Frank Buckley is a longtime advisor to financial service providers, experienced in insolvency and restructuring matters, loan enforcement, and a host of other business issues. For over 20 years, Frank maintained his practice representing clients throughout the Midwest based in the firm’s St. Louis office. In 2007, he moved to Chicago to become the inaugural managing partner of the firm’s Chicago office, a role he held until 2012.

He has counseled on bankruptcy and creditors’ rights issues including replevin, foreclosure under the Uniform Commercial Code, executions, enforcement of secured claims and environmental and real estate issues in bankruptcy proceedings.

He has represented lenders and creditors in bankruptcy and insolvency cases and in repossession and foreclosure matters involving all types of personal and real property. He has successfully orchestrated replevin actions throughout the Midwest, recovering machinery, equipment, farm implements and inventories of metal goods and marine products. Frank has represented lenders to motor vehicle dealers in replevin cases, self-help repossessions, and Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and has supervised and conducted the repossession and foreclosure of vehicles from dealers.

  • Saint Louis University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1983
    • Managing Editor, Saint Louis University Law Journal
  • Saint Louis University, B.S. in B.A.

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois
  • Missouri

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District, Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, Western District, Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District, Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Central District, Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District, Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District, Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District, Indiana
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District, Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit

Professional

  • American Bar Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • The Missouri Bar
  • Illinois State Bar Association

Community

  • Chicago Center for Music Education, President, 2013-2014
  • Junior Achievement of Chicago Board Member, 2012-2015
  • Alexandra Ballet Company Board Member, 2003-2021; Vice President, 2004-2005
  • United Way of Greater St. Louis, Day Care Allocations Panel, 1997-2000

  • American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow, 2006; Director, 2013-2020; Chair, Bankruptcy History Committee, 2018-2023
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (by BL Rankings), 2007-2024
  • Listed in Illinois Super Lawyers (by Thomson Reuters), 2005-2007, 2011-2024; Top 100 in Illinois, 2012-2014
  • Named Lawyer of the Year for Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights in Chicago by The Best Lawyers in America (by BL Rankings), 2011
  • 2001 Michael R. Roser Excellence in Bankruptcy Practice Award (by the Missouri Bar Association)

  • “Secured Claims in Bankruptcy”
    5 Mo. Bankruptcy Practice (MoBar), 1992
  • “The Missouri Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act”
    50 J. Mo. Bar 89, 1994
  • “Fraudulent Transfer Avoidance, Corporate Dissolutions and Receiverships to Satisfy Creditors’ Claims and Lis Pendens”
    7 Mo. Creditors’ Remedies (MoBar 5th ed. 1999)
  • “Creation of Security Interests”
    29 Commercial Law and Practice Guide (Mathew Bender & Co., 1999)