Richard Coffee devoted more than 50 years to the practice of law, providing trusted legal counsel across a broad range of practice areas, including business law, real estate, insurance, education, juvenile court matters, probate, trusts and estates, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and family law.

Throughout his career, Richard built an exceptional reputation in family law, representing clients in complex domestic relations matters involving active-duty and retired military personnel, interstate jurisdictional issues resulting from family relocations, the valuation and division of government and private retirement benefits, and public education matters.

Before entering private practice in southwestern Illinois, where he served clients for 19 years, Richard held several distinguished public service roles, including counsel to the Illinois State Board of Education and legal counsel to Illinois public universities. He was licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri and was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois.

Richard earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law and a bachelor's degree in broadcasting from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Throughout his career, he remained actively involved in the legal profession, serving as a member of the Chicago Bar Association and The Missouri Bar, President of the Monroe County Bar Association, and Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association's Education Law Section Council. He also served as a judge for the National Health Law Moot Court Competition sponsored by Southern Illinois University School of Law and was recognized in Marquis Who's Who publications.

Richard's decades of service, leadership, and commitment to the legal profession left a lasting impact on his clients, colleagues, and community. We are grateful for his many contributions to the firm and wish him the very best in his well-earned retirement.