William
L. Smith, Jr.Partner
William L. Smith, Jr. graduated from the University of Iowa in
1968 and earned his law degree from the University of Iowa Law School
with honors in 1971. During his years at Iowa he won six monograms on
the Iowa football team and track team. Upon graduation he practiced for
three years at Lewis, Overbeck & Furman as a general practitioner and litigator.
In 1974 he joined the firm, then know as Hollibow & Taslitz, and began practicing
in the area of state and local taxation with concentration in commercial, office and
industrial properties, including property tax incentives and abatements. In addition,
he began his extensive career as a real estate investor and developer.
In 1978 he drafted amendments to the Revenue Act of the State of Illinois to extend
the Senior Citizens Homeowners Exemption to life care retirement communities, which
were enhanced into law. It was during this time that he began purchasing various types
of real estate including multi-tenant, single tenant, industrial and office properties located
in the Chicago loop and Suburban Chicago, and as far east as Ohio and as far west as San
Francisco, California. In addition he developed more than of 1,000 single-family homes
in residential subdivisions and started a golf course investment company, which currently
owns and manages several golf courses located in Illinois and Florida.
As a result of Mr. Smith's extensive real estate investments he has developed a
unique and critical insight into the valuation of real property, the key issue in
protesting real estate tax assessments. His combination of professional expertise
and practical experience as a real estate investor produces exceptional results in
protesting real estate taxes.
