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C Matthew A. Smith

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Practice Areas:

  • Estate Planning 40%
  • Probate & Estate Administration 30%
  • Taxation 20%
  • Real Estate 10%

Biography

C Matthew A. Smith joined Bellatti, Fay, Bellatti & Beard as a partner in 1997. Mr. Smith is now partially retired, having assumed Senior Counsel status as of January 1, 2020. He continues to maintain limited office hours to serve existing clients. Mr. Smith practiced law as an associate with the law firm of Terwilliger, Wakeen, Piehler, Conway & Klingberg, S.C., in Wausau, Wisconsin, from 1978 to 1981. He joined the Elliott State Bank in Jacksonville, Illinois, as a trust officer in 1981. He held various trust department and management positions with the bank culminating in a promotion to Executive Vice President and Trust Officer in 1994. He was named by Governor Jim Edgar to serve on the Illinois Fiduciary Advisory Committee. In 1997, he was named Senior Vice President (in charge of Personal Trusts) of FFG, Inc. where he served until joining the Bellatti Law Firm in September. FFG was a Financial Services subsidiary of Firstbank of Illinois Co. FBIC was the parent company of the Elliott State Bank in Jacksonville.

Mr. Smith graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point (B.S. in Political Science and Philosophy, 1975). He was named a James H. Albertson Award Winner in 1975 and was a four-year varsity basketball letterman. He received his juris doctor from Southern Illinois University School of Law (1978). He was elected all three years to the Ethics Council. He is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Morgan County Bar Association (President, 1994-95).

Mr. Smith has been active in the Jacksonville community and has served on the Sherwood Eddy Memorial YMCA Board of Directors (President, 1988-89), the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Board, the Morgan-Cass County Chapter of the American Red Cross Board (Chairman, one year), the Prairieland United Way Board, the Jacksonville Country Club Board, the Board of Directors of the Illinois Foundation for Deaf Children, Inc., the Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation Board and the Board of Directors of Passavant Area Hospital.In his nine years on the Passavant Board he served two year terms as Treasurer, Vice-Chairman, Chairman and Past-Chairman. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville (President, 1990-91 and Kiwanian of the Year, 1991-92) and currently serves as chairman of the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees of Grace United Methodist Church and is a member of the Investment Committee of the Bob Freesen YMCA.

Education

  • Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, Illinois
    • Juris Doctor - 05/1978
  • University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
    • B.S. - 1975
    • Honors: James H. Albertson Award Winner, 1975
    • Honors: Four-year varsity basketball letterman
    • Major: Political Science
    • Major: Philosophy

Bar Admission

  • Illinois, 1982

Honors

  • Kiwanian of the Year, Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Sherwood Eddy Memorial YMCA Board of Directors, President, 1988 to 1989
  • Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Board, Past Member
  • Morgan-Cass County Chapter of the American Red Cross Board, Past Chairman
  • Prairieland United Way Board, Past Member
  • Jacksonville Country Club Board, Past Member
  • Illinois Foundation for Deaf Children, Inc., Board of Directors, Past Member
  • Jacksonville Public Schools Foundation Board, Past Member
  • Board of Directors of Passavant Area Hospital, Past Member
  • Passavant Area Hospital, Past Offices, including Treasurer, Vice-Chairman, Chairman and Past-Chairman
  • Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville, Past Member
  • Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville, President, 1990 to 1991
  • Grace United Methodist Church, Investment Committee, Chairman
  • Bob Freesen YMCA, Investment Committee
  • Grace United Methodist Church Board of Trustees, Past Member
  • Grace United Methodist Church, Legal Counsel

Past Positions

  • Terwilliger, Wakeen, Piehler, Conway & Klingberg, S.C., Wausau, Wisconsin, Associate, 1978 to 1981
  • Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, Illinois, Trust Officer, 1981 to 1984
  • Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, Illinois, Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer, 1984 to 1987
  • Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, IL, Vice President and Trust Officer, 1987 to 1989
  • Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, IL, Senior Vice President and Trust Officer, 1989 to 1994
  • Elliott State Bank, Jacksonville, IL, Executive Vice President and Trust Officer, 1994 to 1996
  • FFG, Inc., Senior Vice President (in charge of Personal Trusts), 01/1997 to 08/1997

Professional Associations

  • Illinois State Bar Association, Member, 1982 to Present
  • Morgan County Bar Association, Member, 1982 to Present
  • Morgan County Bar Association, President, 1994 to 1995
  • Wisconsin Bar Association, 1978 to 06/2013

Current Employment Position

  • Senior Counsel