Overview
Clients often come to Bill in the midst of a potential financial calamity. Whether the call comes from company management or one of the dozens of financial institutions he represents, each of these financial crises comes with its own unique set of problems. Knowing that Bill will create a tailored approach to address those problems provides comfort.
Bill is a trusted restructuring counselor. He helps his clients analyze and resolve their financial issues, representing debtors, lenders, secured creditors, creditors' committees and trustees, among others, in all manners of chapter 11 and chapter 7 cases as well as out-of-court workouts and restructurings. Bill assists financial institutions and cannabis-related businesses on the interaction between state cannabis laws and federal banking and bankruptcy laws.
He also acts as outside bankruptcy counsel to a number of corporations and provides general business counseling in distressed situations, and represents a number of his clients in their FDCPA, FCRA, and similar consumer finance defense claims. Bill strives to find the right customized strategy for each client, knowing that it is the key to a successful resolution. Bill is on the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Northern District of Illinois and in that role is a fiduciary responsible for the preservation, liquidation, and distribution of assets in both consumer and commercial chapter 7 cases.
Experience
Membership & Involvement
- American Bankruptcy Institute: Member
- National Creditors Bar Association: Member; Co-editor, Bankruptcy Section Newsletter
- Turnaround Management Association: Member; Past Steering Committee Member; Past Co-chair: Future Leaders Committee (2006-2007)
- Past Member: Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court Liaison Committee
- Past Board Member: Auxiliary Board of Lincoln Park Zoo
- Past Board Member: Roscoe Village Neighbors Board of Directors (June 2004 - December 2007) ; Illinois Chapter of the American Liver Foundation (April 2005 - December 2007)
- Past President: Illinois Chapter of the American Liver Foundation Junior Board of Directors (April 2005 - December 2007)
Honors
- Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers List: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
- Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers List of "Rising Stars": 2011, 2012
Resources & Insights
Alerts
Speaking Engagements
Blog Posts
Education on Demand
Preparing to sell your business can be an overwhelming endeavor. A checklist of considerations for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions can ease the burden.
These are challenging times and many business owners are wondering whether they will have the cash flow to sustain their businesses.
With the economy surging for the past several years, many financial institutions have had the benefit of generating loans instead of dealing with problem credits; with the economy in a downward spiral that is rapidly changing.
Firm News
- 35 SmithAmundsen Attorneys Included on 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists35 SmithAmundsen Attorneys Included on 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
Congratulations to all of our attorneys named to the 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers and 2022 Illinois Rising Stars lists!
- Cannabis Law in Illinois: The Basics & BeyondCannabis Law in Illinois: The Basics & Beyond
Mike McGrory, Darren Grady, and Bill Hackney present the first-ever IICLE law program.
- Illinois Marijuana Business Law 2021 – Section III: Business Financing & Product PackagingIllinois Marijuana Business Law 2021 – Section III: Business Financing & Product Packaging
Darren Grady and Bill Hackney discuss funding options, clarify compliance requirements, explore hurdles when working with investors, and much more related to labeling, packaging, testing, and disposal.
- DRI 2021 Cannabis Law Virtual SeminarDRI 2021 Cannabis Law Virtual Seminar
Attorney Bill Hackney presented, “Banking, Bankruptcy and Cannabis 2021: New Year, New Administration, New Opportunities” where he provided an update on legislation including the SAFE Act, the STATES Act, and the MORE Act.
Services
Education
St. John's University School of Law, J.D., 1997
University of Illinois, B.A., 1994
Admissions
- Illinois
- New York