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Phone:

(312) 380-6630

Email: ebleakley@ksblegal.com

ELIZABETH A. BLEAKLEY

Elizabeth provides clients with legal counsel and services for business, corporate, and financial industry matters, including business sales, mergers and acquisitions, raising capital, and regulatory issues. She also helps clients with corporate governance matters, contract negotiations, equity compensation plans, and  intellectual property matters (including trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, and licensing).  

Business success requires a flexible and practical approach to meet opportunities and challenges. As someone who has started three small businesses of her own, Elizabeth understands the risks, rewards, and challenges involved. In addition, Elizabeth has over ten years of management experience at several national financial services companies. Her legal experience in serving small and mid-sized businesses, prior management experience, and business education work together to provide clients with a practical approach to their legal needs.

Prior to starting her first law practice, Elizabeth worked as a legal assistant for an AV rated Chicago-loop law firm that focused on tax, investment, corporate, and estate planning. She also completed a legal internship with the in-house legal department of a leading online travel company.  

Elizabeth received her Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law where she received CALI awards for academic excellence Lawyering for Venture Capital, Investment Banking, Money Managers, and Business Organizations. She received her M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in finance and accounting, economics, strategic management, and entrepreneurship. She received her B.A. with a concentration in Business Administration from DePaul University. Elizabeth is a candidate for an LL.M. degree in Financial Services from Chicago-Kent College of Law. 

Honors, Achievements, and Positions

• Chicago Booth Alumni Club

2010-2012 Positions held: Board President, VP Continuing Education

2011-2012 Moderator, Economics and Public Policy Forum

• American Bar Association (ABA) (highlights)

2007-2012 Middle Market and Small Business Committee

2009-2012 Liaison, ABA State Regulations of Securities Committee

2007-2009 ABA Business Law Fellow

2007-2008 Chair, ABA YLD Business Law Committee

• Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)

2010-2012 Business and Securities Law Section Council

2006-2010 Business Advice and Financial Planning Council

         Positions: Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Ex-Officio

• Chicago Bar Association (CBA)

2006-2012 Member

• Speaking and Publication (highlights)

• Speaker for American Bar Association ("ABA") conferences in New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Denver, and Charlotte.

• Speaker for ISBA on several occasions.

• Published by both the ABA and the ISBA on numerous occasions.

• Speaker at workshops hosted by the Community Economic Development Law Project, the Small Business Administration, the Community Economic Development Law Project, and the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development.

• Teaching

2006-2009 Adjunct Professor at DePaul University teaching a course on leadership.

• Elizabeth has been a Professional Mentor for a number of years to DePaul University students focusing in business.

Articles

Protection of 401(k) Plan Participants under ERISA’s Fiduciary Responsibility Provisions

by Elizabeth A. Bleakley

Published March 2006 in ISBA - The Counselor

Effectiveness Of The Certification Requirements Under Sarbanes-Oxley In Preventing And Punishing Financial Statement Fraud

by Elizabeth A. Bleakley

Bankruptcy Law and the Nondischargeability of Debts Incurred in Violation of Securities Laws or Common Law Fraud in Connection with Securities

by Elizabeth A. Bleakley

Wage Garnishments - Not Just the Employee's Problem 

Published by the ISBA Business Advice and Financial Planning Section

by Elizabeth A. Bleakley 

Representative Engagements:

• Prepared a $12 million Private Placement Offering for a new technology company and performed related due diligence.

• Negotiated and prepared final contracts for a client with a major national insurance and financial products company.

• Obtained trademark registration and assignments of intellectual property for several clients.

• Successfully protected trade secrets, enforced non-compete and other covenants, and pursued allegations of unfair competition for a client against a former employee.

• Successfully performed forward and reverse stock splits for an internet-based client.

• Performed business mergers and acquisitions for clients.

• Successfully negotiated a licensing and distribution contract involving an international toy manufacturer and a national nonprofit corporation.

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