Nora Ann Doherty

I learned the real estate taxation practice area while working for my current employer during law school.  I graduated in 2005 and have helped to grow the firm by expanding the geographic diversity of properties under representation as well as the complexity of the matters we handle.  In addition to assessment appeals, we also help our clients with divisions, incentive applications (6B, 7, 8), landmark designation, omitted assessments (back tax), refunds, tax rate objections, and erroneous homestead exemptions.  

We have four attorneys and a large support staff.  We handle any size real estate tax matter in Cook County and we represent diverse property holdings in the collar counties and throughout the State of Illinois.  We represent houses, (including several of the highest taxed residences in Cook and Lake Counties), apartment buildings, low income housing, mobile home parks, condo buildings, industrial properties including trucking facilities and factories, and every kind of commercial property including high rise office buildings, national retailers, gyms, and car dealerships.  We also represent special use properties such as golf courses, hospital buildings, equestrian properties, and ice rinks.  We also represent the OREO portfolios for small and large banks.  

I have been heavily involved in the Chicago Bar Association serving as the legislative liaison, subcommittee chair, Vice Chair, and Chair of the Real Estate Tax Committee, which is comprised of several hundred members.  I also serve on the Judicial Evaluations Committee for the CBA and have chaired the Real Estate Committee for the Young Lawyers Section.  I've also traveled with the bar association to domestic and foreign destinations for seminars and I have appeared in their Christmas Spirits annual musical.  

I have also been very involved with the Illinois Bar Association.  I have served as a member of the ISBA's Section Council on State and Local Taxation for several years.  I've held the positions of Legislative Liaison and Secretary for the Section Council in recent years and I have chaired and participated in multiple work groups.  I am currently on the ballot and running for General Assembly of the ISBA.  I regularly attend the annual and mid-year meetings as well as the monthly Section Council meetings. 

There are several other non-legal voluntary associations that are important to my practice area.  I am a member of the Institute of Professionals in Taxation as well as the International Association of Assessing Officials ("IAAO").  The IAAO's legal committee presents a two-day legal seminar every year.  I have attended annually since 2009 and I have also served as a moderator and presenter at the seminar. 

In addition to my law practice, I am also a Managing Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois.  Prior to attending law school, I had experience working for private developers as well as transactional real estate law firms.  I also own investment property and am therefore well-apprised of the everyday issues that landlords and developers face on a daily basis.