Formerly known as Michigan Veterans Law
Military Veterans Appeals
Recommended Attorneys
At MVA, we are committed not only to getting Veterans the benefits they deserve through the VA Appeals process, but also to making sure they know who to go to when faced with other legal issues.
Each attorney we recommend is a trusted expert with experience serving Veterans.
Lori Herr
Family Law
Lori (Heisler) Herr received her Juris Doctor Degree from the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law. A proud daughter of two factory workers, Lori knows the importance of a budget. She seeks to help people through difficult times by providing constant emotional support and friendship. She provides excellent legal services that people can afford.
Lori began her educational experience by attending Kellogg Community College during High School. After receiving her high school diploma, she became a Comet at Olivet College. After college, Lori attended law school at Thomas M. Cooley, both the Lansing and Auburn Hills campuses. Lori is currently a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association, the Eaton County Bar Association, the Ingham County Bar Association, the Womens Lawyers Association of Michigan, and a board member for the Oasis Family Center.
Lori practices in the areas of Family Law including: Divorce, Separation, Child Custody, Child Support, Spousal Support, Domestic Abuse, Co-Habitation Agreements, Military Support Issues, Military Retirement, Military Separation Agreements, and more.
Lori is certified in both civil and domestic relations mediation.
Find an additional article here: http://www.legalnews.com/ingham/1414456/
Admitted to Practice by:
• State Bar of Michigan
• State Bar of Colorado
• U.S. District Court-Western District of MI
Teaching Experience
• Baker University
• Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• Cleary College
• Lansing Community College
Steven Dulan
Property Law
Business Law
2nd Amendment and Firearm Law
Steven W. Dulan is a licensed attorney and real estate broker and has held a Michigan real estate license since 1983. He holds a BA degree from Michigan State University with a double major in International Studies and Political Science. Mr. Dulan also holds a Juris Doctor degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where he was awarded a full scholarship based on academic excellence.
Awards and Recognitions
• State of Michigan Competitive Scholarship
• Dean's List and Honor Roll - Michigan State University and Thomas M. Cooley Law School
• Full Thomas M. Cooley Honors Scholarship
• American Jurisprudence Award for Professional Responsibility (Ethics)
Memberships:
• American Bar Association • Ingham County Bar Association • The Federalist Society • Mensa • The American Legion • Phi Alpha Delta International Law Fraternity • Commercial Law League of America • National Rifle Association • Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners
Brendon Basiga
Criminal Law
Social Security Disability
Mr. Basiga was drawn to criminal defense work as a student lawyer with the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s office while still attending law school.
Over several years, Mr. Basiga worked as an associate lawyer at some of the most distinguished and well known criminal defense firms in the Lansing, Michigan area where he sharpened his litigation skills.
At one of the firms, he served as the Meridian Township Prosecuting Attorney where he expanded the First Offenders Program. He has also handled cases as a Court Appointed Defense Lawyer for the Ingham County Felony list, Juvenile/Delinquency list and 55th District Court.
Education
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Law Society of Upper Canada – National Committee on Accreditation Challenge Exams (January 2013)
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Thomas M. Cooley Law School (now Western Michigan University Cooley Law School), Juris Doctorate (August 2005)
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University of Alberta School of Business, Bachelor of Commerce (August 2001)
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Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Student Exchange Program (Winter 2000)
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Harvard University, Summer School Program (Summer 1996)
Professional Associations
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Criminal Lawyers Association
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Young Lawyers Section President (2009-2010)
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American Inns of Court, Michigan State University Chapter (2007-2008)
Bar and Court Admissions
Casey Conklin
Civil Litigation
Born and raised in Mid-Michigan, Casey attended Michigan State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Advertising. Casey worked for years in advertising, marketing, and business consultation before deciding to attend law school.
In 2013, Casey graduated Cum Laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School (now Western Michigan University Cooley Law School), with a concentration in Intellectual Property. While attending law school, Casey worked on various consumer protection projects with the Attorney General of Michigan, as well as interning for an East Lansing based law firm.
In 2014, Casey was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan, and is licensed to practice in the state of Michigan, is admitted to practice in the Michigan Federal Court of the Western District, and has been admitted to practice in the Colorado Federal Court, as well as the United States Tax Court. Since becoming licensed, Casey has been working as a solo practitioner in Michigan. Casey has worked in a wide variety of areas including Real Estate, Landlord/Tenant, Copyright, Contracts, Tax Issues, Business Organization, Wills and Trusts, Bar Exam Appeals, Collections, Construction Law, and Compliance. Recently, Casey has received a Certificate of Completion in the areas of probate and estate planning issued by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan.
Charles Cottrell
Estate Planning
616-560-3843 charles@cottrell.law
While in college, Charles joined the Navy Reserve as a cryptologic technician and eventually attained the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. Charles earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Cincinnati. He worked as a research assistant at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and later in technical support for a major ERP software company in Grand Rapids.
In 2008, Charles graduated cum laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. After graduation, he spent two years at a small firm practicing in many different areas of the law.
In 2010 he joined an estate planning firm and a year later was a founding member of Cottrell & Jacobs PLC which limited its practice to estate planning and elder law. After seven years, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia and practiced there as an estate planning and elder law attorney. He moved back to Grand Rapids in 2019 and is presently a sole practitioner. In addition to being licensed in Michigan and Georgia, he is accredited by the VA for assisting individuals applying for Veteran’s benefits.
Charles enjoys using the problem-solving skills that he has acquired from the different fields in which he has worked to come up with the best solutions for his clients.
Matthew Nagel
Criminal Law
Matt served in the United States Marine Corps from 1997 until his retirement in October 2017. He is a veteran of the War Against Terrorism and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. During his final 9-month tour, Matt served as an advisor to the Afghan National Army. He concluded his career with a three-year exchange to the British Royal Marines, where he trained British and Dutch Marines in Mountain and Arctic Warfare.
While on active duty, Matt earned associate's and bachelor's degrees in legal studies from Purdue Global University. Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, he accepted a scholarship to attend Michigan State University College of Law. While a student of MSU Law, Matt studied with the Geoffrey Fieger Trial Practice Institute, was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, and assisted in establishing the MSU Law Student Veterans of America student organization. He graduated in May 2021 and is a proud Spartan Lawyer.
As attorney-at-law, Matt represents fellow Michiganders in a variety of cases, including OWI, domestic violence, criminal sexual conduct, and offenses causing death. Matt also assists clients with expungement applications and represents clients with traffic matters resulting in civil infractions or traffic misdemeanors. Matt is a passionate trial lawyer who zealously advocates for his clients. As a student of American history, Matt believes no person should be for want of legal
representation or a fair trial in a free country.
