W. Kent Carter has joined Gordon & Rees as a partner in the firm's Chicago office. He is a member of the firm's Commercial Litigation practice group. Carter joins the firm from Clark Hill PLC’s Chicago office.
Carter’s practice focuses on commercial litigation with a concentration on the Uniform Commercial Code including secured transactions, equipment leases, commercial sales and negotiable instruments. He represents clients in complex contract disputes and business torts in state, federal, bankruptcy and appellate courts.
Carter’s practice also includes representation of secured lenders and other parties in all aspects of business workouts and insolvency law, including asset sales, restructuring, refinancing, bankruptcy, out-of-court workouts and successor liability. He frequently advises financial institutions and lenders in connection with all facets of their businesses and operations, including dealership and franchise terminations, consumer credit compliance, loan documentation and administration, credit restructurings, work outs, creditors’ rights, lender liability avoidance and defense, vendor programs, broker-dealer agreements, and sale and purchase of lease portfolios.
In addition, Carter has defended numerous cases and class actions in state and federal courts alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Credit Repair Organization Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Lending Act and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and state consumer fraud statutes. He also regularly handles matters seeking temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctive relief, and has substantial experience litigating restrictive covenants non-compete agreements.
Carter is a frequent lecturer on the Uniform Commercial Code before groups such as the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, serves as a faculty member on the Uniform Commercial Code for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and serves as a member of both the Transportation Subcommittee and UCC Subcommittee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. Yearly from 2010 to 2016, Carter has been selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers in Business Litigation list.
Mr. Carter received his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law, and was a member and Articles Editor of the Southern Illinois University Law Journal. He is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois (including Trial Bar), Central District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan and Eastern District of Wisconsin.