Thomas E. Howard

Located in Peoria, IL Attorney Thomas E. Howard serves as an attorney for the Howard Law Group and Managing Director for Collateral Base, LLC law firm in Peoria and Chicago, Illinois. Licensed to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin, Mr. Howard represents financial institutions, business creditors and other commercial clients throughout each state, and he has 10 years of experience assisting his clients with all of their serious and complex legal challenges involving any of the following:

·       Cannabis Licensing

·       Bankruptcy

·       Business litigation

·       Loan workouts

·       Real estate mortgage foreclosures

·       Replevins of personal property

·       Notes and guaranties

·       Contract disputes and litigation

Tom Howard, Managing Director of Collateral Base, is a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in the cannabis industry. Practicing commercial law since 2008, Tom held Series 7 & 66 Securities licenses and has a robust background in financial litigation. He pivoted to the cannabis sector following Illinois' legalization in 2019, helping teams secure licenses in multiple states, including Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Massachusetts. A Certified Ganjier, Tom chaired the ISBA's Cannabis Law section council  in 2023 and runs the Cannabis Legalization News YouTube channel. His expertise spans business consulting, capital formation, and regulatory compliance, making him a sought-after legal advisor in the cannabis industry.

In addition, Mr. Howard is a champion of the emerging cannabis industry, and he has become a recognized advocate for the initiative to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act so that interested parties who wish to establish a presence in the industry can access the banking services they need.  He publishes extensively on it, which can be found at his Cannabis Lawyer , cannabisindustrylawyer.com 

Mr. Howard obtained his Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School in 2008, and he is admitted to practice before all state courts in Illinois and Wisconsin as well as before all U.S. District Courts in Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.  He became a stock broker after law school and one day wants to get is license re-instated to help clients with fundraising.