The Drew Peterson Defense Team

The Drew Peterson Defense Team

Joel A. Brodsky, Lead Defense Attorney

Joel Brodsky appeared with Drew Peterson on ‘Dr. Phil.’

Joel A. Brodsky was admitted to the practice of law in the State of Illinois in November, 1982, and is in his 30th year of the practice of law. Mr. Brodsky has been admitted to practice in all Illinois State Courts, the Federal Courts for the Northern District of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. He is also a member of the Federal Trial Bar.

In 1996 and again in 2009, the nationally recognized Martindale-Hubble lawyers rating service gave Mr. Brodsky a rating of “Very High” in the areas of reliability, diligence, ethics, conduct, and other areas relating to professional responsibility. Martindale-Hubble further rated Mr. Brodsky “High to Very High” for legal ability. Additionally, in 1997, The Guide to Leading Illinois Attorneys, named Mr. Brodsky to its lists of leading Illinois attorneys practicing in the areas of Felony and Misdemeanor Defense. According to the American Research Corporation (who publishes the Guide), this places Mr. Brodsky in the top 6% of attorneys who practice in those areas of law. Further, Mr. Brodsky is listed in Who’s Who in American Law, 10th Edition, which is published by Marquis Who’s Who, publishers of the original Who’s Who in America.

Mr. Brodsky has tried numerous felony and misdemeanor criminal cases before both juries and bench. In addition to his criminal practice, Mr. Brodsky takes civil cases in areas that interest him. He has represented clients in child custody and visitation matters where issues such as religion, junk science evaluations, and visitation interference have been at issue. He has also represented clients in both Illinois State Court and Federal Court in commercial matters such as legal malpractice and trade secrets cases. He has also handled a number of appeals to the Illinois Court of Appeals and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Steven A. Greenberg

Steve Greenberg on Fox Chicago talking about Drew Peterson. Ralph MeczykRalph Meczyk, Drew Peterson attorney (Courtesy: FindLaw)

For more than 25 years, attorney Steven A. Greenberg has defended people accused of serious crimes in Illinois. He has handled dozens of challenging federal cases involving drug crimes and white collar crimes, more than 100 murder cases, and countless narcotics cases. His record of accomplishment includes hundreds of other state and federal felonies. Mr. Greenberg appears frequently on national and local news shows, including Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, providing commentary on high-profile criminal cases and important legal issues. He is a Chicago attorney with a national reputation and has repeatedly been selected to appear in Illinois Super Lawyers and in Illinois Leading Lawyers.

Ralph E. Meczyk

Ralph Meczyk, Drew Peterson attorney (Courtesy: FindLaw)

Ralph E. Meczyk has tried over one hundred and fifty jury trials to verdict in both State and Federal District Courts throughout the United States. He has also tried hundreds of bench/judge trials, motions to suppress evidence, and motions to quash arrests in those same venues.

Mr. Meczyk is one of a select group of highly qualified lawyers to be certified by the Illinois Supreme Court as lead counsel in death penalty cases. In addition to his over 30 years in the practice of criminal law and extensive trial work, Mr. Meczyk has exceptional appellate court experience.

Mr. Meczyk has also had the rare privilege of arguing a case before the United States Supreme Court. In 2004 he briefed and argued a landmark search and seizure case (Illinois v. Caballes) before Chief Justice Rhenquist and the other eight justices of that court.

Joseph R. Lopez

Joe the Shark Lopez is on the Drew Peterson defense team (Courtesy: WLS)

Joseph, a.k.a. “The Shark” Lopez, has been a criminal defense attorney for 28 years. He graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1983. From 1985 to the 1990s, he was dubbed the in-house counsel for the notorious “Cali Drug Cartel” from Cali, Colombia. From the 1990s to the present, Joseph has also defended some of the Chicago Outfit’s most ruthless hit men including Anthony “The Hatchet” Chiramonti, Tony “Tough Tony” Calabrese, and Frankie “The German” Shwiess. Most recently in the biggest mob prosecution since Al Capone, he represented Frankie “The Breeze” Calabrese in Operation Family Secrets in which a jury returned a verdict on 7 of the 13 mob hits charged against The Breeze. In addition, Mr. Lopez has been known to represent members and leaders of many of Chicago’s most ruthless street gangs including the Satan Disciples, Latin Kings and 26ers and has appeared in Federal Courts from coast to coast representing members of different Mexican Drug Cartels. Joseph has been awarded the “”Super Lawyers” certificate for multiple years. He has been named the Marquis “Who’s Who In America” for outstanding achievement. Mr. Lopez was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the Capital Litigation Committee, which screens applicants for certification in death penalty cases.

The Peterson case is Mr. Lopez’s third trial where he has faced the actual elected county state’s attorney as an opponent. In People v. Micheal Gallagher a former policemen was accused of supplying gangs with guns and a machine gun used in the murder of another policeman. That case was prosecuted by then Cook County State’s Attorney Jack O’Malley and Colleen Hyland, who is now a Cook County judge. Mr. Lopez also represented the defendant in the case of People v. Arnold Miereles, who was accused of the murder of a member of the Chicago Alternative Policing (CAP’s) program. That case was prosecuted by then Cook County States Attorney Richard Devine.

In addition to the Peterson trial, Mr. Lopez is also involved in another high profilel case. He represents Chicago Mob muscle man, Mario Rainone, who’s fame precedes him. He once told a loan debtor that “he would cut off is children’s heads and plant them in the front yard.”

Mr. Lopez has appeared on local and national media. He was featured on History Channel’s gangland episode “The Devil’s Playground and the Satan Disciples” and will be featured in an upcoming episode on the Biography series “Mobsters” this fall.

Darryl A. Goldberg

Criminal defense attorney Darryl Goldberg

As a criminal defense lawyer, Darryl A. Goldberg is aggressive and proactive. No stranger to high profile cases, clients have included professional athletes, celebrities, doctors, lawyers, accountants and numerous law enforcement officers. His relentless efforts as a trial lawyer have resulted in jury verdicts acquitting his clients of everything from first-degree murder to large-scale drug conspiracy charges.

Whether your enemy is your local states attorney or the United States government, Mr. Goldberg is experienced and ready to fight. He provides zealous representation for all major felonies, including federal drug and conspiracy charges, white collar crimes, murder, weapons possession, sex crimes, racketeering (RICO) charges and numerous others.

Mr. Goldberg believes in building the strongest and most effective defense possible. He vigorously seeks either a dismissal of the charges or victory at trial. But make no mistake: Mr. Goldberg is a trial lawyer who is not afraid to go to trial.

Based in Chicago, he often travels to other states, federal and appellate courts to represent clients.

Super Lawyers: Rising Star 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Illinois
National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40
• Chair, Criminal Law Committee, Chicago Bar Association, 2011, 2012 bar years
• Vice-chair, YLD Criminal and Juvenile Justice Committee, American Bar Association, 2006-2007
• Co-Chair, Criminal Litigation Committee, Criminal Trial Evidence Subcommittee, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, 2008-2012
• Co-Chair, Trial Evidence Committee, Criminal Evidence Subcommittee, American Bar Association, Litigation Section, 2006-2009
• Vice-Chair, Criminal Law Committee, Chicago Bar Association, 2008-2009
• Co-Chair, YLS Criminal Law Committee, Chicago Bar Association, 2005-2011

Criminal defense attorney Lisa Lopez.

Lisa M. Lopez
Lisa Lopez was licensed to practice law in Illinois in 2010. While attending the John Marshall Law School, she earned the rare distinction of winning both Best Brief and Best Oralist in the Dean Fred F. Herzog Moot Court Competition. She later served as an Associate Justice on the Mott Court Honors Board and Technical Director of the Herzog Program. Ms. Lopez gained experience into her first high-profile trial when she assisted in the momentous Family Secrets trial.

Ms. Lopez has written numerous appellate briefs in both federal and state courts and countless sentencing memorandums in federal court. She has successfully argued for, and received, downward variances in the majority of sentencing memorandums she has written. Her writing and editing skills were what earned her a spot on the Peterson defense team following her co-authoring of Mr. Peterson’s Appellate Brief.

Ms. Lopez is a trial lawyer in the making having participated in numerous federal and state trials. She is admitted to practice in the Northern District of Illinois as well as the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and will soon apply for admission to the Federal Trial Bar, having earned the necessary credentials. She is also the Second Vice President of the Women’s Criminal Defense Bar Association.