Greensfelder attorney serves community in multiple ways

By RITA DUCKWORTH
    For more than 30 years Kurt Schroeder has been a business attorney in the Metro East. In 2015 he joined Greensfelder Hemker & Gale PC, where he practices law in the areas of business services, real estate, trusts and estates, and related litigation.
    As an undergraduate, Schroeder was on track to start his career as an accountant when his business law professor piqued his interest in the law. He finished his bachelor’s degree in accounting and later received an MBA, both from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He then applied for law school, obtaining his law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. His early focus on accounting bolsters his law practice.
    “It’s always good for a business attorney to have an accounting background,” he says.
    Over his 30 years in practice, Schroeder has built a substantial client base. He represents corporations, financial institutions, hospitals, school districts and individuals. While he handles a variety of legal matters, the bulk of his cases involve real estate.
    “I do a lot of real estate work, such as 1031 like-kind exchange transactions and matters involving tax increment financing,” he said.
    “The great thing about practicing law at Greensfelder,” says Schroeder, “is that no matter what a client needs, I have the ability to find someone who specializes in that field. We have about 155 attorneys in St. Louis, Belleville, and Chicago with a wealth of knowledge. If I need an expert in patent law or anything else for one of my cases, I can draw upon those resources.”
    Serving the community where he lives and works is as important to him as representing his clients at Greensfelder. Originally from Carlinville, Ill., he has developed deep roots in the Metro East through numerous civic activities. He is currently serving his 19th year on the Belleville Township High School District 201 Board of Education. He has been on the board of Memorial Hospital East since its inception and will serve as chairman in 2019. Other hospital affiliations include his service on the board of Memorial Group Inc. and the BJC Patient Care Committee.
    He has also been a dedicated member of local Boy Scout councils since volunteering as his stepson’s Cub Scout den leader 20 years ago. He is a past president of the Okaw Valley Council and a member of the executive board of the Greater St. Louis Area Council.
    Schroeder and his wife live in Shiloh. They have three children – a CPA, a 7th-grade science teacher, and a senior at University of Illinois who plans to follow in her father’s footsteps by starting law school next year.