Bitterman, Heidi

SANDRA J. BIRDSALL is retired and no longer engaged in the active practice of law.  Prior to her retirement, Sandy was a principle in the firm who specialized in complex real estate transactions, including financing, zoning and other land use issues, and commercial leasing.  Her work included negotiating development annexation agreements with municipalities, sanitary districts, appearing before planning and zoning commissions, and coordinating development teams of engineers, architects and construction managers.  She also assisted clients in financing projects through the use of limited partnerships and limited liability companies and the sale of interests to investors.

Her work included serving as counsel for a major developer in multi-million dollar securitized financing transactions for shopping center and office buildings, obtaining land use and development approvals for shopping centers, residential subdivisions and planned unit developments.  She also successfully represented farmers in their opposition to a race track complex and was retained by a group of citizens to form a new municipality, a successful endeavor creating the City of West Peoria.  A former two term Mayor (of Roselle, Illinois), former chair of  the Peoria plan commission, and developers representative, Sandy brought a unique insight into land use issues to the benefit of her clients.

An appointee to the Illinois State Bar Association Real Estate Section Council and chair of the Peoria County Bar Association Real Estate Committee, Sandy lectured on commercial title issues, real estate financing, and broker liability.  She participated in drafting the Peoria form residential real estate contract.  Knowledgeable in title issues, she litigated real estate related cases at both the trial and appellate court levels including a suit to quiet title involving 30 heirs and a claim of prescriptive easement for a sanitary sewer.

Representative clients included, Commerce Bank Trust Company, Main Street Bank & Trust, City of West Peoria, Cullinan Companies, LLC, McDonald's Corporation, Signature Homes, Kirk Homes, and Kress Corporation.

Partners of the firm, Raymond C. Williams, James R. Grebe, and David L. Wentworth, II, as well as Associate Attorney William P. Streeter continue to actively represent many of Sandy's former clients and continue to provide the high quality legal services our clients have enjoyed and come to rely upon.