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Mr. Goldsmith concentrates his practice in real estate development and land use planning; acquisition of large real estate investments; building construction issues; counseling of closely held family businesses, including business acquisitions, succession planning, and employment issues. In addition, he has handled a variety of litigation matters, including commercial litigation. Mr. Goldsmith has represented family businesses with sales from several million dollars to over one hundred million dollars.
He joined the Chicago office as a partner in June 1998.
Experience
Mr. Goldsmith spent ten years in various public service practices, lastly as a supervising attorney at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. During that time he handled major federal litigation involving public housing tenants, migrant farm workers and immigrants. He handled a number of cases in federal court involving employment issues, housing conditions, OSHA violations, Fair Labor Standards Act issues, David-Bacon Act, and immigration law matters. He successfully argued the case of Silva v. Levi in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, a hemisphere wide class action case involving more than 300,000 class members seeking rights to visas. In 1981, Mr. Goldsmith joined his father's firm of Goldsmith, Thelin, Dickson, and Brown where he engaged in a broad ranged general practice. He concentrates his practice in the following areas:
Real Estate Acquisition, Sales and Development
Extensive experience with annexation of large parcels; successful resolution of zoning/rezoning to residential, ORI, or commercial classifications for major developments
Sale and acquisition of vacant land and residential/commercial land investment projects
General Corporate Representation
As a business counselor to closely held family businesses, assistance in business formation, growth planning and general business advice.
Instrumental in a number of succession planning initiatives, including integrating estate plans with succession plans and the establishment of real estate partnerships for business real estate ventures.
Employment Law
Defense of numerous individual charges at EEOC and Illinois Department of Human Rights regarding Age and Sex Discrimination and ADA issues
Counseling business clients on employment terminations
Covenants not to compete; drafting and enforcement
Financial Law
Industrial revenue bond financing for corporate clients and a not-for-profit blood center.
Revenue bond financing for Aurora Civic Center Authority ($11.5 million parking garage)
Credit facilities for variety of corporate clients
Bank counsel and credit facilities for banking clients
Litigation Law
Suits against municipalities to enforce business and zoning rights
Defense of condemnation actions
Shareholder and related commercial litigation
Probate issues
Municipal and not for profit corporations.
Other Representations
General Counsel to Aurora Civic Center Authority
Professional Associations
Illinois State Bar Association
Kane County Association (General Counsel)
American Bar Association
Civic and Cultural Involvements
Past Mercy Center Hospital Advisory Committee
Mental Health and Mental Retardation Inc. (Past Board Member)
Foundation for the West Aurora Schools (Founder and Past Board Member)
Aurora Foundation (Past Board Member)
Temple B'nai Israel (Board Member and Officer)
United Way Professional Campaign Leader (Attorney's Division)
Awards
Named 2007 Super Lawyer by Law & Politics and Chicago Magazine in Land Use/Zoning category
1978 Man of the Year - Latin American Bar Association Illinois Migrant Council
1977 State of Illinois Merit Award.
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