Katherine L. Opel

Phone: (618) 692-5111

Email:

Kathie Opel joined the firm in 2015, after working for several years at a large firm in St. Louis. She focuses her practice on estate planning, business entity formation and governance, real estate law and contract drafting, negotiation and review. Kathie works with a variety of closely-held and family-owned businesses. She also regularly assists nonprofit organizations in obtaining and maintaining 501(c)(3) status.

Through her continued community involvement and years of work in the advertising industry prior to her legal career, Kathie focuses on placing the values of her clients first. In providing excellent service to the individuals and businesses with whom she works, Kathie develops close relationships with her clients, many of whom are her neighbors and businesspeople in and around the Edwardsville community. She acts as a great resource for these clients and takes their goals on as her own, as she works to assist in the legal matters they face.

Outside the office, Kathie loves spending time with her daughters and husband, whether it’s going out to eat or entertaining at home, as long as she doesn’t have to cook. Kathie and her husband, Chad Opel, also run Edwardsville Neighbors, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping local families suffering from a medical or emergency crisis, which hosts the annual Taste of Edwardsville and Edwardsville Turkey Trot fundraising events and runs the non-profit bakery Neighbors Bakeshop.

Bar Admissions

Illinois
Missouri
U.S. District Court: Southern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri

Education

Saint Louis University School of Law, J.D.
Dean's Scholarship; Madison County Bar Association Scholarship
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, B.S.
Mass Communications

Professional Associations

Illinois Bar Association
American Bar Association
Madison County Bar Association
The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Community Involvement

Edwardsville Neighbors – President and Co-Founder
SIUe School of Business -- Advisory Board Member
Edwardsville CEO - Board Member
Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education – Past Board Member
Anderson Hospital Foundation – Past Board Member

Recognition

Selected by peers as an Emerging Lawyer in Trust, Will & Estate Planning Law
Selected by peers as an Emerging Lawyer in Closely & Privately Held Business Law
Selected by peers as an Emerging Lawyer in Real Estate Law
Selected by peers as an Emerging Lawyer in Association & Non-Profit Law