The U.S. law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that the Rockford Park District Board of Commissioners has recognized Hinshaw partner James W. Keeling by renaming Saturn Park to "Keeling Trailhead Park." The park stands along the Perryville Path Trail System.

The U.S law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today announced that partner James W. Keeling has been honored with an Honorary Alumnus award by Rockford University. The award was presented at a recent ceremony presided over by University President Eric W. Fulcomer, Ph.D.

Hinshaw congratulates firm client M-TEK, Inc. (M-TEK) for completing the sale of its assets as a going concern to Middleby Packaging Solutions, LLC (MPS). Hinshaw acted as legal advisor to M-TEK and its owner in the transaction. M-TEK is an industry leader in the development of Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) systems, while Middleby Corporation, the parent corporation of MPS, is a global leader in the foodservice equipment industry. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hinshaw Partner Jim Keeling was recently featured on the Clean Power Hour in an episode titled "Let the Sun Shine In: How Churches and Colleges Can Save with Solar with Austin Carr and Jim Keeling."

Hinshaw partners Jim Keeling and Marcia Mueller were quoted at length in an article in The Voice, the official news publication of the Rockford, Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Keeling and Mueller discussed exit strategies for business owners and legal considerations in developing a succession plan.

James W. Keeling, a Partner in the Rockford, Illinois, office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, was among those honored by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) in its inaugural list of “Twenty People You Should Know.” Mr. Keeling and the other honorees were selected for their contributions to the civic, economic and cultural vitality of the Rockford area. The Chamber describes the honorees as “accomplished professionals who have mastered the pathway to success, yet still have the balance and commitment to effectively give back to their industry, colleagues and community.”

Rockford-based partner Jim Keeling will co-present "Solar for Nonprofits and Churches – Special Incentives from Illinois" at the 2024 Solar Conference on July 18, 2024, in Rockford, Illinois. Nonprofits and churches are now eligible for a 30% federal investment tax credit, thanks to a new ruling by the Internal Revenue Service – Direct Pay. In addition, Illinois solar incentives may provide extra financial benefits to nonprofits and churches engaged in charitable activities.

Rockford-based partner Jim Keeling will co-present a Greenlink Energy Solutions webinar titled "How Churches and Colleges Can Harness the Energy of the Sun and Save Money with Solar," which will be held on May 1, 2024.

It has been an active and intriguing year for M&A with steady deal activity, record-level employment rates, access to capital, reasonable interest rates, and continued optimism in the U.S. economy.

Hinshaw's Jim Keeling, T.J. Leake, and Matthew Hevrin presented a webinar to the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) on May 27, 2020. Titled "How Small Businesses Can Navigate the Pandemic," the presentation addressed topics such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), insolvent customers and vendors, long-term planning, and potential cash flow conservation ideas.

In the past few weeks, the U.S. Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration (SBA) have raised issues concerning the economic uncertainty certification made by both public and private companies in FAQs #31 and #37, respectively. They stated that they had concerns about whether a borrower who had access to adequate liquidity to support its ongoing operations at the time of its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application could make this certification in good faith.

On April 23, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that public companies receiving Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, who were concerned about the economic uncertainty certification they had made when applying for a PPP loan, had until May 7, 2020 to return all of the loan proceeds. If they did, according to FAQ #31 they would be deemed to have made the certification in good faith. Then, on April 28, the agencies indicated in FAQ #37 that this rule would also apply to private companies.

As social distancing policies and mandates continue to take hold across the country, companies are grappling to understand the implications of these measures on their business. One compliance issue to resolve is that companies are generally required to hold annual meetings of their shareholders. We consider options for private companies when it comes to conducting their annual shareholder meeting and director meetings.

While the enactment of health care reform legislation by Congress has been much debated,there is one certainty: Health Insurance Will Change Dramatically On January 1, 2014.

Welcome to the Hinshaw Estate Planning Newsletter, designed to help you stay up to date on current estate planning topics, as well as other relevant legal developments and trends.

Hinshaw’s Estate Planning Newsletter includes reports on opportunities and challenges that may impact your estate plan. This publication is designed to keep our clients and friends aware of certain opportunities and challenges so that you may determine whether changes to your estate plan are necessary or desirable. Our goal is to provide the information necessary to ensure that you are effectively providing for your loved ones, planning for the transition of your businesses, protecting your assets, and paying as little tax as possible.

Hinshaw’s Estate Planning Newsletter includes reports on opportunities and challenges that may impact your estate plan. This publication is designed to keep our clients and friends aware of certain opportunities and challenges so that you may determine whether changes to your estate plan are necessary or desirable. Our goal is to provide the information necessary to ensure that you are effectively providing for your loved ones, planning for the transition of your businesses, protecting your assets, and paying as little tax as possible.