Keith B. Baker

Keith counsels individuals and closely held business owners by solving problems, identifying opportunities and helping his clients attain their goals. He concentrates his practice in the areas of (i) legal matters for closely held businesses; (ii) taxation; and (iii) estate planning.

Keith began his professional career in the Tax Division of Arthur Andersen & Co. achieving the title of Senior Manager. His clients included closely held businesses such as Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine, Johnson Products, Rubloff, Draper and Kramer, and Hyatt Hotels. Keith left Arthur Andersen & Co. to serve as the private in-house tax counsel to the Pritzker family, holding the title of Senior Vice President.

Keith is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign, where he received his B.S. in Accounting, with honors. He was selected as a member of the Mortar Board for the University of Illinois and one of the “Top Ten” Individual Seniors in the Business School. He is also a graduate and Harno Fellow, of the University of Illinois College of Law, at Champaign. Keith became a Certified Public Accountant in 1979; was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1982; and was admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1982.

Since 2009 Keith has served as the author of the monthly article for the Illinois Institute For Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) titled “Tax Law Explained”. He is a past adjunct professor at the DePaul University Masters in Tax program and a frequent speaker on a variety of legal topics for organizations such as Chicago Title Insurance Company and The Lilac Tree. Keith regularly presents adult learning classes for local colleges on the topics of estate planning, taxation and business matters.

Keith is actively involved in various 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, including the following: Board Vice-Chairman of The Education Foundation, whose mission is to encourage and facilitate educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged students in Niles Township; Board member of TotalLink2 Community, whose mission is to create customized employment and housing solutions for individuals with disabilities; and Program Development Committee member of The Lilac Tree of Evanston, which is a resource and a haven to women contemplating or involved in divorce. Keith previously served on the Board of the Center For Enriched living for 6 years and now holds the title of “Board Emeritus”. The mission of the Center For Enriched Living is to help promote fulfilling lives for people with developmental disabilities. Keith also served as a volunteer coach for about 20 Northbrook Park District teams during the years when his three children were growing up.