We defend
Illinois drivers.

Attorney/Partner

Derek Martin is from the south suburbs of Chicago. He attended Illinois State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Derek worked at a major media company for five years before deciding to enroll in law school.

He attended Chicago-Kent College of Law part-time in the evenings while working full-time during the day. Derek supervised and managed 55 employees at the company, before leaving to practice law full-time.

As a real estate investor since his early twenties, Derek built a law practice managing real estate transactions for investors throughout Chicagoland.

Derek has since co-founded Driver Defense Team where he manages the daily operations of the firm and represents clients each day in all types of traffic defense and DUI matters.

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Owner

Stephanie Kemen is a Wisconsin native and received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. After graduation, she began law school at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

During law school, Stephanie gained valuable trial experience as a felony clerk with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. After graduation, that experience allowed her to begin working for a private criminal defense attorney soon after passing both the Illinois and Wisconsin bar exams.

Since 2009, Stephanie has worked with some of the most prominent defense attorneys in Cook County. In 2012, she opened her own firm, the Law Office of Stephanie Kemen. Stephanie has built a reputation of providing diligent representation by successfully representing her clients on thousands of criminal and traffic matters.

In 2016, Stephanie co-founded Driver Defense Team where she continues to defend DUI, criminal, and all types of traffic cases.

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Attorney

Chris Dionne attended the University of California, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 2005. In 2007, Chris moved to Chicago to attend Loyola University School of Law, graduating in 2010.

While attending Loyola, Chris competed on the Latin American Students Association ABA Criminal Law Trial Team, serving as Lead Counsel.

In 2014, Loyola University Chicago School of Law awarded Chris with an adjunct faculty position. He also coaches law students on the Civil Law Mock Trial Team.

Professionally, Chris worked for the City of Chicago for over three years. While with the City, Chris prosecuted defendants who were accused of violating various Illinois State traffic violations, City of Chicago traffic code violations and misdemeanor Chicago Codes.

In February 2015, Chris left the City to work as a defense attorney. Since leaving the City, Chris has successfully defended hundreds of individuals accused of violating local and State traffic offenses.

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Attorney

Eric Tibbs is originally from Central Illinois and moved to Chicago in 2010. He graduated from the University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign in 2003, and received his Juris Doctorate in 2007 from the University of Tulsa.

Eric practiced for three years as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Tazewell County, where he was a prosecutor in the Traffic Division. Eric has over ten years of experience with DUI cases, Statutory Summary Suspension hearings, and License Reinstatement hearings. He has been involved in numerous bench and jury trials, involving every type of traffic-related offense. Eric currently resides in the city of Chicago, where he enjoys playing guitar and Playstation 4.

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Attorney

Prior to joining the team at Driver Defense Team, Kelly was a partner at McSweeney Moore Law Offices. She worked side by side with retired Judge Colleen McSweeney Moore beginning in 2013. Kelly joined McSweeney Moore Law Offices after graduating cum laude from the John Marshall Law School. She attended the John Marshall Law School from 2010-2013 and she was able to complete law school in only two and a half years.

Since being sworn in to the Illinois Bar, Kelly has practiced a variety of criminal law cases; everything from minor traffic offenses to class X felonies. She has participated in bench trials by presenting opening and closing statements, and direct and cross-examinations of various witnesses. She has been successful in completing a number of pretrial hearings on Motions to Quash Arrest and Suppress Evidence, Preliminary Hearings, and Petitions to Rescind Statutory Summary Suspension. Kelly also second-chaired an Attempt First Degree Murder case that was set for a jury trial. Some of the more complicated criminal cases that Kelly is currently working on include Attempt First Degree Murder, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, and Hate Crimes.

During law school, she was a 711 Law Clerk for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. There, she observed hundreds of criminal cases, participated in bench trials and motions, wrote legal memoranda and completed discovery. She was also a law clerk for Goldberg Weisman & Cairo, Illinois’ largest personal injury and workers’ compensation law firm. There, she assisted civil attorneys with legal memoranda, discovery, and court filing. Additionally, she was a judicial extern for the domestic relations judges in the Will County Courthouse where she observed hundreds of domestic relations cases, including divorce, child custody, child support, and domestic abuse. She also had the opportunity to draft court orders and write legal memoranda.

Kelly spent four years on the Executive Board of Directors of the Southwest Bar Association. She was the President in 2020 and remains active in the Association.

Kelly Moore spent one year in Dublin, Ireland prior to attending law school. She waitressed to earn a living and in her free time, she experienced all of the traditions and customs that Ireland had to offer. After Dublin, Kelly backpacked around Europe for 30 days and traveled to more than 10 countries. Her experience traveling gave her the ability to relate and understand many cultures. Before traveling, Kelly attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There she received Bachelors of Arts Degrees in Criminology and Law Studies and Spanish Language and Literature as well as an accompanying Minor in Sociology. Before college, Kelly graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago.

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Attorney

Tristan Hinriksson is originally from River Forest, Illinois and has lived in the Chicago area for most of his life. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2016 with Juris Doctorate. Before that Tristan served in the United States Army Reserves, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and returning to graduate with his Bachelors from Concordia University Chicago in 2011.

After law school Tristan practiced for two years as a civil attorney focusing on insurance defense matters and family law. In 2018 Tristan became a Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney and handled numerous misdemeanor traffic and Juvenile felony matters throughout all stages of litigation until joining Driver Defense Team.

Tristan lives in the near western suburbs of Chicago and enjoys building Legos with his son and reading science fiction.

Experience:

• Army Reserves 2001-2009 – Intelligence Analyst (96b)
• 1 year deployment Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF III) – Balad Air Force Base, Iraq
• Bachelors of Arts, History, Concordia University Chicago (2011)
• J.D., University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (2016)
• Interned with Illinois Attorney General & Dept. Homeland Security
• CALI Award in National Security Law
• Insurance Defense Litigation
• Cook County PBN Volunteer GAL
• Cook County State’s Attorney

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Attorney

Inspired at a young age by family members practicing criminal defense law, John has had a lifelong passion for legal defense.  John attended Indiana State University graduating Magnum Cum Laude in 2012 with a degree in criminology, criminal justice and political science. While attending Indiana State, John pursued his interest in flight by becoming a pilot.

John then attended Indiana University Robert McKinney School of Law. While in law school, John was admitted to the Dean’s Tutorial Society and tutored other law students. John also participated in moot court, trial team and was awarded two scholarships for his extensive knowledge of tax law.

Upon graduating law school, John become a licensed member of the Indiana State Bar and began working for criminal defense attorneys in Indiana. John represented clients accused of varied offenses from minor traffic tickets to triple homicide. While practicing in Indiana, John also successfully briefed an appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals. This appellate argument is published in the State of Indiana as case law. During his free time in Indiana, John and family built a tiny house on wheels.

In 2017 John was admitted to the Montana State Bar and started his career with the State Office of Public Defender as an Assistant Public Defender in Great Falls, Montana. During his tenure at the State Office of Public Defender, John’s primary focus was traffic offenses and DUIs. John also represented clients on everything from minor offenses to serious felony charges. While practicing in Montana, John worked with the City of Great Falls to develop the first Mental Health Treatment Court in Cascade County, Montana.

During his free time in Montana John would tend to his llama farm, build log furniture and backpack the many wilderness areas with his family.

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Attorney

Shahina grew up in Skokie, Illinois and has lived in the Chicagoland area most of her life. She graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2018 with Juris Doctorate.

Before coming to Driver Defense Team, she was a staff attorney for numerous judges at the Cook County Criminal Division for over two years.

While in law school, Shahina clerked for one of the largest and most respected prosecutor’s offices in the United States – Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. As a 711 law clerk, she successfully litigated several bench trials and gained a wealth of experience in advocacy. She also clerked at the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC). She was also a member of Chicago-Kent’s nationally ranked trial advocacy team.

In her spare time, Shahina enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.

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Attorney, Of Counsel

Colin Gage was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School and worked for a private firm where he handled criminal, traffic, and family law cases.

After working privately, Mr. Gage worked for the City of Chicago as a prosecutor in the traffic and administrative hearings divisions prosecuting traffic tickets, code violations, and vehicle impoundments. Over the course of his tenure with the City, Mr. Gage conducted hundreds of vehicle impoundment and Chicago ordinance hearings and prosecuted thousands of these violations.

At Driver Defense Team, Mr. Gage focuses his practice on vehicle impoundments and Chicago code violations. He has been defending these violations for over 2 years.

He is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and Wisconsin and is a diehard fan of the 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs.

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