Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
• Business Formation
  With over one hundred years of combined experience among its attorneys and staff, and with office availability in DeKalb, St. Charles, and Wheaton, Illinois, The Doherty Law Firm, LLC continues its tradition of providing honest, efficient, productive, and reasonably priced legal services, with a focus on residential and commercial real estate transactions, land use and development, and entitlements; estate planning, asset protection, and probate; business formation and representation; landlord leasing matters and enforcement; and condominium and homeowners association representation. We understand that we work in a competitive environment and appreciate that our clients place their trust and confidence in us and our ability to focus on their legal needs, while developing and carrying out effective plans to achieve their best possible results. To do so, we utilize seasoned attorneys, a highly trained and experienced staff, secure and detailed file management systems, and a relentless pursuit of open and regular communication. While we regularly take advantage of the efficiency and documentary value of email communications, all of us are readily available by phone or in person to review and discuss all aspects of your legal matters with you.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  Laura joined the Firm in 2022 as a Legal Assistant, after beginning her legal work with another law firm in 2015. Laura has considerable experience with real estate matters, including performing and reviewing title searches; preparing title commitments and policies; and working with lenders, Realtors, and other attorneys’ offices to close real estate transactions in an efficient and timely manner. She also has experience in drafting and finalizing estate planning documents, preparing documents for civil litigation and probate matters, and income tax preparation. Laura lives in Kingston, Illinois with her husband Joe and children Caleb and Tyler.
• Construction Litigation
  Rolf was born and raised in DeKalb, Illinois. After graduating from DeKalb High School, Rolf earned a Business Finance Degree from Arizona State University in 1996. He then returned to Illinois and attended law school at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he graduated in 2000. Thereafter, Rolf pursued business opportunities acquiring land across several communities in Illinois, developing and constructing apartment complexes upon the land, and then owning and managing the assets. In addition to that ongoing business, Rolf works as a professional consultant and independent contractor for private developers in the industrial/logistics real estate sector, with a general focus on transactional practice areas and a high-level attention to transactions involving real estate, including land use, entitlements, commercial leasing, commercial real estate, and construction loans. He also has experience with construction law, contracts and insurance matters. For more than five years, Rolf has been “of counsel” to The Doherty Law Firm, LLC, applying his business acumen and firsthand knowledge and experience to assist our clients with their real estate, land use, and development projects. Rolf is a longtime resident of St. Charles, Illinois, where he lives with his wife Molly and their children Luke and Kate. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball, and snow skiing.
• Real Estate Transactions
  Kara joined the Firm as an administrative assistant in 2007 and within a few years earned her promotion to her current position as Office Manager and Real Estate Supervisor. As Office Manager, Kara oversees our client relations; internal bookkeeping; acquisitions; and payroll. As Real Estate Supervisor, she manages and coordinates all aspects of our real estate transactions from beginning to end, including ensuring compliance with contractual obligations and deadlines and the preparation and finalization of closing statements, to ensure that each client receives the time and attention they deserve. Kara lives with her husband Aaron and their children Landon and Mya.
• Land Use and Zoning
  The origin of our law practice dates back to 1986, when Tom Doherty began a private general civil practice, with a focus on real estate transactions, in DeKalb, Illinois, where he has lived since 1953. The practice expanded in 2004 when Mark Doherty moved from a law firm in Naperville, Illinois, where he practiced primarily in the areas of condominium and homeowner association representation and civil litigation, to work with his father in DeKalb, where Mark was born and raised. The law firm later expanded its geographical service areas with office availability in St. Charles and Wheaton. In 2010, Tom Doherty was elected as a Circuit Judge for DeKalb County, where he served for twelve years. After Tom’s election to the bench, Mark formed The Doherty Law Firm, LLC, and serves as its Managing Member. A few years later, Mark’s longtime friend and fellow attorney, Rolf Anderson, who was also born and raised in DeKalb, became “of counsel” to the Firm and provides counsel and expertise to our clients with a focus on the areas of land use and development and real estate entitlements. Upon retiring from the bench in 2022, Tom became “of counsel” to the Firm, with a focus on residential and commercial real estate transactions. In 2007, Kara Near joined the Firm as an administrative assistant and within a few years earned her promotion to her current position as Office Manager and Real Estate Supervisor. In 2022, Laura Podgorski joined the firm as a Legal Assistant, providing assistance and support with real estate transactions as well as the Firm’s estate planning and civil practice areas.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Mark was born and raised in DeKalb, Illinois. After graduating from DeKalb High School, Mark earned a Business Finance Degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1996, where he was an Academic All-Conference member of the varsity football team. Thereafter, Mark attended Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he was a published member of the Law Review, law clerk to the General Counsel of the University, and research assistant to his civil procedure professor, before graduating with academic honors in 2000. Mark began his law career as an attorney at a law firm in Naperville, Illinois, focusing on the representation of condominium and homeowners associations as well as general civil litigation. Beginning in 2004, Mark partnered with his father, Tom Doherty, with whom he practiced law until Tom was elected as a Circuit for DeKalb County in 2010. Mark then formed The Doherty Law Firm, LLC, and serves as its Managing Member. After many years as a general civil practitioner, Mark now focuses his practice on residential and commercial real estate transactions; business formation and representation; estate planning, asset protection, and probate matters; landlord leasing matters and enforcement; and condominium and homeowner association representation. Mark practices primarily in DuPage, Kane, and DeKalb Counties and is a member of their respective Bar Associations, in addition to the Illinois Bar Association. On a personal note, Mark is married to Lisa Doherty, who is a schoolteacher in Wheaton, Illinois, where they reside and have raised their children Madelyn and Sean. Mark enjoys spending time with his family, shooting hoops and playing tennis and pickleball, and writing and recording music; he has written, produced, and recorded many full-length albums, primarily under the band name Light Silver Automatic.
• Wills
• Power of Attorney
• Probate

Finance Law

• Tax Law