Andrew J. Kilpinen

Equal parts golf course operator and restructuring attorney, Andrew joined Blanco Tackabery to launch a new Golf and Private Club Practice Group and provide industry-informed counsel to clients navigating the intersection of the golf business and the law. Andrew’s cumulative experience makes him an unprecedented asset to anyone with an interest in the golf and private club industry. Owners, management companies, clubs, associations and their boards, club managers, teaching professionals, superintendents, architects, and other industry professionals trust and value Andrew’s counsel when golf and the law collide.

Andrew knows firsthand the legal issues golf courses face. For eight years before law school, Andrew operated thriving, distressed, or chapter 11-debtor golf courses and routinely interacted with attorneys on matters ranging from who is responsible for damage done by an errant golf shot to the court-supervised disposition of a semi-private club. Convinced that a golf course operator with a law degree would bring value to both professions, Andrew set off on his journey to become a lawyer to golf courses.

After learning that golf law was not hiring, Andrew shifted focus to corporate bankruptcy, restructuring, and workouts. Andrew clerked for Bankruptcy Judge Brendan L. Shannon on United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware after graduating magna cum laude in 2016. At firms in Chicago and Charlotte Andrew represented clients ranging from private equity sponsored portfolio companies, national banks, a regional electric cooperative, and a small Presbyterian church on matters that included—on opposite ends of the spectrum—the billion-dollar pre-packaged chapter 11 bankruptcy of an Asian semi-conductor manufacturer and a pro bono landlord tenant dispute in state court. Andrew’s complex restructuring experience—combined with his industry experience—make him a one-of-a-kind asset for clients whose interests involve distressed golf or private clubs.

Andrew joined the Global Club and Branded Residences practice group of a national law firm in 2021. Andrew advised private clubs and their boards regarding a range of issues, which included amending club articles, bylaws, rules and regulations, master declarations, and other bespoke agreements. Additionally, Andrew counseled clients on golf and club transactions, member discipline, corporate governance issues, and club litigation matters. He added value—to his clients and fellow attorneys—by issue-spotting, problem solving, and communicating like an industry-insider.