Sherry L. Harlan

Sherry Harlan represents small and medium-sized businesses in their general corporate needs, including the development, acquisition, and sale of both the business and its real estate. She serves as principal counsel to many family-owned businesses and focuses her real estate counsel on contracts, annexation, leasing, and complex zoning matters.

Sherry also actively represents many nonprofit entities in the Rockford region in governance, expansion and development, annexation, zoning, construction contracts, and general matters.

Sherry joined Hinshaw in 1987, and is a member of the firm's Women's Affinity Network. She is an appointed lawyer-to-lawyer trained mentor for the 17th Judicial Circuit and an Arbitrator for the 17th Judicial Circuit Mandatory Arbitration Program.

• Winnebago County Bar Association
  • Bar Foundation, Past President and Board Member
  • Real Estate Section, Member and Member at Large
• Rockford Chamber of Commerce, Selected Member for Lead 360

• Rated by Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and ethics
• Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Real Estate Law, 2025
• Leading Lawyers, 2017 – Present

• "75 People You Should Know" Rockford Register Star, 2018

• Jeremiah Development, Board Member
• Rockford Garden Club, Communications Board Member
• Transform Rockford 815 Choose Civility, Co-Founder
• Rockford Public Library Foundation, Former Board Member and Vice-President
• Klehm Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, Former Board Member
• Stepping Stones of Rockford, Inc., Former Board Member