Charles E. Whalen, Shareholder

Charles Whalen serves as Chair for the Corporate/Commercial Practice Group.  He concentrates his practice on general corporate matters, commercial transactions, real estate and employment law.

Prior to joining Querrey & Harrow, Mr. Whalen was general counsel of Merchant Capital Group, a merchant banking firm, and continues to work with a variety of clients on mergers, acquisitions and financings of privately held corporations.

Prior to MERCAP, he was associate general counsel of Container Corporation of America (CCA), a major manufacturer of paperboard packaging with 73 operating plants and mills in twenty-three states.  During his 13 years with the CCA, Mr. Whalen had extensive experience in employee relations (including reductions in force), real estate, environmental, acquisitions, and divestitures, plant expansions, financings, and antitrust.

He regularly provides counsel on real estate, formation of corporations, partnerships and LLCs, contracts, acquisitions and divestitures, employee relations, confidentiality and non-competition agreements and other legal matters affecting corporations, including professional service firms.

Memberships

• Phi Beta Kappa
• Phi Alpha Delta, President, 1964

Community Involvement

• Mr. Whalen has been active for many years with the Woodstock Mozart Festival, a not-for-profit organization devoted to delivering extraordinary performances, centered on Mozart, which inspire and educate audiences of all ages.

Professional Activities

• Assistant Editor, University of Illinois Law Forum, 1962-1964
• Assistant Professor of Agricultural Law, University of Illinois College of Agriculture, 1964-1966
• Associate, Isham, Lincoln & Beale, 1969-1974
• Associate General Counsel, Container Corporation of America, 1974-1987
• General Counsel, Merchant Capital Group, Ltd., 1988-1990
• Captain, U.S. Air Force, Judge Advocate General Corps, 1966-1969