Meet Disability Lawyer Spelios Bacoyanis

A spotlight on one of the professional team members who works for you at Nash Disability Law.

Fans of classic 1950s TV will remember this catchphrase: “Have Gun – Will Travel.”

In the show of the same name, this was embossed on the business cards of Paladin, a gun fighter for hire who roamed the West, fighting for the downtrodden.

This may be an unexpected motto for a disability attorney 70 or so years later, but Nash Disability Law senior attorney Spelios Bacoyanis will tell you that it perfectly explains what he believes in.

“Paladin (the name derives from medieval holy knights who crusaded in the name of good and order) preferred to solve problems without getting into a fight,” Spelios explains. “But he was not afraid to resort to stronger methods when all other options were exhausted. It reminds me that in my professional practice, courtesy and collaboration are the best options, until it is clear that a fight has to be had, and then you go all out.”

Spelios has practiced exclusively in the area of Social Security Disability law for many years.

At Nash Disability Law, he has zealously represented people with disabilities in Social Security hearings before dozens of administrative law judges.

Like a true Paladin, he will tell you, “My greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that I was able to restore a person’s dignity against the weight of an uncaring government that had previously thought they were undeserving of it.”

Taking on powerful interests is nothing new for him. While attending John Marshall Law School (now the UIC School of Law), he was a senior clinical intern at the Fair Housing Legal Clinic, working closely with individuals with disabilities in housing discrimination cases.

Outside work, Spelios enjoys spending time with his family, especially camping and fishing with his two little girls, Madelyn and Avery, and his wife, Morgan.

Applying the law to do good is part of the DNA of this family. Morgan is also an attorney and an associate regional director for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a private, non-governmental organization which regulates the U.S. financial industry.

Spelios is a Munster, Indiana, native and Eagle Scout who avidly supports One Tail at a Time, an animal rescue and placement organization (where his family got their rescue dog), and the Sierra Club.

As you might expect, he is still involved with the Boy Scouts of America, too. And like any good Chicagoan, Spelios’ favorite sports team is “Da Bears.”