M. John Hefner, Jr.
M. John Hefner, Jr. became Of Counsel with the law firm on September 1, 2007. Before that time, he was a
partner with David Eberspacher and Bill Tapella in the law firm of Hefner, Eberspacher & Tapella. He
remains engaged in the general practice of law, including personal injury litigation, medical malpractice
litigation, and products liability litigation. He is admitted to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court.
He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts in the Central and Southern Districts
of Illinois as well as the 7th and 8th Circuit Courts of Appeals.
John was raised in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from Manual High School in 1961 and continued his education at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, where he obtained his B.A. in 1966. John received his J.D. degree from St. Louis University in 1978. After completing law school, he was employed as a staff attorney with the Ralston Purina Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri until 1980. He entered into private practice in Mattoon, Illinois in September of 1980. Then, in 1992, he and David Eberspacher founded the law firm of Hefner & Eberspacher, which has grown into the current eleven-member firm.
From 1981 to 2002, John served as City Attorney for the City of Mattoon, Illinois.
He is the author of "New Power of the Chapter IX Bankruptcy Court to Authorize the Issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness: Congressional Relief or Congressional Overreaching?," The American Bankruptcy Law Journal, Volume 51, Winter, 1977, pp 1-18. He is the author of Chapter 17, "Special Consideration In A Wrongful Death Case", Illinois Civil Discover Practice, 2009, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
Mr. Hefner and his wife, Bonita (Soderquist) Hefner, have three children; M. Daniel Hefner, a member of the firm of Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Chicago Illinois; Kimberly A. Hefner, Principal, Woodbine Elementary School; and Glenn P. Hefner, CFA, an investment specialist with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Mr. and Mrs. Hefner are the proud grandparents of Emma and Maria Hefner of Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
