Overview

Rob has more than 25 years of experience advising financial institutions on mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, recapitalizations, and contract negotiations. Clients have commented that Rob is personable, efficient, strategic, and committed to his clients’ success.

Rob is a co-chair of BFKN’s Financial Institutions Group. Rob focuses his practice on serving financial institutions in all their corporate needs, including advising them on their strategic transactions, general contracts, corporate governance, and their continued compliance with federal and state securities laws, reporting under the Securities Exchange Act. Rob has been fortunate enough to develop deep relationships with the clients he serves and has represented many of those clients as outside counsel for over a decade.

Rob is an adjunct professor in banking law at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.  He was an adjunct professor of securities law in the graduate program in financial services law at the Chicago Kent College of Law for five years. Rob is also a frequent speaker in the financial institutions and securities law areas to trade associations and professionals.

Credentials

Admissions

  • State of Illinois

Education

  • Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1998
  • University of Michigan, B.A., 1995

Experience

M&A Transactions

  • Represented First Miami Bancorp, Inc. in its acquisition by United Community Banks, Inc. (Nasdaq: UCBI).
  • Represented Inland Bancorp, Inc. in its acquisition by Byline Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BY).
  • Represented Marine Bank in the signing of a definitive merger agreement for its sale to Morton Community Bank.
  • Represented Landmark Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: LARK) in its acquisition of Freedom Bancshares, Inc. at approx. $33.3 million.
  • Represented QCR Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: QCRH) in numerous M&A transactions, including its acquisitions of Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: GFED), Community National Bancorporation, Guaranty Bankshares, Ltd., Springfield Bancshares, Inc., and Community State Bank, and the sale of Rockford Bank and Trust Company to Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: HTLF).
  • Represented LincolnWay Community Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of LWCBancorp, Inc., in its sale of substantially all of its assets and liabilities to CoVantage Credit Union.
  • Represented Midwest Community Bank in its acquisition by GreenState Credit Union.
  • Represented First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE) in numerous M&A transactions, including its acquisitions of First Community Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: FCFP), Pulaski Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: PULB), Herget Financial Corp., Mid Illinois Bancorp, Inc., and The Banc Ed Corp., and the sale of certain mortgage origination offices to MB Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: MBFI).
  • Represented County Bancorp, Inc. in its sale to Nicolet Bankshares Inc. at approx. $226.1 million.
  • Represented Bank First Corp. in its all-stock acquisition of Tomah Bancshares, Inc. at approx. $32.6 million.
  • Represented First Defiance Financial Corp. in its acquisition of United Community Financial Corp. at approx. $474.8 million.
  • Represented First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE), in its definitive agreement to acquire Investors’ Security Trust Company.
  • Represented H.F. Gehant Bancorp, Inc. in its definitive merger agreement with Tri-County Financial Group, Inc. (OTCQX: TYFG), in which Tri-County acquired its subsidiary H.F. Gehant Banking Co.
  • Represented NorthSide Community Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AliKat Investments, Inc., in the signing of a definitive asset purchase agreement for its sale of substantially all of its assets and liabilities to Credit Union 1, the official banking partner of Notre Dame Athletics.
  • Represented SBC, Incorporated, the parent company for Countryside Bank, in its sale to Wintrust Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: WTFC), in a cash and stock merger transaction.
  • Represented First BancTrust Corporation (OTCQX: FIRT) in its acquisition by First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMBH).

Capital Raising Transactions

  • Represented Equity Bancshares, Inc. in its $33M Subordinated Notes Offering, raising $75M Total.
  • Represents many financial institutions with respect to public offerings and private placements of common stock, subordinated debentures, and convertible subordinated debentures.

Securities Regulation & Compliance for Publicly-Traded Bank Holding Companies

  • Represents multiple publicly-traded bank holding companies in structuring transactions, conducting due diligence, drafting disclosure documents, coordinating the filing of documents with the SEC, preparing applications to national exchanges, and provides counseling to ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws.

Treasury's Capital Purchase Program

  • Represented a number of financial institutions with respect to their application and receipt of funds under Treasury's Capital Purchase Program.

Newsroom

News

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Recognitions

  • Best Lawyer, The Best Lawyers in America© (2021-2025)
    • Financial Services Regulation Law
  • bl_fleetwood2025

Organizations

  • Adjunct Professor, Banking Law, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
  • Member, American Bar Association, Corporate Law & Banking Law Committees
  • Associate Member, Illinois Bankers Association
  • Adjunct Professor, Securities Law, Graduate Program in Financial Services Law, Chicago Kent College of Law (2002-2007)
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