The national law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that Peggy L. Crane has joined the firm’s Environmental Practice as partner. She will practice in Hinshaw’s Peoria, Illinois office. Ms. Crane comes to Hinshaw from Perkins Coie LLP, where she was senior counsel in that firm’s Portland office.

Ms. Crane represents companies across many industries on issues related to environmental law, including permitting, compliance, cleanup and corporate and real estate transactions. She handles a wide variety of transactional matters, focusing primarily on real estate transactions involving contaminated properties and environmental due diligence. Ms. Crane works alongside clients to craft strategies to clean up contaminated properties and provides support to secure site closure, working with technical consultants and state agencies to resolve issues and formulate mutually agreeable solutions.

“Peggy's transactional environmental practice bolsters our Central Illinois business and commercial law practices’ capabilities to handle the local, regional and national legal needs of our clients,” said Lee Smith, partner-in-charge of Hinshaw’s Peoria office.
Charles F. Helsten, a Rockford, Illinois-based partner and chair of Hinshaw’s national Environmental Practice, stated, “Our Environmental Practice has handled an increasing amount of permitting and transactional work in Illinois. Peggy will be an integral part of our team handling these matters and her addition reinforces our commitment to provide comprehensive representation to businesses across the region.” He added, “We are particularly thrilled to add to our capabilities to assist large companies with their compliance activities.”

“I am excited to be adding my talents to Hinshaw’s national Environmental Practice,” said Ms. Crane. She added, “Backed by the resources of a national, full-service firm, I will be able to further the firm’s capabilities to assist companies with operations in Central Illinois with their environmental compliance objectives.”

Ms. Crane earned her J.D., magna cum laude, in 2001 from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans. While in law school, she served as Senior Managing Editor of Tulane Law Review and upon graduation was named to the Order of the Coif. Ms. Crane received her B.A. in International Studies and Environmental Studies in 1997 from Baylor University. While there, she studied in the Honors Program.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a full-service national law firm providing coordinated legal services across the United States, as well as regionally and locally. Hinshaw lawyers represent businesses, governmental entities and individuals in complex litigation, regulatory and transactional matters. Founded in 1934, the firm has approximately 500 attorneys in 23 offices located in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. For further information about Hinshaw, please visit www.hinshawlaw.com.