Our Partners

Michael Dyer

BA: Furman University, 1975
JD: University of Dayton School of Law 1980

Managing Partner Mike Dyer has dedicated his professional career to helping people fight for their rights. Prior to the founding of DGM&S, Mike was in practice as a personal injury attorney.

He frequently lectures to health care providers and other professional groups concerning the proper handling of injury cases. Mike was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1980 and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio.

Memberships: Dayton, Ohio State and American Bar Associations; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers (Board of Trustees, 1995-); Miami Valley Trial Lawyers.

Carmine Garofalo

BBA: Ohio University 1971, cum laude
JD: The Ohio State University School of Law 1974

Before the founding of DGM&S, Carmine worked as an insurance defense attorney for 17 years. His extensive litigation experience in the personal injury field is invaluable to clients.

Carmine was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1974 and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio; 1986, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit; 1990, U.S. Supreme Court.

Memberships: Dayton, Ohio State and American Bar Associations; Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Miami Valley Trial Lawyers Association.

Doug Mann

BA: Bowling Green State University, 1981
JD: University of Toledo College of Law 1984

Prior to founding DGM&S, Doug worked as a claims adjuster for an insurance company. The experience he gained there helps Doug to fight for maximum cash settlements for his clients in minimum time.

Doug was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1984, and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio; 1987, U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th and 4th Circuits.

Memberships: Dayton, Ohio State and American Bar Associations; Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Miami Valley Trial Lawyers Association.

John Smalley

BA: University of Kentucky, 1981
JD: University of Dayton School of Law 1985

Before joining DGM&S as a Partner in the Litigation Department in 1997, John worked as an in-house insurance company defense attorney.

He now utilizes his defense experience to fight for injured victim's rights. John was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1985, and admitted to the Kentucky Bar in 1986, and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio.

Memberships: Dayton, Louisville, Ohio State, Kentucky and American Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute; American Trial Lawyers Association; Ohio Trial Lawyers Association.

Ken Ignozzi

BA: Allegheny College 1988
JD: University of Dayton School of Law 1991

Ken joined DGM&S as a Partner in the Litigation Department in 1999. Previously, Ken practiced civil litigation in the area of insurance defense for several years.

Ken is part of the litigation team, where he fights for the rights of injured clients. Ken was admitted the Ohio Bar in 1991, and the Pennsylvania Bar in 1992, Ohio and U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern District of Ohio.

Memberships: Dayton, Ohio State, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute.

Matthew Bruder

BA: Adrian College, 1995 magna cum laude,
Masters of Taxation, University of Akron School of Law 1998
JD: University of Akron School of Law 1998

Matt worked for DGM&S Negotiation Department for two years before joining the Litigation Department.

Dedicated to helping his clients fight for their rights, he was named Partner in 2004. Matt was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1998.

Memberships: Ohio State Bar Association, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, American Trial Lawyers Association.

David Marquis

BA: College of New Jersey 1985
JD: University of Dayton School of Law 1990

A key member of the Negotiation Team, David was named Partner in 2004. Prior to joining DGM&S in 1994, David worked as a staff attorney for the Second District Court of Appeals.

David was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1990, and the Pennsylvania Bar in 1997 and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio.

Memberships: Ohio State Bar Association, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, American Trial Lawyers Association.

Pierre Tismo

BA: University of Dayton, 1988
JD: University of Dayton, 1991

Pierre Tismo is highly experienced in complex catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. He joined the firm in December 2004, and in his first two years, achieved an 8.5 million dollar settlement and a 4 million dollar settlement in cases involving dangerous trucks; a $960,000.00 settlement involving medical negligence; and an $860,000.00 wrongful death settlement, among others. Pierre won a 2006 auto crash jury verdict in Butler County, amounting to just under one million dollars. In 2007, the year following becoming a partner, Pierre continued to produce successful results for the injured in 3 cases against dangerous truck drivers that totaled $ 4,305,000.00 and another for $512,500.00 dollars among other successful settlements in auto-accident cases. He also resolved 2 cases of medical negligence totaling $1,732,500.00 dollars.

Pierre joined the firm after 7 years of medical negligence & wrongful death litigation in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, that was preceded by 7 years as a Prosecutor in Chicago, Illinois. As a prosecutor in Chicago, he tried murder cases and other violent crimes to successful jury verdicts.

Pierre has spoken to the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers (OATL), the Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys (KATA), the Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) & the Northern Kentucky Bar Association (NKBA) on trial tactics & advocacy. He chaired and moderated several annual personal injury seminars for the NKBA and served for several elected terms on the KATA Board of Governors. As an adjunct faculty member at The Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, Pierre taught trial advocacy classes and coached several trial teams.