About Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer is an experienced attorney who has served as the City of Rockford as Legal Director since 2017. In this role, he oversees all legal matters for the City, including litigation, collective bargaining, and blight reduction. He has successfully led the City’s efforts to increase property values and save taxpayers money by removing dilapidated buildings and enforcing code violations.​
Meyer has a strong background in both civil and criminal law, having worked for the private and public sectors for over 15 years. He began his career as a public defender in the Winnebago County Public Defender’s Office, where he defended clients in various criminal cases. He then spent eight years in private practice, handling a wide range of civil cases such as personal injury, family, and labor law.​
Meyer is committed to serving the residents of Winnebago and Boone counties with integrity, professionalism, and efficiency.
"Taking the commitment and passion I have into the judiciary"
Professional Background
Attorney Meyer has served as the City of Rockford Legal Director since 2017. In that role, he is responsible for all legal business of the city, which includes supervising all litigation in State and Federal court, drafting all contracts and development agreements, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the city’s five employee unions, and prosecuting all city ordinances and codes. He also provides counsel to Mayor McNamara, city council, and city department heads.
Blight Reduction: Savings to Taxpayers
Meyer has led the city’s aggressive strategy to reduce blight. He successfully sued the owners of the former Essex property, North Main Nursing Home, and Magna/CVS building to force them to demolish the dilapidated structures at their own expense, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and increasing property values. He has also worked with a statewide delegation, including Senator Stadelmen’s Blight Reduction Task Force, to draft and successfully pass new legislation to give municipalities more tools to take on problem properties.
Private and Public Sector Experience
Prior to joining the City of Rockford, Attorney Meyer was in private practice at Meyer & Horning, PC for eight years. Attorney Meyer had a wide-ranging civil and criminal practice, both in and out of the courtroom. His civil practice included family law, business acquisitions and succession planning, zoning and licensing, estates and trusts, appellate, banking and foreclosures, landlord/tenant employment, labor law, and personal injury litigation. In his criminal practice, he represented clients in a variety of matters from DUI/traffic and minor misdemeanors to major felonies. He began his career as a public defender with the Office of the Winnebago County Public Defender.
Education
Meyer earned his law degree from the John Marshall (UIC) Law school and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Illinois University. Born and raised in Rockford, Attorney Meyer graduated from Guilford High School.
Community and Family
As a lifelong resident of Winnebago County, Nick is active in the community. He is currently a Rockford Promise Mentor, working with students in the NIU-Rockford Promise Program. He is the first vice-president of the Winnebago County Bar Association and is a past president of the Young Lawyer’s Association. He also coaches youth sports.
Nick's wife Marissa is an elementary performing arts and music teacher at Keith Country Day School. He and Marissa live in Rockford with their three children Merrick, Marley, and Murphy.