Powers Chapman MI

Jessica was born in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Communication. She attended and received her law degree from Western Michigan Thomas M. Cooley Law School where she also worked for a district court, practiced with the Family Law Assistance Project, and interned for a Detroit Law firm. Jessica has ran a solo practice and worked as an Of Counsel and Contract Attorney. She also worked for Lakeshore Legal Aid where she advised low-income and senior citizens across Michigan on a wide range of legal matters. Jessica joined Powers Chapman in 2019.

Allen M. Meyers is a founding father of the law firm. The present firm was founded in 1980 by Ward D. Powers, Conrad D. Chapman, Allen M. Meyers and L. Gene DeAgostino. Mr. Meyers focuses his practice in the areas of criminal law and traffic offenses and has been practicing law for over 40 years.

K. Paul Zosel graduated from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1968. Specializing in all areas of criminal law.

Brian Gijsbers is the partner in charge of the litigation department at Powers Chapman. He was born and raised in Detroit and received his undergraduate degree from Wayne State University. He graduated cum laude in 1986 from the Detroit College of Law where he was a member of the Law Review and taught Research and Writing. He is a member of the Michigan State Bar Association, the Michigan Association for Justice, the American Association for Justice and the Oakland County Bar Association, and he is also admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. His practice is exclusively dedicated to personal injury litigation, with a specific focus on automobile negligence, no-fault benefits, medical malpractice, premises liability, and dog bite cases. He has briefed and argued appeals before the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court.. He has achieved numerous high verdicts and settlements for his clients over 30 years of practice and continues to passionately represent the best interests of each and every client. He has earned an AV- Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest peer-review rating possible. Mr. Gijsbers also serves as a mediator for the Wayne County Circuit Court.

Mr. Yonkers was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan where he graduated with high distinction. Mr. Yonkers received his law degree from Wayne State University where he was a member of the Federalist Society from 1987 to 1989.

Craig received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Michigan State University in East Lansing Michigan. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing Michigan. Craig is currently an Adjunct Professor at Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. He is a licensed Real Estate Agent and was the Past President of the Armenian Bar Association.

Born and raised in Oakland County, Michigan, Ms. Martinez has been dedicated to helping those lost in the legal system. Ms. Martinez moved to New York City after graduation from law school, where she worked as a City Attorney handling child abuse and neglect cases. During her time New York, Ms. Martinez developed a passion and desire to assist those who did not have a voice within the legal process. This passion continued when Ms. Martinez returned to practice law in Michigan where she worked as a staff attorney for Oakland-Livingston Legal Aid in the Family Law department, assisting victims of domestic violence. Through her years of practice, Ms. Martinez has developed the skills to solve problems and issues that affect every day people . Since 2004, Trina Martinez has been allowed to share her extensive knowledge of the law and compassion for people and to resolve their legal issues with LegalShield members on a daily basis.

Mr. Mulqueen was born in Southfield, Michigan. He received his law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law where was he was a member Delta Theta Phi, a Student Bar Association Executive Treasurer, and a member of the St. Thomas More Society. He is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Carol Jean received her B.A. degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1987 and received her law degree from the University of Detroit School of Law in 1991. While in law school, Ms. Jean was active with the Moot Court Board, acting as a coach for competing teams. She later returned to the University to judge moot court competitions for first-year law students. Currently, Ms. Jean is an integral part of the estate planning team at Powers Chapman where she has practiced since 2000. She understands people can often feel overwhelmed when trying to draft wills, make power-of-attorney decisions, or when choosing guardians and conservators for minor children and the disabled. Ms. Jean personally guides each of her clients through the estate planning process to ensure a full understanding of the important decisions being made.

Ms. Pugliesi was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan and is a lifelong Michigan resident. After graduating from Albion College, she attended the University of Detroit School of Law. While there, she participated in the London Law Programme and traveled extensively throughout Europe. Ms. Pugliesi was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1993 and started her legal career in private practice. In 2002, she came to Powers Chapman to assist with the firm's LegalShield members. Since joining Powers Chapman, Ms. Pugliesi has been named a Members Choice winner nine times by LegalShield members. She has been a supervising attorney in the LegalShield department for about 7 years. She is committed to providing the highest level of care and professionalism to her clients. It is her sincere belief that all people should receive fair and equal treatment under the law and in our court system.

Before joining Powers Chapman, Mr. Martin was employed by the UAW-GM-Ford Legal Services Plan. There he was a litigation specialist practicing primarily consumer litigation in Oakland County. His other main role was to represent union members and their families in filing bankruptcies in Federal Court in Detroit, Michigan. His focus was seeking relief under Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In June of 1999, Mr. Martin followed former colleague Craig Tarpinian to the growing staff of Powers Chapman. His current areas of expertise include insurance, consumer litigation, collections, real estate, traffic law and bankruptcy. Since joining Powers Chapman, Mr. Martin's primary practice continues to be bankruptcy law, counseling hundreds of debtors and creditors in all areas of finance discharge under the Bankruptcy Code. The state of the law has changed significantly after the 2005 changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which requires additional -means- testing for all cases as well as mandatory paperless filing. Mr. Martin looks forward to continuing to build his successful bankruptcy practice in the Metro Detroit area and beyond.

Angela Whitaker-Payton has dedicated her legal career to advocating for people across many areas of law. Angela Whitaker-Payton earned a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Political Science and African and African American Studies from the University of Michigan in 1992. She earned a Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1995. She was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in July of 1996. Angela Whitaker-Payton’s journey to becoming a renowned attorney began with her unwavering passion for justice and fairness. After graduating from law school, Angela opened a general private practice and helped people in the areas of Employment Law, Criminal Law, Probate Law, Family Law, Bankruptcy Law and more. With a deep commitment to advocate for people in need, Angela has established herself as a formidable force in the legal community. Angela embarked on a legal path that would see her champion the rights of those in need of advocacy. Her early experiences in law and her exposure to complex cases shaped her understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and fueled her commitment to making a difference for her clients. As an attorney, Angela honed her skills by working in various legal environments, gaining valuable insights into the areas of law that were of interest to her and the intricacies of advocacy. Angela’s approach to law is rooted in compassion, diligence, and a strong sense of ethics.

Anissa Hudy was born in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from the Walsh College School of Business and Accounting with a B.B.A. and a concentration in finance and general business. She attended and received her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School in 2001 while working full time as a paralegal in the employment law practice area. During law school, she also served as the Title Editor and Managing Editor of Law Review and served on the Moot Court Board of Directors. After graduating from law school, Ms. Hudy continued to work in large law firms until 2017 when she began her own small practice law firm. Ms. Hudy joined Powers Chapman in 2024.

Michael Brandt was born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. He received his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan graduating with Honors at both schools. Mr. Brandt started his legal career as a staff attorney for Monroe County Senior Legal Services, Inc., and worked there for over eight years . Mr. Brandt then transitioned into his own practice in 2014 representing clients in elder law, estate planning, estate administration, family law, real estate, collections and other legal matters. Mr. Brandt is a two time recipient of The Probate and Estate Planning Certificate Program, which is Cosponsored by the Probate and Estate Planning Section State Bar of Michigan and The Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Mr. Brandt is an accredited attorney for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Michael joined Powers Chapman in 2017.

Ms. Burink was born in Flint, Michigan. She currently lives in Marquette, Michigan, where she opened a law office in 2010. She has successfully represented individuals in employment litigation since 2005, including cases involving sexual harassment, age discrimination, violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Whistleblowers - Protection Act, disability discrimination and race discrimination. In addition, she has successfully represented clients in ERISA appeals and has been able to recover disability benefits for her clients. Ms. Burink is admitted to practice before the Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. She is also experienced in handling administrative claims with the Unemployment Insurance Agency and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her skill set also includes contract drafting and negotiations. She is a compassionate attorney that prides herself on getting results for her clients.

Deanna P. Waller-Bundy has been an attorney for 12 years, specializing in bankruptcy, real estate, family, and probate law. She holds a BA from the University of Michigan, an Executive MBA from Northwood University, and a JD from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Deanna has extensive experience representing clients in real estate closings, homeowner’s association disputes, evictions, and leasing matters. She is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Federal Bar Association, Consumer Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), and the Wolverine Bar Association. In addition to her legal expertise, Deanna worked as an information technology business consultant for nearly 20 years, gaining experience across various practice areas and organizations. She is married and has two daughters and two grandchildren. Deanna Waller-Bundy joined Powers Chapman in 2024.

Caitlin Cipri received her B.A. degree in Political Science from Michigan State University in 2010 and her J.D. degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2014. While at Loyola University, Ms. Cipri served as the Executive Editor of the Loyola International Law Review. Ms. Cipri was admitted to the Illinois Bar in November of 2014 and the Michigan bar in April of 2016. Ms. Cipri has experience in mortgage foreclosures, business law, business formation, intellectual property, estate planning, and consumer finance.