ISBA CLE

Agricultural Law Update — 2009

Presented by the ISBA Agricultural Law Section
Co-sponsored by the ISBA General Practice Solo and Small Firm Section

Bloomington
Friday, February 6, 2009
Doubletree Hotel
10 Brickyard Drive (map and directions)
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6.75 MCLE credit hours, including 1.0* PMCLE credit hour

This agricultural law update features a wide variety of topics that will be addressed by experienced speakers within the field. This program will focus on the most pertinent legal issues on the minds of farmers and those in the agricultural field. There will be updates on tax and estate planning, federal farm program payments, and wind power leasing issues. Other subjects include grain marketing, environmental land-use issues, ethics and the Illinois Bar Foundation Family Farm Law Project.

Program Coordinator/Moderator:
A. Bryan Endres, University of Illinois, Urbana

8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
A. Bryan Endres

8:45 – 10:45 a.m.  Tax and Estate Planning Update
During this segment, the speakers will discuss current legislation and new laws that involve tax and estate planning.
Michael G. Barton, Bellatti Barton Hamill & Cochran, LLC, Springfield
Richard C. Walden, CPA, Carlinville

10:45 – 11 a.m.  Break

11 a.m. – Noon  Federal Farm Program Payments Update
This program includes an update on the major farm programs arising from the passage of the Farm Bill and agency interpretations of existing regulations. Specific topics include payment eligibility and limitations, NAP, DCP, ACRE, and SURE provisions.
Doug Bailey, Farm Service Agency, Springfield
Stan Wilson, Farm Service Agency, Springfield
David Hoff, U.S. States Attorneys Office, Urbana

Noon – 1:00 p.m.  Lunch (on your own)

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.  Grain Marketing
For this topic, you will hear three different views on grain marketing. These include the grain contracts from the elevator’s perspective, grain code from the lender’s perspective and grain contracts from the farmer’s perspective. 
Kenneth R. Eathington, Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP, Peoria
James R. Grebe, Hasselberg, Williams, Grebe, Snodgrass & Birdsall, Peoria
Jerry Quick, Illinois Farm Bureau, Bloomington

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.  Land-Use/Environmental Issues
There are special contract issues related to the sale of property rights in the coal, oil and underground storage of C02. Those issues will be discussed, along with pipeline and condemnation issues.
Jeffrey A. Mollet, Silver Lake Group Ltd., Highland
Michael A. Mattingly, Law Office of Michael A. Mattingly, Minooka

3:00 – 3:15 p.m.  Break

3:15 – 4:00 p.m.  Leasing Update
The speakers for this segment will discuss wind power leases and corresponding policy updates. Lease provisions, sample leases, termination and abandonment will all be discussed. There will also be a landlord-tenant farm lease update.
Michael E. Massie, Massie & Rennick, Galva
Donald L. Uchtmann, University of Illinois, Urbana

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Ethics*
For this portion of the presentation, the speaker will address lessons learned from common legal malpractice claims. What are the problems that follow from failing to disclose a witness? Can the failure to learn of a zoning change on an adjacent parcel create problems?
Thomas W. Dillon, Konicek & Dillon PC, Geneva

*Professional Responsibility MCLE credit subject to approval