T.J. Leake concentrates his practice in the areas of business transactions and estate and financial planning. Mr. Leake has been involved in advising corporations, associations and not-for-profit corporate entities on various corporate formation matters, mergers, acquisitions and governmental issues. He also advises clients regarding estate planning and administration matters. In addition, Mr. Leake focuses his practice on advising closely held and family businesses on ownership relations and succession planning issues.

He is active in Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP’s pro bono program, assisting various charitable organizations in all aspects of corporate matters. Mr. Leake joined Hinshaw as an associate in August 2002.

During law school, Mr. Leake served externships with both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Honorable George Lindberg of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.

In addition to his other law school accomplishments, Mr. Leake was a member of Phi Delta Phi and Staff Editor of the Review of Intellectual Property Law.

Mr. Leake is a member of the American Bar Association (Business Law Section; Real Property Trust & Estate Law Section; Young Lawyers Division), the Illinois State Bar Association (Trust and Estate Section) and the Winnebago County Bar Association (Estate Section).

In 2012, Mr. Leake was included on the Rising Stars list, in the area of Estate Planning & Probate, by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine. Mr. Leake speaks to many organizations on a number of topics, including estate planning, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") and medical practice issues and recordkeeping. Some of his presentations include:

• "Wills vs. Trusts," dinner presentation, Edward Jones clients, Roscoe, Illinois, November 2008.
• "Asset Protection in Estate Planning to Managing an Accounting Practice," MAP Group, Rockford, Illinois, June 2008.
• "Medical Records Law in Illinois," Lorman Education Services seminar, Rockford, Illinois, May 2008.'
• "Asset Protection in Estate Planning" Winnebago County Bar Association Estate Planning Section, Rockford, Illinois, May 2008.
• "Estate Planning Workshop," Grand Victorian, Rockford, Illinois, April 2008.
• "Estate Planning Workshop," Rockford Public Library Summer Reading Club, Rockford, Illinois, June 2006.
• “Current Estate Planning Issues (Including How to Prevent the IRS or Other ‘Undesirables’ from Being your Primary Beneficiaries),” Hinshaw’s 2005 Breakfast Seminar Series, Rockford, Illinois, April 2005.

In May 2009, Mr. Leake was selected by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce as one of recipients of its annual “40 Leaders Under 40 Awards” for his leadership in the community and his work with the March of Dimes.

Mr. Leake serves the Northern Illinois Division of the Illinois Chapter of the March of Dimes as its Chairman of the Board of Directors. He also serves on the United Cerebral Palsy of Blackhawk Region Committee of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and is a member of the Professional Advisors Council for the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. In addition, Mr. Leake is a past participant in Leadership Rockford, a program sponsored by the Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce.