Attorney Profile
Kenny Eathington has provided general legal counsel services to business owners, farmers, agribusiness companies, financial institutions and individuals throughout central Illinois since his graduation from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1991. Raised on a farm his family has owned for generations in central Illinois, Kenny understands the challenges business owners and individuals face today. As Kenny explains, “Business owners today, regardless of their industries, face many complex business challenges in areas of corporate, real estate, financing, marketing, estate planning and purchases and sales of businesses, to name a few areas. As businesses become larger and more specialized, their legal needs become more complex.”
For over 25 years, Kenny has pursued a comprehensive general law practice involving real estate, corporate, business and estate planning, bankruptcy, commercial, lending and environmental law matters. He represents and counsels business owners, land owners, individuals, family farm corporations and farmers.
Kenny routinely advises financial institutions and investors on multi-million dollar lending and documentation for commercial and agricultural businesses, and represents creditors’ rights arising from insolvency and bankruptcy matters. He assists clients in complex real estate transactions and the acquisition or divestiture of businesses and locations by negotiating contractual terms, performing due diligence, and advising on entity formation and transaction structure.
Many clients rely on Kenny’s counsel regarding day-to-day operations, such as review of corporate documents, leases, purchase agreements, loan documents, marketing agreements and other contracts. He also prepares and reviews individuals’ estate planning documents and provides guidance on estate and trust administration matters.
Other representative experience includes having:
- Represented a regional community bank in numerous loan transactions.
- Represented a national commercial bank in documenting a credit facility to its transportation customer in the amount of $18,000,000.
- Represented a buyer in its acquisition and financing of a manufacturing business in the amount of $15,000,000.
- Represented shareholders of a family owned business in the sale of their ownership interests to management for the amount of $15,400,000.
- Represented a regional commercial bank in a grain elevator failure, its efforts to liquidate its collateral and negotiations with the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
- Represented numerous property owners in the sale and purchase of various types of real estate including farms, commercial, residential, office, manufacturing and gravel pits.
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Practice Areas
Education
- J.D., University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois, 1991
- Honors: summa cum laude
- Law Review: University of Illinois Law Review, Associate Editor
- B.S., Agricultural Economics, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, 1983
- Honors: with highest honors and Bronze Tablet
Admissions/Associations
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. Tax Court
- American Agricultural Law Association
- American Bar Association
- Estate Planning Council of Central Illinois – Board Member
- Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association, Inc.
- Illinois State Bar Association – Agricultural Law Section Council
- Peoria Area Association of Realtors
- Peoria County Bar Association – Real Estate Committee, Residential Sales Contract Committee
Presentations
- Annual presentations at Quinn Johnston Business & Tax Seminar
- “Trusts 101,” NBI Seminar, May 20, 2014
- “Estate Planning,” State of Illinois Employees’ Retirement System
- “Home Inspection Seminar”, Peoria Area Association of Realtors, February 2010
- “Lender Issues Under the Illinois Grain Code & A Farmer’s Rights With Respect to Prepaid Supplies,” Illinois State Bar Association Agricultural Law CLE, February 2009
- “Direct, Deferred & Reverse Exchanges Under IRC Section 1031”, Peoria County Bar Association CLE, January 2008
- “Buying and Selling Farmland Contractual Issues”, Illinois State Bar Association Agricultural Law CLE, February 2008
Community Activities
- Illinois State Bar Association, Agricultural Law Section Council Member, Chair (2013-2014), Vice Chair (2012-2013), Secretary (2011-2012)
- University of Illinois College of ACES, Alumni Board Member (2004 – 2016), President (2013-2014), Vice-President (2010-2012)
- Junior Achievement of Central Illinois, Board Member (2009 – 2018)
- Boy Scouts: Friends of Scouting Volunteer
- St. Jude Catholic Church Building Committee
- St. Jude Catholic School Advisory Board
- Knights of Columbus
Ratings/Recognitions
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent
- Illinois Leading Lawyers List, 2010-2022
- Peoria Area Association of Realtors Affiliate of the Year Award, 2004
- Peoria County Bar Association Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award, 2001