EX-23.1 11 c93095exv23w1.htm CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS exv23w1
 

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Wintrust Financial Corporation of our reports dated March 4, 2005, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Wintrust Financial Corporation, Wintrust Financial Corporation management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Wintrust Financial Corporation, included in the 2004 Annual Report to Shareholders of Wintrust Financial Corporation.

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements of our reports dated March 4, 2005, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Wintrust Financial Corporation, Wintrust Financial Corporation management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Wintrust Financial Corporation, incorporated herein by reference:

         
    Registration    
Form   Statement No.   Purpose
S-8
  333-61678   Wintrust Financial Corporation Directors Deferred Fee and Stock Plan
 
        
S-8
  333-33459   Wintrust Financial Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan
 
        
S-8
  333-52650   Wintrust Financial Corporation 1997 Stock Incentive Plan
 
        
S-8
  333-96983   Wintrust Financial Corporation 1997 Stock Incentive Plan
 
        
S-8
  333-52652   Wintrust Financial Corporation Retirement Savings Plan
 
        
S-3
  333-56566   Private Placement
 
        
S-3
  333-84188   Acquisition of Wayne Hummer Companies
 
        
S-3
  333-103134   Acquisition of Lake Forest Capital Management Company
 
        
S-8
  333-111277   Advantage National Bancorp, Inc. Amended 2002 Stock Incentive Plan
 
        
S-8
  333-119979   Northview Financial Corporation 1993 Incentive Stock Program
 
        
S-8
  333-119976   Town Bankshares, Ltd. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan
 
        
S-8
  333-117044   Wintrust Financial Corporation 1997 Stock Incentive Plan and Village Bancorp, Inc. 1998 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan
 
        
S-3
  333-115898   Acquisition of SGB Corporation/Guardian Real Estate Services, Inc.
 
        
S-3
  333-119345   Shelf Registration Statement for up to $200,000,000 of securities of Wintrust Financial Corporation
 
        
S-4
  333-122178   Proposed Merger with First Northwest Bancorp, Inc.

/s/ Ernst & Young, LLP

Chicago, Illinois
March 14, 2005