Petway Gulas

PETWAY GULAS is a civil litigation firm established this year with the merger of Petway, Tucker and Barganier and The Ike Gulas Law Firm.  Bruce Petway and Ike Gulas have each been practicing law for over twenty years, each with successful careers representing consumers who have been injured by defective products such as automobiles, prescription pharmaceuticals, all terrain vehicles and unsafe roadways.

Bruce Petway has practiced law in Birmingham for over 24 years, representing individuals in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases.  He has specialized in and obtained successful results for his clients in automobile product liability cases over the design of fuel systems, seatbelts, airbags, seat design, rollover propensity, and general crashworthiness.  Mr.Petway has also obtained successful results for his clients in cases concerning the design of all-terrain vehicles (four wheelers), the crashworthiness of heavy trucks (18 wheelers), and against road construction companies over the design and building of roadways that caused the phenomenon known as “hydroplaning.  ”Mr.Petway takes great pride in the fact that he has dedicated his entire legal career to representing the average person and family members who have lost loved ones against the largest corporations in the United States and around the world.  Bruce Petway is also very involved in his community.  This past year he was responsible for the establishment of a Catholic Football league which brought kids from all parts of Birmingham together to participate in an organized football league.

The Gulas family has been in Birmingham, Alabama for over a century and is synonymous with the restaurant industry around the state.  Ike Gulas chose to forego the restaurant business and enter the legal world 22 years ago.  In that time he is responsible for founding and building a law firm which has become known across the country for handling Mass Tort Cases, primarily those involving defective or recalled prescription pharmaceuticals.  In 2000 Mr.Gulas was able to achieve successful settlements on behalf of hundreds of clients injured by the prescription weight loss drug Fen-Phen.  In 2007, he successfully tried and received a $5.5 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson in Federal District Court in West Palm Beach, FL. The case involved the estate of a 28 year old patient who died when the prescription Fentanyl pain patch he was wearing malfunctioned and leaked.  At the time it was the first and largest Federal Court verdict against the manufacturers of the Duragesic pain patch.  In addition to practicing law, Ike Gulas is involved in numerous charitable and philanthropic causes.  In 2007-2009 he was elected and served as the International President of AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Philanthropic Association), which is the largest Greek American organization in the United States, comprised of chapters throughout North America and Europe.

Bruce Petway and Ike Gulas each bring to Petway Gulas a “David versus Goliath” philosophy.  This philosophy rings true in today’s economy with foreclosures of people’s homes at an all time high.  As a result, the Petway Gulas law firm will emphasize in representing clients who are in or on the brink of foreclosure.  Hardly anyone has been spared as this economic crisis spreads across all socio-economic levels.  Banks all across America received bailouts; however, the homeowner who was supposed to receive a trickle-down effect never saw any relief.  As a result, home values plummeted and foreclosures are at an all time high.  Petway Gulas believes those who are in despair need someone on their side, and they look forward to saving the homes of hardworking Alabama families.