I was born and raised in Belleville, Illinois.  I currently reside in Highland, Illinois with my wife, Wendy, and two daughters, Hayley and Hadley. 

I began my legal career at the St. Clair County Public Defender’s office where I defended a full range of misdemeanor, felony, and homicide cases. As a public defender, I valuable courtroom experience and learned the art of trying a case in front a jury.

After leaving the Public Defender’s Office, I spent over 6 years as a defense attorney in the private sector where I specialized in complex civil litigation at one of the largest litigation defense firms in the St. Louis area. I have conducted hundreds of depositions in over 30 different states, argued in countless hearings, and have represented some of the largest corporations in the United States.  I have prepared cases for trial on behalf of numerous corporations in jurisdictions throughout the United States, including assisting a major corporation’s national counsel at trial in New York City, New York.    

As a result of these experiences, I saw firsthand how large corporations that put profit before safety harmed people. I experienced firsthand how large corporations and their insurance companies evaluate claims made by injured persons and how they engage in legal gamesmanship to reduce an injured person’s recovery. 

As a founding member of Hipskind & McAninch, I focus my practice on representing individuals injured by the tortious acts of others, including cases such as catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, pharmaceutical and medical devices and other mass torts.  I also utilize my courtroom and advocacy skills to represent those facing criminal prosecution or family turmoil such as a divorce, child custody issues and other family law matters. 

Recently, I was selected as a 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star - an honor I recieved in 2015 as well. I  attended Althoff Catholic High School (1998); Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (2004); Oklahoma City University School of Law (2008).