About Phil
Phil Finegan built a legal path that combines public service and private practice. He earned a J.D. from Northern Illinois University in 2012 after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a B.S. in Political Science in 2003. Those academic years laid the groundwork for a relatively fast transition into the legal profession.
His first post-law school position was in public service. In 2013 he joined the McLean County State's Lawyer's Office as an assistant state lawyer. That role put him inside local government operations and offered regular courtroom exposure. He handled tasks typical of government legal work and learned how public-sector cases move through county systems.
A year later he moved into private practice. In 2014 he became a partner at Finegan Law Office, a step that shifted his day-to-day responsibilities to managing client matters and running a small firm. The move also meant building a client base, supervising case strategy and handling the administrative demands of private practice. Four years after forming that practice, he joined forces with another attorney. In 2018 he took a partner role at Finegan & Rinker.
Throughout these transitions he remained active in the local bar community. He is a current member of the McLean County Bar Association. That participation has kept him connected to county practitioners and the professional developments that affect legal practice in the region.
Finegan is licensed to practice in Illinois. His career shows a steady progression from government work to independent practice and then to a partnership in a multi-attorney firm. That path gave him experience on both sides of the public-private divide. It also required adapting to different demands: the tighter procedures of a government office and the broader responsibilities of running and growing a law firm.
Colleagues describe him as methodical in approach and deliberate in courtroom preparation. He combines case management skills learned in private practice with the procedural familiarity that came from his time at the McLean County office. He has used those competencies to handle matters across Illinois courts and to coordinate with local bar groups on professional issues.
He currently serves as a partner at Finegan & Rinker, where he concentrates his practice on matters in Illinois.
