Todd M. Young

As a business and commercial transactions attorney, Todd Young advises clients on virtually all manner of corporate issues, ranging from mergers and acquisitions to corporate governance and financing. He works with clients from an array of industries with annual sales ranging from $5 million to $1 billion. Todd has helped U.S. entities navigate domestic matters, and has also served as U.S. counsel for non-U.S. entities on their U.S. acquisitions and in other matters for their U.S.-based affiliates.

Over the course of his career, Todd has represented purchasers and sellers in a wide variety of complex acquisition and disposition transactions. He also regularly counsels issuers in private offerings of securities.

Todd also works with lenders and borrowers, handling various types of finance and loan transactions. He has assisted several overseas corporations in the purchase and sale of U.S. entities.

In his financing work, Todd has a particular focus on representing lenders in ESOP loan transactions. Todd's ESOP practice further includes the representation of ESOP Trustees and company sponsors of ESOPs in ESOP-related transactions. He also has advised lenders in both stand-alone and syndicated loan transactions with aggregate loan amounts ranging from $20 million to $150 million.

Active in the firm's management, Todd is one of the longest-serving members of Hinshaw's Management Committee. He is also a former member of the firm's Executive Committee and a past co-leader of Hinshaw's Commercial Transactions Practice Group, and was previously a regional director for the firm.

Todd has long played a role in Hinshaw's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. In addition to helping to develop the firm's LGBTQ anti-harassment training program, Todd founded Hinshaw's LGBTQ Affinity Network, for which he serves as co-chair.

Leveraging his legal knowledge—and passion for working with the next generation of lawyers—Todd was also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School. From 1999 to 2010, he taught a course on mergers and acquisitions.

During law school, Todd was an active member of the Law Review, serving as a comment editor. While completing his undergraduate degrees, Todd completed a course of study at the Université de Toulouse in Toulouse, France.

• American Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association

• Holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability
• Recognized by his peers as a "Leading Lawyer" in the areas of: Mergers & Acquisitions Law; and Small, Closely & Privately Held Business Law
• Recognized as a "Notable LGBTQ Executive" by Crain's Chicago Business, 2018
• Recognized on the Super Lawyers list by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2005 – 2007

• Co-Presenter, "ESOP Jeopardy!," ESOP Association Midwest Regional Conference, Bloomington, Minnesota, September 22, 2023
• Co-Presenter, "Commercial – Tips to Avoid UCC Traps," 2023 Auto Finance Seminar: Driving Ahead: Auto Finance Insights from Industry Leaders, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Chicago, Illinois, May 4, 2023
• "ESOP Jeopardy," ESOP Association Illinois Chapter Annual Meeting, Champaign, Illinois, March 1, 2023
• Panelist, "Q1 Capital Markets Update," Out in Finance, Webcast, April 29, 2021
• Panelist, "What is the Impact of the ESOP Repurchase Obligation on my Banking Relationship?" National Center for Employee Ownership 2020 Employee Ownership Conference, Webcast, April 22, 2020
• Panelist, "Growth Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities for US Firms," Professional Practices Alliance (PPA) Breakfast Seminar, London, April 10, 2019
• "Cyber Security for ESOP Companies: Is Your Data Safe?," Illinois Chapter Meeting of the ESOP Association, Naperville, Illinois, March 7, 2019
• "Cyber Security for ESOP Companies: Is Your Data Safe?," Midwest Regional Meeting of the ESOP Association, Rosemount, Illinois, September 7, 2018
• "Update on New Partnership Audit Rules and the Roles of a 'Partnership Representative,'" Law Firm General Counsel Roundtable, San Francisco and Palo Alto, California, May 2018
• "Who Wants to be an ESOP Millionaire?," 2017 Midwest ESOP Conference, Omaha, Nebraska, September 7, 2017
• "Who Wants to be an ESOP Millionaire?," The ESOP Association, 40th Annual ESOP Conference & 26th Awards Ceremony, Washington, DC, May 2017
• "Who Wants to be an ESOP Millionaire?," Illinois ESOP Chapter 2017 Spring Conference, Oak Brook, Illinois, March 2017
• "ESOP Trivia," 2016 Las Vegas ESOP Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, November 11, 2016
• "Best of the Best," 2016 Midwest ESOP Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September 9, 2016
• "ESOP Jeopardy - We Supply the Questions for Your Nagging ESOP Answers," ESOP Association Illinois Chapter Conference, Champaign, Illinois, March 10, 2016
• "What Drives Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Forward?" American Law Institute program, Chicago, Illinois, June 2, 2015
• "Marry Me a Little: The Short History and Exciting Future of Marriage Equality," Moderator, live simulcast, Hinshaw's LGBT Affinity Network, Chicago, New York and San Francisco, May 14, 2015
• "ESOP Mythbusters: Are Those Things You Hear About ESOPs True or False?," ESOP Association, Illinois Chapter Winter Conference, Oak Brook, Illinois, March 2015

• Co-Author, Chapter 1, "Organizing and Advising a Small Business," Elements of Illinois Law 2023 Edition, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, September 2023 (Prior Editions 2020 and 2015)
• Chapter 6 (Formerly Chapter 12), "Corporate Operating and Maintenance Issues," Business Law (Illinois): Choice of Entity Issues and Corporations, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, 2020, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2005, 1999, and 1995 Editions
• Chapter 8, "Organizing and Advising Illinois Business," Business Law (Illinois): Choice of Entity Issues and Corporations 2012 Edition, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education
• Co-Author, "Maternal and Fetal Outcomes in Lamaze-Prepared Patients," Obstetrics and Gynecology

Media Mentions

• "He Brings Corporate Legal Skills to His Church," Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, March 3, 2008

• Out In Finance
  • Membership Committee, Co-Chair, 2020 – Present
• Episcopal Diocese of Chicago
  • Chancellor Emeritus, 2016 – Present
  • Chancellor, 2003 – 2016
  • Assistant Chancellor, 1995 – 2003
• Church of Our Saviour, Catechist, 6-9 Atrium
• Seabury Western Theological Seminary, Adjunct Professor for "Canon Law" Course, 2000 – 2004