JOHN J - Key Persons
Cindy Del Medico graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce, and has a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola University with an emphasis in Accounting. Cindy has extensive experience in the banking industry working for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and a major international banking group. Cindy currently assists clients with tax return preparation, financial planning and related services. She also teaches in the Oakton Community College Business Department.
A tax and transactional attorney since 1979, John Pembroke draws on a wealth of experience in serving corporate and individual clients, obviously comfortable in mastering and managing a large body of rules. Centering his practice on taxation and estate and business planning, he has earned over the course of his career a reputation for resolving seemingly intractable controversies by applying novel solutions. John's financial background adds an important dimension to his work in organizing and structuring new businesses, acquisitions, joint ventures, contracts, informal workouts, shareholder disputes and minority buyouts. A licensed certified public accountant for more than 30 years, John has acted on occasion as interim chief financial officer for startups. His accounting background provides him an invaluable perspective when advising on tax, business and financial planning and related matters, either independently or as part of a client's financial planning team. He enjoys helping clients to prepare their gift, estate and income tax returns, both state and federal, and to better plan for optimizing their tax burden.
Of law John says, "I continue to enjoy its intellectual challenge and the notion that each day, clients have pressing issues demanding attention." He takes pleasure in applying the rule of law in a practical manner, striving to give each client an edge or the right answer.
Following brief bouts in business management and accounting, law is his third career. He passed his CPA exam on his first attempt while still a student, and ran his own tax practice during law school, when he conducted an audit for a founding member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Nominated for a Wigmore Scholarship, awarded annually to the graduating student most exemplifying the ideals of Northwestern University's school of law, John served as social chair while there.
A lifelong resident of Illinois, widely traveled, John believes "one of the best places to pursue career and family goals is right here in Cook County, Illinois." Gregarious and personable, he recently ran in the Democratic primary for the Tenth Judicial Cook County Subcircuit vacancy. In a field of meritorious candidates, he did not win, but from the experience gained incomparable exposure to a realm of government unknown to most and participated in a civics lesson few attorneys experience. In endorsing John, longtime client Adlai E. Stevenson III, U.S. Senator from Illinois, said: "I have known John Pembroke as a lawyer and accountant for 14 years. He has a solid record as a professional, undoubted integrity and an agreeable personality and demeanor. Based on my lengthy experience with John, he is a public-spirited citizen who would make a fine Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court."
Married with two young children, John is committed to local education and to his own edification. He has taken dozens of continuing education classes over the years, both in law and taxation, often up to 40 hours a year. Beginning in 1999, John pursued various insurance agent licenses and took seminars on securities law and related subjects, culminating in certification as a personal financial specialist (PFS) in 2002. This designation is equivalent to a certified financial planner (CFP), but available only to licensed CPAs; it qualifies each bearer to Illinois licensing as an investment advisor representative.
Firm founder John Pembroke has more than 27 years of experience as a business and tax lawyer, and 32 years of experience preparing federal and state income, estate and gift tax returns and planning for income, estate and gift tax. Counseling businesses in all of their life cycles, from startups to large companies, as well as individuals, John draws on his broad background to advise clients and draft all necessary documents, plan for business succession and structure closely held businesses to minimize income and estate taxes.
A lifelong resident of Illinois, widely traveled, John believes that Cook County is one of the best places to pursue career and family goals. Gregarious and personable, John recently ran in the Democratic primary for the Tenth Judicial Cook County Subcircuit vacancy.
Married with two young children, John is committed to local education and to his own edification. He has taken dozens of continuing education classes over the years, both in law and taxation, often up to 40 hours a year. Beginning in 1999, John pursued various insurance agent licenses and took seminars on securities law and related subjects, culminating in certification as a personal financial specialist (PFS) in 2002. This designation is equivalent to a certified financial planner (CFP), but available only to licensed CPAs; it qualifies each bearer to Illinois licensing as an investment advisor representative.
John cites community service among his most satisfying achievements. For nearly 14 years, he has served the Rotary Club of Park Ridge in many capacities, most recently as chair of its major fundraising committee and the Make a Difference Scholarship Committee, which has granted $17,500 in scholarships to Park Ridge students during the last three years.
John has earned and maintained for many years an AV* peer review rating of his ethical standards and legal ability from Martindale-Hubble's Peer Review ratings process.
Marc L. Brown concentrates his practice in estate planning (wills, trusts & elder law, powers of attorney) probate, guardianships and real estate law. He has practiced in Chicago and the Northwest suburbs for the past seventeen years. His undergraduate degree is from Illinois Wesleyan University (majoring in Business & Accounting).
Marc holds two law degrees, a J.D. degree from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, and a Legal Letters Masters (L.L.M.) in Taxation with a concentration in Estate Planning, from DePaul University College of Law. He also holds a CPA designation.
He and his family live in Park Ridge.
Mathew Hess focuses his practice on estate planning, probate, estate and trust litigation and the formation and operation of small businesses. Matthew brings to his practice thirteen years of experience dealing with medical malpractice cases throughout Illinois at both the trial court and appellate court levels in the state and federal courts. He believes that the attorney-client relationship, like any relationship, must be based on mutual trust and personal respect. Matthew takes the time to get to know his clients on a personal level and encourages them to get to know him as well.
Matthew is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.A. in Political Science and Finance) and Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D., 2003). He was admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 2003, and is authorized to practice before the federal courts in the Northern District of Illinois. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.
Bill Hough practiced litigation and construction law before specializing in estate planning and tax. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and received his law degree from the Notre Dame Law School. He has an LLM in Estate Planning, and is finishing an advanced law degree (LLM) in Taxation, both from Boston University.
Bill is married with 4 children. His oldest son, a graduate of the United States Military Academy and an Army football player, serves as an Air Defense Artillery officer; his second son also attends West Point and plans to be an infantry officer; his daughter attends Dartmouth College and is on the varsity women's rugby team; and his youngest son attends Indiana University. Bill and his wife reside in Wilmette.