Kathie Opel
Partner
My passion is truly serving clients. Through estate planning, I get to meet a great diversity of families with unique needs, and help them find solutions to accomplish their legacy goals. My business clients bring new challenges and opportunities to the table with each meeting and it is exciting to counsel them on their enterprising paths.
I have focused my legal practice in the areas of business law and estate planning my entire career, which started at a large St. Louis law firm. After several years at a small Madison County, Illinois firm, my partner, Erica Bash, and I formed the Opel Bash Group in order to tailor the client experience and provide boutique services in a comfortable, welcoming environment. I am a proud graduate of SIUE and St. Louis University Law School, and am licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri.
Along with my husband, Chad, I founded Edwardsville Neighbors, a local nonprofit dedicated to assisting families in medical crises, in 2010 in order to serve our community. We host the Taste of Edwardsville, Turkey Trot 5k and various other fundraising events as well as run the region’s first and only nonprofit bakery, Neighbors Bakeshop. I am so proud of the work our Board of Directors has done, and the impact we have had on over 200 local families.
Chad and I feel lucky to be raising our daughters in Edwardsville and to have both of our families nearby. We enjoy traveling to Disney and visit a new MLB stadium each year.
“Kathie’s energy for her passions is unmatched! Her clients are one of those passions. When she believes in something, she works tirelessly to ensure success. Kathie balances fierce advocacy with compassion and grace - making her legal approach successful. She is focused, determined and hilarious - making her an absolute gem of a human. I am lucky to work with her every day and happy to call her my friend.”
— Erica Bash