Business & Corporate Law Banking Real Estate Estate Planning
& Administration
Litigation Local Government Law

8 East Stephenson Street
P.O. Box 877
Freeport, Illinois 61032

Telephone 815-235-2511
Facsimile 815-235-8603

Business & Corporate Law

Our business & corporate law practice represents all-sized businesses and not-for-profit corporations in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Our transactional attorneys have decades of experience in a wide range of services including assisting clients with entity formation and corporate structure, acquisitions, mergers, business succession planning and corporate governance. We currently represent major area manufacturing, construction, banking, communications and professional service businesses. As a result of our breadth of experience, we are able to focus on both legal and practical business solutions for our clients.

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Banking

Our banking practice represents numerous lending institutions in Northwest Illinois. We advise in commercial lending and real estate, bank regulatory matters, trust administration and consumer financial services. In addition, our broad experience with financial institutions allows us to serve as counsel on general corporate and operational matters including governance and Board of Director issues. We regularly assist banks in the areas of structuring and documenting loans and leases and dealing with defaulted loans.

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Real Estate

Our real estate practice provides full service representation to our clients in virtually all aspects of real estate acquisition, development and management. We are experienced in representing contractors, owners, common interest associations, landlords, tenants and prospective buyers of commercial and residential real estate.

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Estate Planning & Administration

We regularly advise clients about the relative advantages of various planning alternatives, including the use of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, structured charitable giving techniques, optimal use of the estate tax exemptions and lifetime gifting opportunities.

A substantial portion of our practice is dedicated to facilitating the smooth administration of estates or a person's assets while disabled. We provide counseling and representation throughout the probate and trust administration process.

In complex matters, we help to resolve issues regarding the disposition of real property, closely-held businesses, and investments. We have extensive experience in representing trustees, executors and beneficiaries in various trust and estate disputes.

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Litigation

We are committed to giving our clients efficient and quality legal service, and we try to practice "preventive law" to keep our clients out of court to resolve matters before they reach the courthouse, but we do not shy from trial when it is the best or only route to assist our clients. We are experienced with a full range of business-related claims and disputes for individuals and business entities. The following are some of the types of disputes that we handle:

  • commercial and residential real estate related litigation
  • construction disputes
  • mechanics lien foreclosures
  • credit defaults
  • Uniform Commercial Code
  • injunctions, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary and permanent injunctions
  • declaratory judgments
  • equitable remedies
  • corporate dissolution and reinstatements, including limited liability entity and partnership disputes
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Local Government Law

We serve as the corporate attorney for many municipalities and special districts. Our clients include villages, park districts, fire protection districts and others forms of local government throughout Northwest Illinois. We advise in matters such as the drafting and enforcement of ordinances, contract bids, taxation, personnel management and intergovernmental agreements.

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