chicago in 2016, Mr. Flores graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2019. As a law student, his focus was on plaintiff advocacy.

Daniel Flores

After receiving his B.A. in English from Loyola University of Chicago in 2016, Mr. Flores graduated cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2019. As a law student, his focus was on plaintiff advocacy.

At Chicago-Kent, Mr. Flores was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and served as a Teaching Assistant for Civil Procedure. He was also awarded CALI Excellence for the Future Award for receiving the highest grade in Legislation and Legal Writing II.

Prior to working at Vogelzang Law, Mr. Flores worked as a law clerk at a Plaintiff's medical malpractice firm.

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Chloe Morrison

Associate Attorney
After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in International Business and graduating summa cum laude from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Ms. Morrison attended Chicago-Kent College of Law.

cHloe Morrison

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in International Business and graduating summa cum laude from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Ms. Morrison attended Chicago-Kent College of Law. She graduated magna cum laude in 2020 with her Juris Doctor. She was a member of the Order of the Coif, the Women's Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association.

 

During her time in law school, Ms. Morrison received CALI Awards for the highest grade in Criminal Law, Legal Writing I and The Corporation and The Constitution. She was a social committee member of the Society of Women and a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Ms. Morrison became a law clerk for Vogelzang Law in 2018. She also clerked for a prominent Chicago insurance defense law firm. Ms. Morrison serves as an attorney in the bankruptcy department.

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Caylei Vogelzang - Director of Business Strategy

Caylei vogelzang

Director of Business Strategy
Caylei Vogelzang, a native Oregonian, spent her early years on her family’s idyllic organic herb farm where her savvy business marketing skills began to form.

Caylei Vogelzang

Caylei Vogelzang, a native Oregonian, spent her early years on her family’s idyllic organic herb farm where her savvy business marketing skills began to form. Now, the Director of Business Strategy at Vogelzang Law, Caylei sets and drives the course for the firm.

EDUCATION: Columbia University

HOBBIES: Rowing, yoga, wellness activities

FAVORITE CHICAGO HANG OUT: The Beach

Phone number: 312.466.1669 ext. 2 | Email: cvogelzang@vogelzanglaw.com

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Mirela Kopier - Public Relations

Mirela Kopier

Public Relations Manager/Union Liaison
As the PR Manager and Union Liaison for Vogelzang Law, Mirela Stefanescu oversees, coordinates, and manages all events the firm attends and hosts, from union golf outings to charitable activities.

Mirela Kopier

As the PR Manager and Union Liaison for Vogelzang Law, Mirela Stefanescu oversees, coordinates, and manages all events the firm attends and hosts, from union golf outings to charitable activities.

EDUCATION: A.A.S.

HOBBIES: Yoga, boxing, "foodie"

FAVORITE CHICAGO HANG OUT: The lake

Phone number: 312.466.1669 ext. 7 | Email: mstefanescu@vogelzanglaw.com

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