Born and raised in Granite City, IL, his work experience includes employment in steel mills, in construction and as a professional firefighter for the City of Granite City.

He is a member of The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, The American Bar Association, The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, The Illinois Bar Association, The Illinois Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association, The Madison County Bar Association and The Tri-City Bar Association where he has served as past President, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Land of Lincoln Legal Foundation / Campaign for Equal Justice.

He is designated as approved legal counsel by the AFL - CIO / UPLS and serves as counsel to several labor unions on a local, regional or district-wide basis. He is special counsel to the United Steelworkers of America in Districts 7 and 11, which encompasses much of mid-America.

His firm maintains four offices throughout Illinois and Missouri, and he has extensive experience handling and lecturing on cases involving construction and industrial accidents, work-related injuries, products liability, railroad and maritime injuries, automobile and transportation accidents, malpractice and toxic exposure cases.