Smith, Hemmesch, Burke & Kaczynski
Ad Valorem Property Taxation
For over 80 years, the law firm of Smith, Hemmesch, Burke & Kaczynski has focused on representing commercial, industrial, and multi-residential property owners in acquiring fair and equitable real estate assessments throughout the United States.
Each member of our firm has extensive litigation and property tax credentials enabling us to advocate your tax protest in any forum from administrative hearings in the various government offices, litigation in the circuit courts, and where appropriate, appeals to higher courts.
Our general knowledge of real estate and more particularly, value, enhances the firm’s analytical skills and tax assessment protest strategies producing exceptional result.
HISTORY
Smith, Hemmesch, Burke & Kaczynski has been representing property owners in Illinois for over eighty years, consistently delivering outstanding results for owners of all kinds of property. The firm began in the 1940’s when Charles Brookins, an employee at the Cook County Assessor’s office, left to start his own property tax consultant group. Charles Brookins & Associates provided tax services to property owners, the firm’s first major client was Sears Roebuck & Co. Mr. Brookins’ son joined the firm as an accountant and the firm offered a myriad of financial and tax related services.
In time, the focus of the firm’s practice narrowed. Laurence Taslitz and Irving Hollobow practiced primarily in the area of ad valorem taxation of real and personal property. Together, Mr. Taslitz and Mr. Hollobow worked to build the firm’s presence in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
William L. Smith Jr. joined Taslitz & Hollobow in the 1970’s and shortly thereafter Donald F. Hemmesch Jr. became affiliated with the firm. Kevin P. Burke joined the firm in 1990 after serving five years in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. Christopher B. Kaczynski joined the firm in 2000 following six years at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
For almost 50 years, Bill Smith and Don Hemmesch added their own unique perspectives to the firm until their retirement in 2021, and with the help of their partners Kevin Burke and Chris Kaczynski transformed the firm into what it is today.
