Mr. Clingen is the managing partner of the firm and chairs the firm’s business counseling department. He is general counsel to a number of privately owned businesses across a variety of industries. Mr. Clingen also represents high net worth individuals and family offices. He communicates on a day to day basis with the key decision makers at his clients. Mr. Clingen assists them in starting new business ventures, operating their ongoing business enterprises and preparing business succession plans for business owners. He uses his accounting and finance background to properly balance business and legal considerations in his client representations.

Representative Transactions/experience:
Structure and negotiate the purchase and sale of over fifty privately-owned companies with transaction consideration up to $100 million.

Design and draft shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements for corporations and operating agreements for limited liability companies.

Design equity incentive plans for companies, including option, restricted stock and phantom stock plans.  

Implement wealth transfer strategies using GRAT’s sales to grantor trusts and family limited partnerships to reduce business owner exposure to estate taxes.

Assist in resolving significant shareholder disputes involving companies in a variety of industries.

National Business Institute

• Tax Issues in Entity Selection and Formation
• Advanced LLC Issues
• Tax Issues in Illinois Mergers and Acquisitions

Midwest Business Bankers and Intermediaries Tax Issues in Structuring the Sale of a Business

Civic/Community
Director, Batavia Youth Baseball

When Ken is not helping his clients, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Susan, and children Kelly and Conor. He is an avid sports fan and blindly loyal follower of Notre Dame football and White Sox baseball. He is a longstanding member (with diminishing talent) of the Geneva Clowns, an adult recreational ice hockey team of local renown.