Richard C. Perna

Partner
Office: Chicago
rperna@kdlegal.com
p: 312-651-2409
f: 312-651-2499

Richard Perna is a Partner in the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice Group. Mr. Perna has extensive experience representing individuals, businesses, and institutions in all aspects of commercial dispute resolution, including trials, mediation, arbitration, and loan workouts. He regularly advises debtors and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and assignments for the benefit of creditors and represents lenders and borrowers in documenting loan transactions, perfecting liens under the UCC, and enforcing those liens. He also counsels professional organizations on obtaining, maintaining, and complying with governmental licensing requirements.

Mr. Perna’s practice spans a broad range of matters, including loan workouts and foreclosures, the appointment and representation of receivers and assignees, real estate broker commission disputes, mechanics lien and construction claims, shareholder and partner disputes, employment litigation, trade secret misappropriation, and special remedies. In addition to acting as trial counsel, Richard serves as a mediator to help resolve complex disputes efficiently. His experience also includes arguing appeals before both state and federal appellate courts, providing clients with comprehensive representation throughout the litigation process.

Experience

Representative Experience

Successfully Represented Commercial Property Owner in an Adversary Proceeding in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court the Northern District of Illinois in obtaining a Declaratory Judgment against a Debtor.
Represented a Fortune 500 Company in defense of a Class Action lawsuit seeking enforcement of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act.
Successfully represented a Real Estate Brokerage Company in defense of a fraud action filed by a homeowner.
Responsible for documenting a 5 million dollar Asset Based Loan to a producer of pet care products.
Successfully defended an appeal of a foreclosure of real estate in a dispute of the priority of a closely related lender.
Foreclosed upon a banquet facility and successfully guided the discharged of several scheduled events.

Professional Associations

Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
Member, Turnaround Management Association
Member, SF Net

Civic Involvement

Board of Directors, Illinois Special Olympics Foundation

Credentials

Education

J.D., Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1986
B.S. in Environmental Biology, cum laude, St. Mary's University, Winona, Minnesota, 1983

Bar & Court Admissions

Illinois, 1986
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Federal Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit

Practices & Industries

Practices

Industries

Beyond the Office

Bicycling

Foodie

Golf

Insights

Firm News and Events

Are We in a Banking Crisis? What the Silicon Valley and Signature Banks’ Failure Tell Us About the Future of Financial Institutions (Podcast)

April 13, 2023

Litigation

Owners / GCs / Subs / Suppliers / Lessors – Check Your Contracts. Court of Appeals Decision Highlights Challenges when Dispute Resolution Process Varies

August 25, 2022

Financial Services

Supreme Court Confirms that to Violate the TCPA your Automatic Telephone System Must Use a Random or Sequential Generator

April 7, 2021

Secured Lender

President Signs COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021

March 31, 2021

Litigation

Indiana Financial Institutions Continue to be Targeted in Class Action Overdraft and NSF Lawsuits

February 3, 2021

Firm News and Events

Krieg DeVault's Kay Dee Baird Elected Chair of the Indianapolis Bar Association's Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section for 2021

January 1, 2021

Secured Lender

CFPB Issues Finalized Changes To Regulation F To Implement The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

December 16, 2020

Secured Lender

The Importance of Paying Attention to Notices Received in Bankruptcy Cases: Creditor Misses Proof of Claim Bar Date and Loses Claim for $2 Million

November 13, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Moratorium on Residential Property Evictions and Mortgage Foreclosures Will Continue Through the End of July 2020

July 5, 2020

Financial Services

CFPB Provides Flexibility to Financial Institutions When Dealing with Billing Errors, Payment Rules and Deposit Accounts Terms Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

May 17, 2020

Secured Lender

A Message from Krieg DeVault LLP's Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy Practice Group on Our Response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic

March 23, 2020

Financial Services

Financial Services Regulators Respond to COVID-19

March 22, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Court of Appeals Expands De Facto Merger Exception to the General Rule Regarding Corporate Liability for Debts

March 8, 2020

Secured Lender

Seventh Circuit Confirms that the Bankruptcy Code Expressly Subordinates a Seller's Reclamation Claim to the Prior Rights of a Secured Creditor

February 19, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Supreme Court Rejects Imposition of “Rule of Reasonableness” on the Statutes of Limitations Applicable to a Lender's Pursuit of a Defaulted Mortgage Installment Promissory Note

February 19, 2020

Financial Services

Indiana DFI Enforcement Action Against Auto Dealer Underscores the Importance of Ensuring Indirect Lending Partners Understand Consumer Credit Laws

May 8, 2018

Thought Leadership

The Department of Defense Issues an "Interpretative Rule" to the Military Lending Act - Auto and Personal Property Lenders Faced With Regulatory Uncertainty

January 9, 2018

Thought Leadership

Steven M. Sherman Joins Krieg DeVault’s Real Estate and Environmental Practice; will Focus in the Areas of Energy and Public Utilities

November 30, 2023

Secured Lender

13 Krieg DeVault Attorneys Recognized by 2023 Best Lawyers®; 7 Named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America® Listing; 1 Receives “Lawyer of the Year” Designation; 6 Receive “Ones to Watch” Designation

August 18, 2022

Firm News and Events

Krieg DeVault Partners John B. Baxter and Robert A. Greising Named to Chambers USA 2022 List; Firm Named to Chambers USA 2022 List for Real Estate

June 22, 2022

Firm News and Events

Representative Experience

Successfully Represented Commercial Property Owner in an Adversary Proceeding in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court the Northern District of Illinois in obtaining a Declaratory Judgment against a Debtor.
Represented a Fortune 500 Company in defense of a Class Action lawsuit seeking enforcement of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act.
Successfully represented a Real Estate Brokerage Company in defense of a fraud action filed by a homeowner.
Responsible for documenting a 5 million dollar Asset Based Loan to a producer of pet care products.
Successfully defended an appeal of a foreclosure of real estate in a dispute of the priority of a closely related lender.
Foreclosed upon a banquet facility and successfully guided the discharged of several scheduled events.

Professional Associations

Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
Member, Turnaround Management Association
Member, SF Net

Civic Involvement

Board of Directors, Illinois Special Olympics Foundation

Education

J.D., Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1986
B.S. in Environmental Biology, cum laude, St. Mary's University, Winona, Minnesota, 1983

Bar & Court Admissions

Illinois, 1986
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Federal Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit