Gilbert Yale Liss

I believe I’m uniquely situated to help you because I’m not just an attorney.

After High School I enlisted in the U.S. Army. There, I came to know and respect people who were very different from me - people I never would have met had I not served my country. That makes it easier for me to understand you and the people you are in conflict with, even if we come from very different backgrounds.  

 
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Master’s in Business with no financial help from my family. To do that I held all types of jobs - I worked for a prominent men’s magazine, in factories as a machine operator and in offices as a cost accountant. I worked as a night clerk in a motel.  
 
In Finance: 
 
I have worked for large and small banks and for a commercial finance company; made hundreds of loans including construction loans, seasonal lines of credit, emergency loans, mortgages, term loans and wrap-around loans. Saw good loans go bad and risky ones pay back every cent. Through creative approaches to finance, I helped several now flourishing businesses get started. 
 
In Real Estate Development: 
 
Helped pioneer the creation of historic property renovation tax credits for investors. With a contractor partner, became the largest renovator of historic properties in Illinois. Started and helped run the first Wrigley Field Rooftop. In the process, I made a lot of money. 
 
When the tax laws changed and wiped out my successful business I was forced to declare bankruptcy.  
 
I returned to banking as a consultant for banks with troubled loan portfolios. That eventually led to my becoming a practicing attorney.