Business and Corporate

At Burke Burns & Pinelli, Ltd., we have a long history of advising and successfully representing public and private corporate clients in general business operations. Our BBP corporate attorneys provide day-to-day counsel to dozens of private corporations, NFPs and LLCs of all sizes and in a vast array of industries and markets. We have represented a large Midwest construction company, a national motel chain, a large Chicago-based charter school network, a private film studio, and a public relations firm, among others.

BBP clients include both for-profit businesses and non-profit corporations. The services we provide are as varied as our clients and include the full range of matters and issues that arise during the life of a business, such as:

  • General day-to-day operational issues and concerns
  • Federal and state compliance and regulatory matters
  • Contract negotiation, drafting, and review
  • Litigation
  • Business formation, including choice of entity
  • Restructuring of business
  • Assistance with external audits
  • Internal investigations
  • Executive level employment/compensation agreements

We welcome inquiries regarding BBP general corporate services. To schedule a consultation, call our Chicago office at 312-541-8600 or complete our online contact form.

Our Representative Corporate Clients

  • Since our inception in 1992, the Firm has served as outside counsel to a large Midwest construction firm, assisting it in a wide range of general corporate matters as well as nearly all of its litigation needs.
  • For a number of years, BBP represented a large national motel chain in all manner of business services, including the negotiation and drafting of contracts, the resolution of employment disputes, the acquisition and development of real estate, and the litigation of court claims.
  • For the past five years, BBP corporate attorneys have served as outside counsel for a large Chicago film studio, providing legal advice and representation to its CEO and other executive staff on numerous corporate legal matters, including real estate development, zoning, employment, regulatory affairs, and labor negotiations
  • On an ongoing basis, our attorneys assist a charter school network in the overall operation of its business, including assisting on matters ranging corporate and real estate matters to the myriad regulations entailed in such private-public partnerships.
  • BBP currently serves as outside counsel to a private 501(c)(3) management company engaged in a public-private partnership with a state agency on various matters, such as employee issues and the handling of complex FOIA requests and related litigation.
  • BBP assisted in the creation of a civic organization dedicated to Mexican-American leadership training and a local Chicago Public School affinity group created to raise funds for additional classroom resources for its local elementary school.
  • Through our representation of non-profit clients, we regularly address matters involving the Not-for-Profit Corporation Act, Charitable Trust Act, Solicitation for Charity Act, and rules and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service.

The Role of Litigation in Our Corporate Services

At BBP, our general corporate practice often includes representing clients in litigation. As an illustration, our litigation skills play a prominent role in our general corporate work for a large construction company client. The construction firm participates in many of the large municipal projects in the Chicago area. As a result, our corporate attorneys have been involved in contract negotiations, labor negotiations, government procurement, and trade union disputes. Large-scale construction projects also often involve litigation, mediation, and arbitration. BBP has represented the client in a broad range of litigation matters, including: property damage, torts, mechanic’s liens, and contracts and construction contract disputes.

Our Broad Range of Corporate Services — From Straightforward to Complex

Our work with a private charter school network is reflective of the various roles our BBP attorneys play in corporate guidance. Over the last 10 years, our services for this client illustrate the range of our general corporate practice, from relatively straightforward legal issues to complex matters with the potential for significant consequences:

  • BBP attorneys negotiated all aspects of the school network’s termination of its former management company, including the financial, corporate, and legal disentanglement. The matter involved numerous public and private entities and included successful transfer of several school properties and approximately $60 million in related financing.
  • Our corporate attorneys negotiated settlement of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into alleged improprieties by the network’s former management company pertaining to the issuance of bonds.
  • BBP oversaw all aspects of compliance with and negotiated the parameters of the agreement with the an Independent Monitor appointed by U.S. Northern District of Illinois federal court as the result of litigation.
  • Our corporate attorneys successfully defended the network against an improper attempt by Chicago Public Schools to revoke the network’s charter.
  • BBP attorneys represented the school network in negotiations with Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) over collective bargaining agreements.
  • BBP assisted the network’s Board in development of high-level executive compensation packages, including those for the CEO, to further the Board’s desire to attract and maintain top talent.
  • We drafted numerous contracts for vendors and contractors, as well as contract templates for future use.
  • Our BBP corporate attorneys assisted the network’s Board in revising the corporate by-laws and drafting of numerous polices, including those for personnel and procurement, as well as an employee handbook and student handbook.
  • We conducted numerous investigations into employee and student misconduct, some of which included expulsion hearings.
  • Our corporate attorneys drafted agendas and minutes for the various client board meetings.
  • BBP attorneys handled a corporate change of name process for the client, including all corporate and financial aspects, and conducted due diligence on potential infringement and other related trademark issues.
  • Our corporate attorneys handled numerous requests for public records under FOIA, including sensitive and complex requests pertaining to the network’s relationship with its former management company and ongoing labor negotiations.
  • BBP oversaw compliance with numerous regulatory filings, including audit letters, bond reports, SEC filings, and changes of registered agents.
  • Our litigation attorneys have represented the network in a number of litigation matters, including discrimination claims in state court and administrative hearings before the City of Chicago.

Illinois Business and Corporate Inquiries

Public and private corporations and LLCs, both profit and non-profit, wishing to meet with our business and corporate attorneys at BBP may schedule a consultation by calling our Chicago office at 312-541-8600 or completing our online contact form.