James W. Keeling
Partner, Attorney at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
Illinois State Bar AssociationWinnebago County Bar AssociationThe Blazer Foundation, DirectorPerryville Path Project, Chair (an effort to build a community bicycle and recreational path system)Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza, Founder; Co-ChairPerks Family Foundation, Director, 2010 – 2025Transform Rockford, Board Member, 2014 – 2023Rockford University, Trustee; Former Chair
About
Mergers, acquisitions, real estate development, and the organizational side of a business sit at the center of James W. Keeling's practice. He works with closely held and family-owned companies and the people who own them, advising owners on how they relate to one another, on succession, and on the estate and financial planning linked to it. That counsel carries into the transactions those owners take on. He earned his J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1974. He has served as partner-in-charge of the firm's Rockford office. He has also led the firm's national Commercial Transactions Practice Group, the group that handles its business deals.
Who is a good fit for James W. Keeling
- Owners of closely held companies preparing a merger or an acquisition.
- Owners of family-owned companies planning the company's succession.
- Co-owners addressing relations among themselves in a transaction.
Education and admissions
- Education
- University of Colorado School of Law, JD, 1974
- Lawrence University, B.A., 1970
- Bar admissions
- Illinois
Recognition
- Leading Lawyers Magazine, Business Edition, Leading Lawyer, Small, Closely & Privately Held Business Law; Top 100 Leading Downstate Business Lawyers in Illinois
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV® Peer Review Rating
- Illinois Super Lawyers, 2005
- University of Colorado School of Law, University of Colorado Law Review, Managing Editor; Order of the Coif
- Rockford University, Karl C. Williams Award, 2021; Honorary Alumnus, 2018; Mary Ashby Cheek Award, 2014
- Rockford Register Star, Excalibur Award, 2011
- Rockford Chamber of Commerce, Citizen of the Year, 2011
- Rockford Park District, Golf Hall of Fame, 2007
- Illinois Park and Recreation Association and Illinois Association of Park Districts, Community Service Award, 1994 and 2001
Specialties
Buy-side M&A representationSell-side M&A representation
Deal profile
- Typical deal size
- Any deal size
- Remote work
- In-person / regional
Frequently Asked Questions
Leading Lawyers Magazine, Business Edition, gave James W. Keeling its Leading Lawyer designation in Small, Closely & Privately Held Business Law. That publication also named him to its Top 100 Leading Downstate Business Lawyers in Illinois.