Understanding the Role of an Illinois Bankruptcy Trustee

The Role of an Illinois Bankruptcy Trustee

The Illinois bankruptcy trustee is automatically assigned to your case upon filing. The trustee serves as a key figure in safeguarding the bankruptcy estate, essentially, everything you own at the time of filing. One of their primary duties is to identify which assets are protected under exemption laws and which are not.

Exempt assets are shielded from liquidation, meaning you keep them, while non-exempt assets may be sold to repay creditors.

Beyond asset oversight, the trustee manages the entire bankruptcy process. This includes presiding over the 341 Meeting of Creditors, where your financial disclosures are examined and any issues are raised. Should there be signs of fraud, the trustee holds the power to pursue legal remedies to reclaim assets and preserve the estate’s integrity.

Updated on July 7, 2026.

By Alexander Hernandez, J.D., Professor, and Author of Consumer Bankruptcy Law (Routledge).

Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 Trustees

In Chapter 7, the Illinois bankruptcy trustee’s primary role is to identify and liquidate non-exempt assets to repay creditors. By contrast, Chapter 13 trustees focus on administering the repayment plan, ensuring it aligns with court approval and legal requirements. Note that while Chapter 13 is sometimes used as a way to keep non-exempt assets, you do have the choice to surrender the assets for liquidation as well.

It’s also essential to distinguish between the Illinois bankruptcy trustee, a private individual appointed to manage your case, and the Office of the U.S. Trustee, part of the Department of Justice. The latter oversees bankruptcy trustees nationwide, ensuring they perform their duties ethically and in accordance with the Bankruptcy Code, which includes prosecuting bankruptcy fraud.

The Chapter 7 and 13 Bankruptcy Trustees for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts are listed below.

Trustees in the Central District of Illinois

Andrew S. Erickson
P.O. Box 438
Decatur, IL 62525 -0438
E-mail: aetrustee@aericksonlaw.com
Phone: (217) 425-1515

Roger L. Prillaman
220 W. Main Street
Urbana, IL 61801
E-mail: trusteeprillaman@aol.com
Phone: (217) 384-1300

Jeffrey D. Richardson
132 S. Water Street, Suite 444
Decatur, IL 62523
E-mail: jdrdec@aol.com
Phone: (217) 425-4082

Trustees in the Northern District of Illinois

Richard S. Alsterda
70 West Madison, Suite 3500
Chicago, IL 60602 -4283
E-mail: rsalsterda@nixonpeabody.com
Phone: (312) 977-9235
Fax: (312) 977-4405

Ira Bodenstein
123 N. Wacker Drive,
Suite 1800
Chicago, IL 60606
E-mail: ibodenstein@cozen.com
Phone: (312) 474-1647
Fax: (312) 980-3888

Joseph E. Cohen
105 West Madison Street, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60602
E-mail: jcohen@cohenandkrol.com
Phone: (312)368-0300

Michael K. Desmond
311 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 3000
Chicago, IL 60606
E-mail: mdesmond@sgrlaw.com
Phone: (312) 264-1007
Fax: (312) 264-2627

Deborah Ebner
P.O. Box 929
Glenview, IL 60025
E-mail: dkebner@deborahebnerlaw.com
Phone: (312) 470-1288

Richard M. Fogel
2540 Wilmette Ave.
Suite 1800
Wilmette, IL 60091
E-mail: fogeltrustee@gmail.com
Phone: (847) 769-8135

Ilene F. Goldstein
1954 First St., PMB 112
Highland Park, IL 60035
E-mail: ifgolds@aol.com
Phone: (847) 562-9595

Karen R. Goodman
135 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 3705
Chicago, IL 60603
E-mail: kgoodman@cranesimon.com
Phone: (312) 641-6777

Miriam Stein Granek
4711 Golf Road
Suite 200
Skokie, IL 60076
E-mail: mgranek@gutnicki.com
Phone: (847) 745-6592

Brian A. Hart
5702 Elaine Drive
Suite 204
Rockford, IL 61108 -2458
E-mail: brian@rockfordbankruptcy.com
Phone: (815) 708-0234

Reed Heiligman
53 West Jackson Blvd.
Suite 1301
Chicago, IL 60604
E-mail: reed@hzhlaw.com
Phone: (312) 888-9541

David R. Herzog
53 West. Jackson Blvd.
Suite 1442
Chicago, IL 60604
E-mail: drh@dherzoglaw.com
Phone: (312) 977-1600
Fax: (312) 977-9936

Ariane Holtschlag
105 W Madison, Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60602
E-mail: aholtschlag@wfactorlaw.com
Phone: (312) 878-4830

Cindy M. Johnson
140 S. Dearborn Street, Suite #1510
Chicago, IL 60603
E-mail: cjohnson@JNLegal.net
Phone: (312) 345-1306
Fax: (312) 345-1306

Frank J. Kokoszka
19 South LaSalle Street
Suite 1201
Chicago, IL 60603 -1419
E-mail: fkokoszka@k-jlaw.com
Phone: (312) 443-9600
Fax: (312) 254-3156

Gina B. Krol
105 W. Madison Street, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60602
E-mail: gkrol@cohenandkrol.com
Phone: (312)368-0300

Richard J. Mason
70 W. Hubbard Street
Suite 304
Chicago, IL 60654 -4603
E-mail: Richardjmason130@gmail.com
Phone: (847) 962 1381
Fax: (312) 849-3690

Peter N. Metrou
123 W. Washington St. #216
Oswego, IL 60543
E-mail: trustee7@metandnem.com
Phone: (630) 551-7171

Alex D. Moglia
1325 Remington Road, Suite H
Schaumburg, IL 60173
E-mail: amoglia@mogliaadvisors.com
Phone: (847) 884-8282
Fax: (847) 884-1188

Norman B. Newman
30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 3000
Chicago, IL 60602
E-mail: nnewman@raineslaw.com
Phone: (312) 704-2170

Joseph D. Olsen
5702 Elaine Drive
Suite 204
Rockford, IL 61108
E-mail: Jolsenlaw@comcast.net
Phone: (815) 708-0234
Fax: (815) 965-4573

Gus A. Paloian
233 S. Wacker Drive
Suite 8000
Chicago, IL 60606 -6448
E-mail: gpaloian@seyfarth.com
Phone: (312) 460-5360
Fax: (312) 460-7000

Steven R. Radtke
2400 North Lakeview Avenue, Unit 2502
Chicago, IL 60614
E-mail: sradtke@chillchillradtke.com
Phone: (312) 346-1935
Fax: (312) 346-2138

Landon Raiford
111 E. Wacker Dr.
Suite 2600
Chicago, IL 60601
E-mail: lraiford@taftlaw.com
Phone: (312) 836-5878

N. Neville Reid
200 West Madison
Suite 3000
Chicago, IL 60606
E-mail: nreid@foxswibel.com
Phone: (312) 224-1245

Thomas E. Springer
300 South County Farm Road
Suite G
Wheaton, IL 60187
E-mail: tspringer@springerbrown.com
Phone: (630) 510-0000

Catherine L. Steege
353 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654
E-mail: csteege@jenner.com
Phone: (312) 923-2952
Fax: (312) 923-2929

James E. Stevens
6833 Stalter Drive
Rockford, IL 61108
E-mail: JStevens@BSLBV.com
Phone: (815) 962-6611
Fax: (815) 962-0687

Gregg E. Szilagyi
209 S. LaSalle St.,
Suite 950
Chicago, IL 60604
E-mail: gs@tailserv.com
Phone: (312) 663-0801
Fax: (312) 634-5520

Kenneth Thomas
200 W. Madison St.
Suite 3000
Chicago, IL 60606
E-mail: kthomas@foxswibel.com
Phone: (312) 224-1241

Daniel Winter
3330 Old Glenview Road
Suite 16
Wilmette, IL 60091
E-mail: trustee@dwinterlaw.com
Phone: (312) 427-1613

Zane L. Zielinski
6336 North Cicero Avenue, Suite 201
Chicago, IL 60646
E-mail: trustee@zanezielinski.com
Phone: (773) 877-3191
Fax: (815) 846-8576

Trustees in the Southern District of Illinois

Robert E. Eggmann, III
120 S. Central Ave., Suite 1800
St. Louis, MO 62025
E-mail: ree@carmodymacdonald.com
Phone: (618) 222-1900

Dana S. Frazier
818 Locust Street
P.O. Box 159
Murphysboro, IL 62966
E-mail: frazierlaw@frontier.com
Phone: (618) 687-5707

Donald M. Samson
226 West Main Street, Suite 102
Belleville, IL 62220
E-mail: dnldsamson@gmail.com
Phone: (618) 235-2226

Chapter 13 Trustees For the Northern District of Illinois

Thomas H. Hooper
55 E. Monroe, Suite 3850
Chicago, IL 60603
E-mail: Thomas.H.Hooper@chicagoch13.com
Phone: (312) 294-5900

Marilyn O. Marshall
224 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60604
E-mail: mmarshall@chi13.com
Phone: (312)431-1300

Lydia S. Meyer
P.O. Box 14127
Rockford, IL 61105 -4127
E-mail: LM@lsm13trustee.com
Phone: (815) 968-5354
Fax: (815) 968-5368

Glenn B. Stearns
801 Warrenville Road
Suite 650
Lisle, IL 60532 -4350
E-mail: stearns_g@lisle13.com
Phone: (630) 981-3888

Chapter 13 Trustees For the Southern District of Illinois

Russell C. Simon
19 Bronze Pointe, Ste. A
Swansea, IL 62226
E-mail: rsimon@simonch13trustee.com
Phone: (618) 277-0086

This directory is part of Bankruptcy.blog’s broader series on the Illinois bankruptcy court system and the state’s bankruptcy exemptions.

Professor Hernandez is an attorney specializing in consumer finance and debt relief. He is the author of Consumer Bankruptcy Law (Routledge) and teaches law and finance courses in both English and Spanish at an international university.

Educational Resources

For Institutions: Colleges and universities may request examination copies of my textbook directly from Routledge Publishing.
For Students & Practitioners: Single print and digital copies are available via Amazon Books.
Video Lectures: Stream comprehensive legal breakdowns and video explanations on the Bankruptcy.blog YouTube Channel.

Bankruptcy Court & Consumer Resources

Explore additional consumer guides and state-specific directories to navigate your legal options:

A step-by-step master guide to completing and understanding the bankruptcy petition.
Bankruptcy Court Directory: Full listings for the federal bankruptcy court system and trustee contact information.
State Bankruptcy Exemptions: Review your state‑specific exemptions or compare them with the federal exemptions.
341 Meeting Procedures: Prepare for your court date with updated rules, expectations, and practical guidance.

Please note that the information on this site does not constitute legal advice and should be considered for informational purposes only.