Rex Encore's Brigham Honored with Top Corporate Counsel Award in St. Louis

ALTON – Chad Brigham of Rex Encore LLC, John and Jayne Simmons’ Alton-based private equity investment firm, was recognized with a 2024 Corporate Counsel Award by the St. Louis Business Journal.

The awards ceremony was held on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at the Marriott St. Louis West where it honored 10 area attorneys who have helped their organizations grow. For the past 11 years, the St. Louis Business Journal has partnered with the Association of Corporate Counsel - St. Louis Chapter to select the top in-house counsel at new and established organizations.

The Simmons were among Chad’s first clients when he began his career in private practice, first at Lewis Rice and then at Edwardsville-based Goldenberg, Heller & Antognoli. Chad provides business management and legal counsel to the Simmons’ through Rex Encore, the holding company for AltonWorks. AltonWorks is a social impact development company focused on the revitalization of Historic Downtown Alton as a healthy, thriving, walkable city and as a regional hub for reinvention and resilience – for people of all backgrounds, incomes and educational levels.

“I am so honored to be a part of this amazing and trusted team at Rex Encore and AltonWorks to work on numerous transformative projects in and for Alton,” said Brigham. “Working with the Simmons to transform a remarkable community like Alton, is a dream come true to a lawyer who wants to have a lasting, positive impact in the area.”

AltonWorks was founded on the principles of innovation, livability, environmental stewardship, social justice, and inclusivity and believes in rebuilding communities for optimum social impact. AltonWorks is an organization focused on facilitating progress.

“Jayne and I are so fortunate to have established a relationship with Chad all those years ago,” said John Simmons. “He has a brilliant legal mind, incredible business acumen and he’s really a great human being.”

AltonWorks is focused on developing transformative projects in and for Alton, Illinois. These projects include the Wedge Innovation Center, a $30 million redevelopment project that will serve as a social impact, high-tech business incubator, accelerator, and co-working space historic downtown Alton. The Wedge will also serve as a workforce development and training center for startups and entrepreneurs and digital hub for the $20M fiber network that AltonWorks is laying as a utility in 100% of Alton, which will help move Alton into the digital economy.

Chad is on the Board of Trustees, Rockford University; Board of Directors, Organization Committee, Alton Main Street; Paralegal Advisory Board, Lewis & Clark Community College; 18U Club Volleyball Coach, 314 Volleyball Club; Volunteer Attorney, St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts. He graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law, JD; Rockford University, Bachelor of Science and is pursuing an MBA at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business, MBA, which he will complete in fall 2024.

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