SubscribeNews Archives

2013

April 01, 2013 Firm Welcomes New Real Estate Tax Partner

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella is pleased to announce that Thomas J. Boyle has joined the firm as a partner in the Real Estate practice. ... Read More

2012

December 27, 2012 A Street Smart Guide to Private Company Investor Disclosure

Deals involving shares and shareholders can trap companies in a maze of investor disclosure rules. Whether a firm sells shares or bonds, or requests owners’ permission to vote at shareholder meetings, the law demands that an entity reveal its finance... Read More

December 12, 2012 Planning for 2013

The November elections are over, but we still have a divided government with Democrats controlling the White House and the Senate, while Republicans control the House. If Democrats and Republicans cannot come to a bipartisan agreement to avoid the... Read More

December 10, 2012 Firm Attorneys Volunteer Through Lawyers in the Classroom Program

On December 7, 2012, firm attorneys Ellen Brace, Erika Harold, Alex Marks, Tiffany Sorge-Smith, and Sara Youn volunteered at Goldblatt Elementary School on Chicago’s West Side to teach second grade students about the legal system and the... Read More

December 06, 2012 Firm Puts Brakes on Unlawful Surcharge for Infiniti and Nissan Dealers

Litigation partner Ira Levin recently achieved a signal victory on behalf of Fields Infiniti and Fields Infiniti of Lake County before both the Illinois Motor Vehicle Review Board and the Circuit Court of Cook County against Nissan North America’s... Read More

December 04, 2012 Thompson Elected Comissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

The Firm congratulates colleague Patrick D. Thompson on his recent election victory. He joins the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) as one of three newly elected commissioners... Read More

November 28, 2012 Protecting Your Trade Secrets

Many have read of the recent prosecution of Hanjuan Jin, a Motorola Software Engineer, who was this year convicted in federal court in Chicago for criminal theft of trade secrets. The case was aggressively pursued by federal prosecutors, and Jin was... Read More

November 19, 2012 Firm Welcomes Associate Eric VanderPloeg

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella welcomes associate Eric VanderPloeg as the newest member of its litigation practice. He was a summer associate at the Firm in 2011... Read More

November 15, 2012 MacKay Presents on Pending Tax Law Changes

Karen MacKay recently served on a panel at an event sponsored by Villanova University for its Chicago alumni association. The discussion was titled “Congress, Politics and Taxes: What’s Around the Corner and Over the Horizon?” and Karen discussed... Read More

October 26, 2012 Firm Welcomes Real Estate Associate

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella welcomes associate Dana White to its Real Estate group. Ms. White focuses her practice on complex commercial real estate transactions as well as counseling clients on a variety of business and real estate matters... Read More

September 18, 2012 Firm Expands

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella is delighted to announce that, to accommodate our own continuing growth and increasing client needs, we are expanding and refining our facilities here at 330 North Wabash in Chicago. In a few short months we will... Read More

September 12, 2012 Religious Rights in the Chicago Landmarking Process Religious Rights in the Chicago Landmarking Process

The Chicago Landmarks Ordinance1 authorizes restrictions on the renovation or alteration of specially designated buildings or other structures. The express purpose of the ordinance is to identify and preserve “landmarks”—i.e., places “having a... Read More Read More

August 14, 2012 Chicago Family Business Council Partners with DePaul University

For more than 20 years, the Family Business Council has taken the lead in offering a support network to owners and heads of family businesses in the Chicago area. Leaders from nearly 100 member companies have come to rely on the Council to create... Read More

August 10, 2012 Two is Company Two Thousand is a Crowd

Bowing to the backlash against government regulation in the financial markets, Congress and the President have approved changes to securities laws that loosen rules on selling stock and other securities. The American Jobs Act, enacted this spring... Read More

July 06, 2012 July 2012 Tax Alert July 2012 Tax Alert

If you are considering significant gift-giving, you may want to make those gifts before year-end. In less than six months, the chance to make large gifts, free of gift tax, will end unless Congress acts. On January 1, 2013, the current transfer tax... Read More Read More

July 03, 2012 Computer Forensics at Burke Warren

Spoliation (spo-le-a-shen) is the destruction, alteration, or failure to preserve evidence. If a court determines that a party in litigation has failed to produce evidence due to spoliation, juries are instructed that they may infer that the... Read More

June 23, 2012 Pope Bestows Order of Saint Gregory the Great Knighthood on Three Distinguished Chicago Catholics

On June 23, Francis Cardinal George presented a Papal Decree from Pope Benedict XVI appointing three distinguished members of the Chicago Catholic community to knighthood in the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. The newly... Read More

May 29, 2012 Firm Welcomes New Corporate Associate

Burke, Warren, MacKay and Serritella welcomes associate Erica “Ricki” Alva to its Corporate group. Ms. Alva focuses her practice on complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and private equity transactions... Read More

May 14, 2012 Michael Discusses Succession Planning in Chicago Business Newspaper

The firm's Jonathan Michael was quoted in an article on the do's and dont's of succession planning in Crain's Chicago Business... Read More

May 11, 2012 ERISA Service Provider Fee Disclosure Deadline Approaching

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently published final service provider fee disclosure rules under Section 408b-2 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). A retirement plan service provider covered by the regulation must provide... Read More

March 29, 2012 Religion and the 2012 Election

The Firm’s Religious and Not-For-Profit practice will host Don Wycliff for a discussion on Religion and the 2012 Election at Fulton’s on the River on April 25. Don will discuss the controversial role that religion is playing in the 2012 presidential... Read More

March 23, 2012 Pooling Investments Without Drowning in Liability

Mutual funds pool billions of dollars and make millions of investments. If these large-scale investments do not strictly adhere to certain rules and statutes, they may be ordered to return investors’ money or pay government fines... Read More

March 01, 2012 Six Steps to Protect Against Employee Claims

In today’s business world, all employers are susceptible to claims brought by their employees and former employees. Lifetime employment and job loyalty no longer exist, and family-owned businesses are not immune from lawsuits by their employees... Read More

February 24, 2012 Firm Adds Partner to Leading Automotive Franchise Practice

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella welcomes Jay Statland to the Firm as a partner and a member of the Corporate, Litigation and Automotive Franchise groups. Mr. Statland represents automobile dealers, focusing on manufacturer relations, acquisition... Read More

February 17, 2012 Tax Alert 2012 Tax Alert 2012

On February 13, 2012, President Obama released his proposed fiscal year 2013 budget. The budget includes major changes to the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax laws, which are significantly less favorable to taxpayers than the... Read More Read More

January 30, 2012 LeAnn Pope Presents at National Class Action Defense Conference

LeAnn Pedersen Pope was a featured presenter at the American Conference Institute’s 13th Annual National Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions and Litigation in New York January 26 and 27. It is the leading annual event of its kind in the... Read More

January 13, 2012 US Supreme Court Upholds Right of Religious Institutions US Supreme Court Upholds Right of Religious Institutions

This week the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the “ministerial exception,” rooted in the First Amendment, which forbids governmental interference with a religious institution’s selection of its ministers. Chief Justice Roberts, writing for a unanimous... Read More Read More

January 11, 2012 Firm Welcomes New Partners

Each year at Burke, Warren, Firm partners nominate senior associates with seven to eight years of experience and growth within the firm for partnership, and then gather to discuss, evaluate and vote on the nominees. We are pleased to announce and... Read More

January 06, 2012 New Company Guidelines for Employee Use of Social Media

Most private sector employers are subject to the National Labor Relations Act (the “Act”), a 1935 federal statute that governs traditional aspects of labor law such as collective bargaining, strikes, and changes of unfair labor practices, while... Read More

2011

December 08, 2011 Now is Not the Time to be Passive About Passive Loss Rules

The following article, prepared by the Firm’s Rich Lieberman, summarizes certain tax provisions which impact investors who are able to categorize investment losses as active instead of passive. As described in the following article, individuals... Read More

December 02, 2011 2011 Year End Tax Planning

In 2011 we saw much political debate about job creation and deficit reduction, but very little in the way of legislative accomplishment. The Congressional “Super Committee” charged with reducing the country’s long-term debt failed to reach an... Read More

December 01, 2011 BWMS Partner Completes First Ever 1000-plus Private Mergers and Acquisitions Database

Partner Craig McCrohon has completed the country’s largest database of legal terms of private mergers and acquisitions deals. The 2011 M&A Benchmarking Study includes over 1,000 middle market deals with benchmarks for deal terms that may used by... Read More

November 29, 2011 Real Estate Tax Appeal Practice

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. is proud to announce the addition of a real estate tax appeal practice focusing on commercial and industrial real estate in the Cook and collar county areas. The practice will contest adverse property... Read More

November 10, 2011 A Conversation with Terry Hillard

Terry Hillard, former Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department and co-founder of strategic and investigative services firm Hillard Heintze, was the featured presenter at the Firm’s Religious and Not-for-Profit practice fall luncheon at... Read More

November 01, 2011 Burke Warren Welcomes New Associates

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. is pleased to welcome new attorneys Elizabeth A. Meyer, Ellen J. Westley, Adam R. Jung, Adam T. Rick and Sara Youn. Elizabeth Meyer is a member of the Firm’s Litigation practice. Prior to her work as a summer... Read More

October 20, 2011 Strategic Estate Planning for Business Owners

On October 20, 2011, the Firm’s Karen K. MacKay was a speaker at MB Financial Bank’s seminar entitled “Strategic Estate Planning For Business Owners.” The presentation discussed recent changes to estate, gift, and generation-skipping tranfer... Read More

October 01, 2011 James C Geoly Elected to Catholic Lawyers Guild Board

The Firm’s Jim Geoly was recently elected to the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago’s Board of Governors. The Guild, along with its partners in the Catholic Charities Legal Assistance of the Archdiocese of Chicago, provides volunteer opportunities for... Read More

September 18, 2011 James A Serritella Named Catholic Lawyer of the Year

James Serritella was named Catholic Lawyer of the Year by the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago. Founded in 1934, the Guild works to provide legal services to charities and related organizations throughout the Chicago area, as well as provide fellows... Read More

August 16, 2011 Vacation Homes - Rules of Engagement

You are fortunate enough to have a family vacation home and want your family to enjoy it after you die. Your good intentions, without proper planning, may lead to disputes that could frustrate, if not extinguish, your hope for continued family fun... Read More

August 10, 2011 Firm Talent Pool Grows

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella P.C. is very pleased to announce that Patrick D. Thompson and Joseph P. Roddy recently joined the Firm as partners. Mr. Thompson brings a real estate, zoning and public finance practice to the Firm, while Mr. Roddy... Read More

August 03, 2011 Client Profile - Manny Mill and his Landmark Post-Prison Ministry

Rev. Manuel “Manny” Mill is a man on a mission. As the founder and Executive Director of Koinonia House National Ministries, Rev. Mill has devoted his life to the ministry of people released from prison. He has opened his home and his family to them... Read More

July 29, 2011 Seven Pillars of Safe Securities Sales

Buying a minority stock interest in a small company can be as easy as singing happy birthday; selling the stock can be as difficult as performing a four-hour opera... Read More

July 14, 2011 Richard W Burke Joins Shedd Aquarium Board

Richard W. Burke recently accepted an invitation to join the Board of Trustees of the John G. Shedd Aquarium. As one of Chicago’s premier cultural institutions, the Shedd Aquarium has pioneered efforts in showcasing marine life through its collection... Read More

June 15, 2011 Firm Welcomes New Litigation Associate

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. welcomes associate Benjamin P. Wieck to its Class Action Defense and Litigation practices. He will represent Firm clients in the banking and mortgage lending industries. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Wieck... Read More

May 01, 2011 Firm Attorney Moonlights as Adjunct Professor

This spring the firm's Jonathan W. Michael is teaching an Estate Planning course at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. The course is designed for students seeking their Juris Doctor and Masters of Law degrees. "It is great to work with students... Read More

April 14, 2011 Prepare to Resolve Contract Disputes Before You Sign

Too few business people know the full scope of the contracts they enter into, especially the "boiler plate," which often has provisions controlling where and how contract disputes are resolved. These are referred to as "pre-dispute resolution... Read More

March 31, 2011 The Facebook Billion Dollar Bust

The Facebook Billion Dollar Bust... Read More

March 23, 2011 An Employers Guide to New Civil Union Law in Illinois

An Employer's Guide to New Civil Union Law in Illinois... Read More

February 01, 2011 Firm Welcomes New Associate

Firm Welcomes New Associate... Read More

January 15, 2011 Firm Promotes New Partners

Firm Promotes New Partners... Read More

2010

April 01, 2011 Bullying Takes Center Stage

BULLYING takes center stage as focus of firm event... Read More

February 09, 2011 Tax Alert 2010 Tax Alert 2010

On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010, making significant changes to Federal tax laws. The Act received wide publicity because it extended current income tax... Read More Read More

January 04, 2011 Troubled Bank Directors Liability Audio Conference

Presented by Craig McCrohon and Aaron Stanton of Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. and Thomas O. Deneen of Aon Corporation. Burke Warren and AON are presenting a national audio conference focusing on the escalating regulatory and legal risks... Read More

December 08, 2010 FDIC Launches Full-Scale Attack on Bank Directors

With bank failures piling up, the FDIC has initiated vigorous legal attacks on bank directors and officers.... Read More

December 06, 2010 Time is Running Out on 2010 Year End Income Tax Planning

It is advisable in any year to take stock and consider tax planning before the year draws to an end.... Read More

December 04, 2010 Estate and Gift Tax Considerations - No Action Brings Significant Changes

For the past two years, we have been waiting for Congress to address the estate tax. To date, Congress has taken no action.... Read More

December 03, 2010 Ten Essential Rulings for the Estate Planner's Tool Box

Melissa C. Selinger, senior associate in the firm’s Wealth and Succession Planning practice, co-authored “Ten Essential Tax Rulings for the Estate Planner’s Tool Box” for the November/December 2010 issue of the ABA’s Probate & Property magazine, a na... Read More

November 22, 2010 Documents Parents of Minor Children Should Have in Place

As a parent of small children, there are a number of documents that should be prepared to protect your children’s physical and financial well-being in the unlikely event you are not available or are deceased.... Read More

November 16, 2010 Serritella Joins Music of the Baroque Board

Jim Serritella recently accepted an invitation to join the board of Music of the Baroque. ... Read More

November 09, 2010 Firm Welcomes New Associates

Amy C. Biesenthal and Adrienne M. Sevilla, firm summer associates from 2009, recently became attorneys at the firm.... Read More

November 05, 2010 Trust and Estate Litigation

Karen MacKay and Gerry Ring have represented corporate and individual executors and trustees in proceedings to construe wills and trusts, will contests based on lack of capacity and undue influence, suits to reform a will or trust due to a scrivener’... Read More

October 29, 2010 Firm to Host Religious Displays on Public Property Panel Discussion November 3

The firm’s Religious and Not-For-Profit practice will host the Religious Displays on Public Property panel discussion at Fulton’s on the River on November 3.... Read More

October 19, 2010 Punch List Helps Employers Navigate New Healthcare Law

There has been so much political hyperbole associated with the new health care reform legislation (known formally as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “ACA”) that it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. ... Read More

October 14, 2010 Distant Thunder - The 2010 Financial Reform Impact Beyond Wall Street

For smaller banks beyond Wall Street, last summer’s financial reform has produced more smoke than fire.... Read More

October 12, 2010 Discharging Employees

The U.S. is in the midst of its worst business downturn in 70 years. Many businesses have faced necessary reductions in workforce. ... Read More

October 08, 2010 Firm Shares Green Lease Knowhow

A “green lease” is a commercial lease between a landlord and a tenant in a “green” building.... Read More

October 04, 2010 It's A Great Time For GRATs!

On six separate occasions in 2010, Congress introduced legislation designed to curtail a very favorable estate planning technique called a “Grantor Retained Annuity Trust” or “GRAT.” ... Read More

October 01, 2010 Attorneys Compete in Sporting Challenges

We all have lives outside of our professional worlds. Two firm attorneys take their non-work activities seriously, one recently traveling to Hungary and the other to Colorado to participate in events they enjoy. ... Read More

September 10, 2010 Firm Welcomes New Litigation Associates

Tiffany Sorge Smith and Shana A. Shifrin recently joined the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Class Action Defense Group. Tiffany Sorge Smith joins the firm following three years at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her commercial litigation experience... Read More

September 07, 2010 New Law Bans Most Applicant Credit Checks

As of January 1, 2011, most employers will be unable to perform credit checks on an applicant or employee due to changes in employment laws. ... Read More

August 31, 2010 Combating Gray Market Goods in an Economic Downturn with the Lanham Act Combating Gray Market Goods in an Economic Downturn with the Lanham Act

Gray market goods include products with legitimate, authorized trademarks that are intended for sale and use outside the United States but that are imported and sold in the United States without the consent of the US... Read More Read More

August 05, 2010 Firm Bucks Industry Trend, Recognized in Chicago Law Bulletin

There has been no shortage of bad news about the serious problems law firms have faced recently... Read More

August 02, 2010 Non compete vs Non solicitation - Every Business Person Should Know the Difference

In industries where customer lists are essential, the employer will often seek to prevent an employee from “stealing” clients... Read More

August 01, 2010 Lieberman to Present at Taxation of Intellectual Property Conference in Chicago

The Council for International Tax Education presents its Sixth Annual U.S. Taxation of Intellectual Property, October 25 and 26, in Chicago... Read More

July 27, 2010 Keeping Your Revocable Living Trust on Track

To minimize estate taxes and prevent the disclosure to the public of one’s personal financial information upon death, many clients of the firm have established revocable living trusts... Read More

July 15, 2010 Money Lost, Money Found - Bringing Back Shareholders Burned by Early Stage Investing

For all the trillions lost in publicly-traded stocks, overlooked are the billions lost by shareholders of small privately-held companies... Read More

June 23, 2010 Vitale Joins Firm, Launches Green Practice

New attorney Peter Vitale becomes a member of our Corporate, Real Estate and newly launched Energy and Sustainability Group... Read More

June 02, 2010 Michael Discusses Succession Planning in the Chicago Tribune

The firm's Michael was quoted in the Chicago Tribune on the benefits of planning early... Read More

May 24, 2010 Sous Chef to Top Chef

Bravo’s reality show Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard will soon open her restaurant... Read More

May 14, 2010 Associates Teach Constitutional Rights to CPS Students

Associates Nora Couri, Andrew LeMar, Alex Marks and Steve Schuster volunteered at Chicago Public School’s Decatur Elementary School as part of Law Week... Read More

May 07, 2010 Religious and Not For Profit Practice Hosts dot ORG Event

Don’t say anything bad about Al Gore around the founders and engineers of the Internet... Read More

April 16, 2010 Family Business Day Preserving Your Business Legacy for a Better Tomorrow Family Business Day Preserving Your Business Legacy for a Better Tomorrow

The annual Family Business Day event on Wednesday, April 21 seeks to educate owners of closely-held and family-owned businesses, as well as UIC undergraduate and graduate students...... Read More Read More

April 05, 2010 Mediation vs Litigation - When to Turn Swords into Ploughshares or Vice Versa

Mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) play a critical role in bringing many disputes to successful or at least reasonable conclusions... Read More

March 29, 2010 Many Developers and Investors Overlook FHA Benefits

Aimed at revitalizing a sagging housing market, recent Federal Housing Administration (FHA) regulations benefit condominium developers along with investors, lenders, owners and buyers... Read More

March 26, 2010 Family Business Council April Event to Focus on Building a Legacy

Statistics show that over 65% of all first generation businesses don’t survive the transition to the second generation and only 7% survive into the third. Just 3% of businesses are lucky enough to make it to the fourth generation... Read More

March 17, 2010 Executive Leadership - Finding the Right Fit

Greg Carrott is a founder of Cavoure, LP, an executive search firm headquartered in Chicago. Greg has more than 20 years in search, and his articles have appeared in Forbes and the Harvard Business Review. The Chicago Tribune recently turned to Greg... Read More

March 08, 2010 Loose Lips Sink Ships - Tips for Testing the Market for Capital

Businesses confront a common dilemma when launching a program to sell stock or debt securities. If they wait for their lawyers to draft the perfect 100-page document that discloses everything and complies perfectly with securities rules, investors... Read More

February 22, 2010 Firm Fights for GM and Chrysler Dealers Seeking Reinstatement

Since General Motors and Chrysler collectively terminated over 3000 dealership franchises as part of their 2009 bankruptcies, over half of these dealers, and the families that own them, have been officially fighting back for reinstatement... Read More

February 01, 2010 Wambach, Lynch, and Horner Secure Win for the Village of Barrington Hills

The firm’s Doug Wambach, George Lynch and Susan Horner successfully represented the Village of Barrington Hills in a recent administrative review proceeding... Read More

January 25, 2010 Wanroy Joins Joffrey Ballet Circle Associates Board

Growing up in ballet shoes and dance studios, it is only natural that Burke, Warren’s Rachel D. Wanroy, a member of the firm’s Real Estate Group, has joined the Joffrey Ballet Circle Associates... Read More

January 11, 2010 Firm Names Two New Partners

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Kimberly A. Cloud and Joseph E. von Meier to partner.... Read More

2009

December 08, 2009 Karen MacKay and LeAnn Pope in Chicago Lawyer’s Annual Women in Law Review

Karen MacKay and LeAnn Pope are featured in Chicago Lawyer's annual Women in Law review. Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella was highlighted to showcase the firm's cultural openness to empowering women.... Read More

December 07, 2009 Talent Pool Grows

Firm Introduces New Partners and Associates... Read More

November 25, 2009 Estate and Gift Tax Considerations - No Change to Federal Estate Tax

We still have a Federal estate tax.... Read More

November 23, 2009 Stanton Presents on Gray Markets to Brand Protection Managers in Silicon Valley

From earth moving equipment to shampoo to semi-conductors, virtually every industry is affected by the rise of gray markets.... Read More

October 02, 2009 Aaron Stanton Named to 40 Under 40 List of Top Illinois Attorneys

The coveted 40 Under 40 list of top attorneys in Illinois includes the firm’s Aaron Stanton in its 2009 listing.... Read More

September 30, 2009 Firm’s Michael Shares Business Succession Advice at UIC Family Business Council’s Educational Program

The firm’s Jonathan W. Michael was a featured speaker at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Family Business Council Fall Educational Program.... Read More

September 28, 2009 Safeguarding Your Life Savings from Future Creditors

Protecting assets from the claims of creditors has begun to assume a more prominent role in estate and financial planning due to the increasingly litigious nature of society... Read More

September 15, 2009 Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C Partners with UIC Family Business Council

In keeping with Burke Warren’s longstanding commitment to representing family-owned and closely held businesses, we are proud to announce that we are now the strategic law partner with the University of Illinois at Chicago Family Business Council... Read More

September 15, 2009 Selinger Elected to Vice Chair of Charity Board

Melissa C. Selinger was recently elected as Vice Chair of the Metro Board of Metropolitan Family Services.... Read More

September 08, 2009 Appellate Court Rules for Firm Client After IL Supreme Court Grants Firm Motion in Pivotal Case

The firm recently won a victory in a case involving core first amendment religious freedom rights... Read More

August 20, 2009 SEC Ruling Exempts Main Street Acquisitions Advisors from Wall Street Rules

Business acquisitions advisors have long waited for exemptions in securities rules that govern their business... Read More

August 10, 2009 Beware of Employment Policies That Violate the NLRA

A March 2009 opinion from the First Circuit Court of Appeals confirms that even non-union employers have significant exposure under the National Labor Relations Act... Read More

July 22, 2009 Tax Update

In June 2009, Illinois revised the computation of the replacement tax for partnerships by... Read More

July 10, 2009 Former Deloitte Principal Richard L Lieberman Joins Burke Warren

Richard L. Lieberman, formerly with Deloitte Tax LLP, has joined the Chicago law firm of Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. as a partner in its tax practice... Read More

April 23, 2009 Shareholder Wars Firm Partners Deliver Prescription to Manage shareholder Disputes in National Seminar Broadcast

Firm partners deliver prescription to manage shareholder disputes in national seminar broadcast... Read More

April 15, 2009 Mediation - Enriched Negotiation

There are a number of misconceptions about mediation that merit comment. These misconceptions have caused mediation to often be poorly understood... Read More

March 03, 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

A Summary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009... Read More

February 25, 2009 Illinois Decoupling

Illinois Decoupling: estate plans prepared prior to 2006 should be reviewed... Read More

January 12, 2009 Legislation Offers Some Relief from Minimum Distribution Rules for 2009

Many retirees watched as the value of their retirement accounts plummeted during the second half of 2008. Existing tax rules would have forced those retirees to further deplete their retirement accounts when they are at their lowest... Read More

January 05, 2009 Mediation - An Alternative Approach to the Resolution of Litigation and Other Disputes

Litigation is time-consuming, aggravating and expensive. And that’s if you win. If you lose, it is also a business or personal setback. Nonetheless, people being people, there are and will be disagreements and disputes. Some disagreements are resolve... Read More

2008

December 08, 2008 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans

Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) provides rules governing the taxation of non-qualified deferred compensation plans. Final Treasury Regulations for Code Section 409A were issued on April 17, 2007... Read More

December 05, 2008 Reduction in Force

Reduce your liability by taking the following steps... Read More

November 26, 2008 Year End Tax Planning

After a long presidential campaign, 2008 is drawing to a close. Although tax planning should be an ongoing process, the end of the year offers an opportunity to review your current position and take steps to minimize your tax liability.... Read More

November 21, 2008 Attorneys Join Firm

Over the last few months, Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. has welcomed several new attorneys to the firm. A brief introduction to each follows.... Read More

November 20, 2008 DePaul’s “Financial Services for the Coming Retirement Boom” Conference

The firm’s Jonathan W. Michael was a panelist and featured speaker at the “Financial Services for the Coming Retirement Boom” conference sponsored by DePaul University’s Center for Financial Services on October 24.... Read More

October 10, 2008 A Primer on LEED Certification

Q & A with Christian Gunter, who directs the Responsible Property Investing (RPI) initiative at Kennedy Associates Real Estate Counsel, LP. RPI is a comprehensive approach to real estate that promotes the value of a building’s social, environmental ... Read More

October 09, 2008 The Financial Rescue - Beyond the Headlines

Critical issues lost in the minutia of the moment... Read More

September 20, 2008 Firm Scores Another Victory for Illinois Motor Vehicle Dealerships

Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella's Ira Levin recently obtained an important ruling in federal court that will advance the interests of motor vehicle dealerships throughout Illinois. At issue in the case was whether a manufacturer could proceed with... Read More

September 09, 2008 How You Can Beat a 3 point 8 Percent Return - Doing So Can Save You Taxes

Low interest rates and stock market volatility are contributing to the popularity of an IRS blessed estate planning technique known as a grantor retained annuity trust (“GRAT”).... Read More

July 22, 2008 Firm Provides Guest Wireless Internet Access

Clients and other visitors to the firm may now connect to the internet wirelessly within any conference room with the addition firm wireless internet access. The strength of the signal is focused in the conference rooms but guests may also be able to... Read More

June 17, 2008 MacKay Presents at Women in Business Event

On November 13, Karen MacKay was a participant in Harris Bank’s Business Succession Planning event entitled: “Here, Take the Wheel: Succession Stories and Insights From Business Owners.”... Read More

June 11, 2008 Bank Directors on the Hot Seat

The firm’s Craig McCrohon was a featured presenter at a recent “boot camp” for bank directors. Content from the following article was included in his presentation.... Read More

May 28, 2008 Exchanging Second Homes

A 1031 or like-kind exchange is used to move appreciation from one piece of real estate to another tax free. Following a defined set of rules under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") , individuals and organiza... Read More

May 14, 2008 BWMS client Tri-Land Properties breaks ground with Overland Park’s first TIF

May 5 marked a new era for Overland Park, Kansas as its governing body unanimously approved creation of the City’s first-ever TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district for firm client Tri-Land, Properties, Inc. to support redevelopment of Cherokee South... Read More

March 17, 2008 Firm Promotes Experienced Commercial Litigators to Partner

Burke Warren is happy to announce that Christina Yeager Nelson and Aaron Stanton have been promoted to partner.... Read More

March 05, 2008 Firm Assists Joint Venture in Purchase of Loop Office Building

The firm represented a joint venture of the Multi-Employer Property Trust and Hamilton Partners in the purchase of a 36-story office building located at 20 North Clark Street in Chicago. The $58.5 million purchase closed on Wednesday, March 5.... Read More

February 20, 2008 Firm Represents IBEW in Jewel Food HQ Relocation

Firm Represents IBEW in Jewel Food HQ Relocation... Read More

2007

November 30, 2007 Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois Continues Mission of Supporting Promising Kids

Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois continues mission of supporting promising kids... Read More

August 20, 2007 Rescuing Old or Defective Trusts

Car Dealers—Don’t get stuck with a Lemon for an Estate Plan... Read More

May 22, 2007 A Trustee You Can Trust

You have decided to create an estate plan. You have thought about the loved ones and charities you want to provide for and the disposition of your assets. You have decided to set up a trust and now must select a trustee to carry out your intentions. ... Read More

March 22, 2007 Burke, Warren Puts the Brakes On GM's Expansion Plans

In a case important to new car dealers throughout the state of Illinois, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld an Illinois Motor Vehicle Review Board decision that stopped GM from placing two additional franchises in the Chicago metro area and rejected... Read More

2006

October 26, 2006 Grocery Stores Seek Right Recipe For Downtown Chicago Market

As the recent explosion in residential development has made the greater downtown Chicago area a more attractive place for people to call home, Chicago’s new downtown-dwellers want and expect the same services and convenience offered in the suburbs.... Read More

October 26, 2006 Tort Damages for Undocumented Workers

As the mid-term elections approach, several pressing issues are at the forefront of national debate. Included among these topics is immigration reform and the hiring of undocumented workers, issues that affect all employers. While most businesses are... Read More

October 25, 2006 Religious Organizations Book Authors to Meet on Church State Issues

Religion and the law are very closely intertwined throughout the world today. Critical public policy issues often focus on some aspect of religion and the law. And, religion is center stage in so many tense quarters of the globe... Read More

September 09, 2006 Religious Organizations in the United States: A Study of Identity, Liberty, and the Law

Jim Serritella, of Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C., is the Editor-in-Chief of Religious Organizations in the United States: A Study of Identity, Liberty, and the Law (Carolina Press, pp. 834). This is a book about law and religion. It is... Read More