James Jerue Bio

Jim Jerue focuses his practice on start-up and early stage financings, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, and providing counsel to company executives and their boards of directors. He represents businesses from their beginnings through initial financing, growth initiatives, subsequent financing, and ultimate liquidity. While a large portion of his practice is centered in the technology space, Jim also represents entrepreneurs who seek to purchase, operate, and grow established businesses in areas such as marketing, packaging, manufacturing, and distribution. Jim also provides general counsel services related to business transition, employment issues, partnership and LLC agreements, and securities matters. His general counsel clients include professional service firms, health care providers and payors, retailers, and outsourced business service providers. A presence in Chicago’s start-up community, Jim leads the firm’s relationship with and sponsorship of Hyde Park Angels, the most active angel investment organization in the Midwest. He serves as a mentor at the Food Foundry, a food start-up accelerator housed at Chicago’s Tech & Entrepreneurship Center, has advised at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, and has served as a mentor at the business accelerator Techstars Chicago. Prior to joining the firm, Jim was a partner in the Business and Finance Group at HMB Legal Counsel, a well-established, corporate-focused law firm based in Chicago, Illinois. Jim was named a “Leading Lawyer” for Closely and Privately Held Business Law and Securities and Venture Finance Law in 2025 and the three years immediately preceding by Leading Lawyers magazine. He was named an Illinois “Super Lawyer” from 2010 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2017 for Business and Corporate Law by Super Lawyers magazine. Red Rocket listed Jim as one of “Chicago's Best Lawyers for Startups” in 2012.