Kia Freese
Kia Freese brings a lasting commitment to agriculture and a practical approach to helping clients meet their business and legal needs.
- Nearly a decade devoted to learning about the agriculture industry
- Gained courtroom experience assisting with a farmland partition trial
- Participated in the Veterans Legal Clinic under an Illinois Supreme Court Rule 711 student practice license
Kia Freese
Attorney in Peoria, IL
Kia works with agricultural businesses on the transactions and legal questions that shape their operations and future. As an associate in Heyl Royster’s Peoria office, she practices agribusiness, business organizations and transactions, and casualty and tort matters. She takes time to understand how each client’s business works and what it needs to move forward.
Although Kia did not grow up on a farm, agriculture has been a focus since high school, when she served as president of her FFA chapter. She has spent nearly a decade learning about the industry and the people who make it work. She recognizes the uncertainty agricultural businesses face and wants her legal work to help clients establish greater stability as they plan, grow, and make decisions.
Kia’s experience includes assisting with agribusiness mergers and acquisitions. During the summer of 2025, she also assisted Heyl Royster attorney Renee Monfort with a farmland partition trial. That work gave her a firsthand look at how land ownership, business interests, and litigation can intersect. She works with colleagues across the firm to address those connected concerns and keep the client’s broader goals in view.
Kia earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she participated in the Veterans Legal Clinic under a Rule 711 student practice license. She earned her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Illinois State University.
Outside the office, Kia enjoys going to Chicago Cubs games with her fiancé and family. She is working toward visiting all 30 Major League Baseball parks and has checked 14 off her list.
Credentials
Education
- J.D., University of Illinois College of Law
- B.S., Illinois State University, magna cum laude
Licensure and Admissions
- State Courts of Illinois
Public Profile
Kia works with agricultural businesses on the transactions and legal questions that shape their operations and future. As an associate in Heyl Royster’s Peoria office, she practices agribusiness, business organizations and transactions, and casualty and tort matters. She takes time to understand how each client’s business works and what it needs to move forward.
Although Kia did not grow up on a farm, agriculture has been a focus since high school, when she served as president of her FFA chapter. She has spent nearly a decade learning about the industry and the people who make it work. She recognizes the uncertainty agricultural businesses face and wants her legal work to help clients establish greater stability as they plan, grow, and make decisions.
Kia’s experience includes assisting with agribusiness mergers and acquisitions. During the summer of 2025, she also assisted Heyl Royster attorney Renee Monfort with a farmland partition trial. That work gave her a firsthand look at how land ownership, business interests, and litigation can intersect. She works with colleagues across the firm to address those connected concerns and keep the client’s broader goals in view.
Kia earned her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she participated in the Veterans Legal Clinic under a Rule 711 student practice license. She earned her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Illinois State University.
Outside the office, Kia enjoys going to Chicago Cubs games with her fiancé and family. She is working toward visiting all 30 Major League Baseball parks and has checked 14 off her list.
