Meet the Team
Amy Bates Clayton, Esq.
Amy has over three decades of legal experience and a career spanning both the private and public sectors. As a sole practitioner in Wisconsin and Illinois, Amy established herself as a trusted legal advisor, specializing in real estate law and in some years facilitated over 200 real estate transactions.
During her tenure as an Assistant State's Attorney, Amy demonstrated her skills in high-stress environments by prosecuting felonies, misdemeanors and civil cases while managing the Child Support Enforcement Call. She spearheaded initiatives to ensure the welfare of single parents and their children. Her notable achievements at the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office include pioneering the use of an obscure State Statute to benefit a single mother and collaborating across jurisdictions to secure convictions.
Additionally, her role as a Mortgage Loan Originator underscores her dedication to advocating for clients and securing optimal solutions in the residential lending marketplace.
Amy graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
- Certificate of Mediation - Northwestern University - Chicago
- Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin
- Member of the Illinois State Bar Association
John Galley, Esq.
For decades, John Galley was a licensed Real Estate Attorney in Illinois and Wisconsin. He is a cum laude graduate of Dartmouth and received his law degree from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law.
A Starker Exchange legal writing assignment in law school marked the beginning of his interest in 1031 Exchanges. And this eventually led to the formation of his 1031 Exchange Qualified Intermediary Company.
As his 1031 Exchange reputation grew. John became a frequent and popular speaker to local, state and national groups about 1031 Exchanges.
Specific Exchange Credentials
- Has acted as a Qualified Intermediary for decades doing thousands of 1031 Exchanges.
- Schooled by the two lawyers who wrote the 1991 Exchange regulations for the IRS and Treasury Department.
- Charter Member of the Midwest Chapter of the national Federation of Exchange Accommodators (FEA).
- Faculty for State Bar CLE presentations.
- Exchange Presentations on behalf of eight State Bar Associations.
- Featured Exchange Presentations at several American Land Title Association (ALTA) annual conventions.
- Consultant and Expert Witness for 1031 Exchange lawsuits.
- Published Exchange Articles in Title News (the official publication of ALTA), the Illinois Real Estate Journal, the Maine Lawyers Review, the Maine Business Monthly, and a published interview in Lawyers Weekly USA.