Ms. Macdonald is an Officer and the Manager of the Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy Practice Group. She also serves as co-manager of the Belleville Practice Group. She represents clients in creditors’ rights and bankruptcy matters to general commercial litigation.
Ms. Macdonald’s experience includes not only the prosecution of matters for creditors, such as foreclosures, replevins, and the litigation of adversary complaints against debtors, but also the defense of matters for creditors, such as the defense of lender liability actions (including utilizing the Illinois Credit Agreements Act to dismiss various lender liability actions) and preference claims. She is a frequent lecturer in various forums on issues involved in creditors’ rights and bankruptcy.
Publications
Seminars
- "Workout Strategies for Debtors and Creditors," for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, April 7, 2009.
- "Update: Case Law & Legislation," presented in "Real Property Foreclosure: A Step-By-Step Workshop" seminar for National Business Institute, June 10, 2009.
- "Problems to Avoid in Order to be Paid," presented for the American General Contractors - St. Louis, MO, September 21, 2009.
- "Tenant Bankruptcies: What You Need to Know When Drafting Leases," presented to The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, November 11, 2008.
- "Bankruptcy Issues," presented to the Bankruptcy Association for Southern Illinois, September 7, 2008.
- "Bankruptcy and Foreclosure," presented for Sterling Education, 2008.
- "Default Provisions"; presented in "Revised Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code"; seminar conducted by The Stolar Partnership, June 5, 2001, Collinsville, IL, June 13, 2001, Clayton, Missouri
- "Bankruptcy: Creditors' Remedies" and "Pre-Judgment Remedies,"; presented in "Collection Law in Illinois" seminar conducted by Lorman Education Services; January 24, 2001, Belleville, Illinois
- "Bankruptcy: Creditors' Remedies"; presented in "Practice Skills for New Lawyers, Law Ed Series" seminar conducted by the Illinois State Bar Association, October 17, 2000, Edwardsville, Illinois
- "Attachment and Confession of Judgment" and "Bankruptcy: Creditors' Remedies"; presented in "Collection Law in Illinois" seminar conducted by Lorman Education Services, January 18, 2000, Belleville, Illinois
- "Business Issues in Bankruptcy"; presented at the 18t" Annual St. Louis Corporate Counsel Institute conducted by the House Counsel Committee of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the St. Louis Chapter of American Corporate Counsel Association, April 6, 1999, St. Louis, Missouri
- "Treatment of Home Mortgages, Mobile Home Payments, and Other Secured Claims," "§341 Meetings," and "Motions for Relief from Stay,"; presented at the Chapter 13 Seminar conducted by James W. McRoberts, Chapter 13 Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois, January 24, 1997
- "Cases in Other Jurisdictions" and "Advice to Creditors" regarding lien avoidance in Chapter 13 cases; presented at the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees annual seminar, Summer, 1997, Hilton Head, South Carolina
- "Pitfalls for Secured Creditors"; presented at the Bankruptcy Holiday event sponsored by Thompson & Mitchell, December 7, 1995
- "Payment of Home Mortgages and Co-Debtor Claims"; presented at the Chapter 13 Seminar conducted by Chapter 13 Trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois, December 1, 1995
Cases
- In Re Dame, 268 B.R. 529 (Bkrtcy. S.D. III. 2001) Represented creditor in case brought by Chapter 7 trustee to recover funds set off by creditor pre-petition.
- In Re Derickson, 226 B.R. 879 (Bkrtcy. S.D. III. 1998) Represented creditor in case involving issue of whether Chapter 13 trustee was entitled to recover statutory fee on insurance proceeds.
Community Involvement
- Fundraiser for local hospital.
- Speaker for local landlord's group regarding tenant bankruptcies.
- Speaker for construction industry association regarding owner and subcontractor bankruptcy issues.
- Helped organize and obtain federal tax exempt status for a local children's sports club which emphasizes education by assisting its member-children with obtaining tutors when a child's grades fall below a certain level