ATTORNEY PROFILE

AJ Wessler grew up in Arenzville, Illinois, where his father owned a small business, and his mother worked as a school teacher. After graduating from Triopia High School, AJ attended Millikin University. While at Millikin University, AJ was active in sports and extracurricular activities and earned a business degree in finance, graduated summa cum laude, was a member phi kappa phi, and was the recipient of the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Award.

AJ then attended the University of Illinois College of Law where he graduated summa cum laude with his Juris Doctorate and received the Rickert Award for Excellence in Academic Achievement and the J. Nelson Young Award for Excellence in the Study of Taxation Law. He was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and he graduated in the top three percent of his class. During his time at the University of Illinois College of Law, AJ also received awards for obtaining the highest grade in the class for numerous courses, including Decedents’ Trusts and Estates, Worker’s Compensation, Sales, Partnership Taxation, and Federal Tax Policy.

Prior to opening Wessler Law, LLC, AJ worked for eight years in the corporate law department at Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) in Decatur, Illinois. While serving as Senior Counsel at ADM, AJ worked for the business unit responsible for ADM’s trucking, logistics, grain, barge, rail, milling, and insurance businesses.

AJ served as the primary legal counsel for ADM Crop Risk Services, Inc. (“ADM CRS”) for seven years before serving as the primary legal adviser in ADM’s $127.5 million sale of ADM CRS to Validus Holdings, Ltd. (now owned by AIG). AJ also handled a wide-range of real property transactions throughout the U.S. (e.g., divestures of properties and facilities; acquisitions of properties and facilities; draft and negotiate leases, licenses and easements; resolve title defects).

AJ has drafted and negotiated various commercial contracts and transactions, including but not limited to commodity trading, commodity handling, barge transportation, truck transportation, rail transportation, property brokerage, supply agreements, service agreements, financing agreements, and collaboration agreements.

AJ has also defended ADM against claims and lawsuits arising out of auto and trucking accidents, work-related injuries, railroad injuries, river injuries, industrial accidents, wrongful death, products liability, premises liability, and asbestos claims, to name a few. This experience gives AJ a unique perspective and understanding of the manner in which corporate defendants evaluate cases and utilize immense resources to defend against injury victims .

Before joining ADM, AJ gained experience in the estate planning department of a large St. Louis law firm, and he worked briefly for the staff counsel to one of the largest U.S. insurers, helping defend against worker’s compensation claims and personal injury matters.

Outside of the firm, AJ enjoys hunting, fishing, and exercising. AJ recently finished two terms as a board member of the Decatur Family YMCA (2012-2018), and he assists on various pro bono matters. AJ and his wife have two young sons.