Cherie Macdonald, Officer, Manager, Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., Belleville

By KATE GENO

    When the economy started its downward spiral several years ago, Cherie Macdonald’s legal services were needed more than ever. As an officer and manager of the Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy Practice Group at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C., Macdonald is positioned to help her clients through difficult financial situations.
    Macdonald works with creditors of every variety, especially financial institutions, landlords and construction companies. In recent years, many financial institutions in the region have sought her help on matters ranging from bank fraud to businesses defaulting on loans. Landlords consult her when tenants cannot pay their lease. Companies seek her counsel when they are not paid by their customers for the work that they complete.
    Macdonald joined the legal team at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale in 2003. She is based in the firm’s Swansea, Ill. office. Her experience includes not only the prosecution of matters for creditors, such as foreclosures and replevins, but also the defense of matters for creditors, such as the defense of lender liability actions. Her work leads her to bankruptcy and state courts often. Macdonald says she loves the variety of cases and her ability to help so many different clients.
    She also practices in the areas of acquisition and sales of financially distressed companies, asset protection, bankruptcy law and litigation, and reorganizations, restructuring and workouts.
    Macdonald says the most satisfying aspect of her job is the ability to uphold voluntarily made agreements, and to enforce the statutes enacted by the legislature. People and entities should abide by their agreements and she takes pride in seeing that they do.
    Macdonald was raised in Jacksonville, Ill., and earned her bachelor’s degree from Illinois College in Jacksonville. She then obtained her master’s degree in business administration from Western Illinois University before attending law school at Saint Louis University. Macdonald’s law career began at Thompson & Mitchell (now Thompson Coburn) when she graduated from law school in 1990. She practiced there for the first seven years of her career then worked at The Stolar Partnership from 1997 to 2003.  
    She enjoys speaking and when asked, is happy to educate her fellow lawyers with updates on creditors’ rights issues and strategies at industry events. She also speaks to chambers of commerce, associations and construction groups regarding matters such as bankruptcy rights.
    Macdonald’s husband, Kevin, works at Boeing in international contracts and they have a son, Kyle, who attends Saint Louis University High School.