Atty. John E. Freechack
John has more than 40 years of experience advising hundreds of financial institutions and their boards on mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory issues, corporate governance, and securities law matters. John is straight-forward, a good sounding board and strategic thinker, meticulous, and personable.
Profile Summary
About John E. Freechack at a glance
John E. Freechack is a business attorney based in Chicago, Illinois, practicing at Barack Ferrazzano. Admitted to practice in Illinois, State of Illinois. Educated at Northwestern University (J.D., 1975) and Northwestern University (B.A., 1972). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Banking and Finance Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Financial Services Regulation Law (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Special Focus: (2026). Serands clients in Chicago, IL and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- John has more than 40 years of experience advising hundreds of financial institutions and their boards on mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory issues, corporate governance, and securities law matters
- John is straight-forward, a good sounding board and strategic thinker, meticulous, and personable
- John is the founder and former co-chair of Barack Ferrazzano’s Financial Institutions Group and has advised hundreds of financial institutions on strategic, corporate governance and other matters
- His extensive experience includes the representation of numerous public companies, as well as regional and community banks
- John spends considerable time counseling institutions and their boards with respect to mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory issues, corporate governance and securities law matters
- John is frequently recognized as one of financial institution law's top-ranked practitioners by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, and other publications
- He is also one of only three recipients to be awarded the Illinois Bankers Association’s Distinguished Bank Counsel Award
- John is active in the banking community
- He is a well-known speaker at national conferences involving the financial institutions area, addressing bank trade associations, regulators, and industry groups across the country
- John is also the Founder and past Chairman of the Community Bank Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Banking Law Committee
- John has served as an Adjunct Professor of banking law at a number of law schools for the past 25 years, including at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law since 2001
Practice Areas Explained
John E. Freechack's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases John E. Freechack handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
John E. Freechack is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Illinois →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Illinois
Practicing law in Illinois. Legal matters in Illinois are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Chicago are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Illinois state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Illinois brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Illinois courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Illinois attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Chicago or all attorneys in Illinois.
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