Ruben & Goldberg LLC

Welcome to the detailed profile of Ruben & Goldberg LLC, a legal firm serving the community of Northbrook, Illinois, and a valuable resource within the "Lawyers Near Me" platform category. This introduction aims to provide local users with an objective and comprehensive overview of the firm's environment, the diverse services it offers, its distinctive features, and any available promotional information, all based on publicly accessible data and testimonials.

Ruben & Goldberg LLC is conveniently located at 3000 Dundee Rd #305, Northbrook, IL 60062, USA. The firm can be reached by phone at (847) 790-7625, which also serves as their mobile phone number. This central location in Northbrook provides easy access for individuals and businesses in the North Shore area seeking legal counsel.

Ruben & Goldberg LLC operates with a mission to provide "optimal results for small to mid-size businesses and individuals throughout the North Shore." Their core philosophy revolves around establishing quality partnerships built on trust, confidence, effective communication, understanding, and leadership. They emphasize a genuine passion for their work and a strong commitment to client satisfaction, aiming for long-term relationships where clients become "lifelong clients and friends." This suggests a client-centric approach that prioritizes individualized attention and sustained support.

The firm offers a wide array of legal services, demonstrating a multifaceted practice designed to cater to various personal and business legal needs. Their key practice areas include:

• Estate Planning: This is a significant focus, with a "three-pronged approach" centered on peace of mind, asset protection, and minimizing estate taxes. Services in this area include drafting wills (appointing executors and guardians for children, disposing of personal property) and preparing powers of attorney for health care and property, ensuring clients' wishes are honored in the event of disability. They offer free consultations and various pricing packages or a la carte options for these services.
• Real Estate: The firm handles both residential and commercial real estate transactions. For residential clients, they manage home sales and purchases, including single-family homes, condominiums, conversions, and new construction. They also have experience with short sale and foreclosure acquisitions and sales. Their fee typically covers negotiations during attorney approval and inspection periods, reviewing title and surveys, liaising with lenders, and attending closings. On the commercial side, they negotiate acquisitions and sales of commercial properties and draft/negotiate various types of retail and office leases for both landlords and tenants.
• Property Tax Appeals: Ruben & Goldberg LLC assists clients with real estate tax assessment appeals in counties like Lake, Cook, and other outlying areas. Notably, they employ a contingent fee structure for these services, meaning clients are only charged based on the tax savings achieved from a successful appeal; if no savings result, there is no fee. This model aligns their success directly with the client's benefit.
• Corporate Law: Their corporate practice involves organizing various business entities, including Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Series LLCs, Partnerships, and Corporations. This includes drafting initial corporate documents such as operating agreements, bylaws, articles of incorporation, and board/shareholder minutes and resolutions. They also handle shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, stock sales, asset sale/purchase agreements, consulting agreements, confidentiality agreements, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and promissory notes.
• Income Tax Preparation: The firm also provides income tax preparation services, which can be a valuable convenience for clients, particularly those with complex real estate or business interests.
• Probate & Trust Administration: This complements their estate planning services. They manage the entire probate process, from opening and administering to closing various probate matters. This involves filing court papers, attending hearings, securing surety bonds, and ensuring all notice provisions are met. For trust administration, they assist with accounting, managing, and disbursing trust assets for both living and testamentary trusts, and can also act as advisors to named trustees.
• Condominium Law: They review and draft governing documents for condominium and homeowner associations, including declarations, amendments, bylaws, and rules and regulations. They assist with disputes between associations and unit owners, help set up associations as non-profit entities, file annual reports, and act as registered agents. They also handle income tax preparation for condominium associations and assist with real estate tax reductions for them.
• Non-Profit Organizations: Services include assisting with the formation of non-profit organizations, obtaining tax-exempt status from the IRS, filing necessary paperwork with state authorities (Illinois Attorney General, Secretary of State, Department of Revenue), obtaining FEIN numbers, and providing guidance on federal and state laws applicable to non-profits, including preparing 990 or other required tax returns.

The firm is managed by experienced attorneys Myrna B. Goldberg and Kristen Gorenberg. Myrna B. Goldberg, a Principal, has been licensed in Illinois since 1987 and concentrates her practice in real estate, estate planning, probate and trust administration, general corporate law, and income tax preparation. She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and previously practiced with Rudnick & Wolfe (now DLA Piper). She is a member of various professional associations, including the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association and the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce, and has been selected as a Super Lawyer from 2020-2025. Kristen Gorenberg, also a Principal, similarly focuses on estate planning, probate and trust administration, real estate, general corporate law, and income tax preparation. She earned her J.D. with high honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law and served as a law clerk for a Federal District Judge. She is a Past President of the West Northfield School District 31 Board of Education and is a licensed Real Estate Managing Broker. She has also been selected as a Super Lawyer from 2019-2024. Both attorneys are involved in pro bono work, such as Lawyers for the Creative Arts, and are members of North Shore LAW, an association of women attorneys.

The firm's promotional information highlights its commitment to "Realizing your Goals" and providing "The services you need, the individual attention you deserve, the value you expect." Their website showcases testimonials from clients expressing gratitude for assistance with tax statements, property closings, and general legal guidance. These testimonials often praise the attorneys for their professionalism, responsiveness, thoroughness, kindness, and ability to make difficult processes less stressful. This reinforces the firm's stated commitment to client relationships and effective communication.

In summary, Ruben & Goldberg LLC is a well-established and highly experienced law firm in Northbrook, IL, offering a broad spectrum of legal services tailored to both individuals and businesses. With a strong emphasis on estate planning, real estate, property tax appeals, and corporate law, the firm, led by seasoned attorneys Myrna B. Goldberg and Kristen Gorenberg, aims to provide comprehensive and personalized legal solutions. Their transparent fee structure for property tax appeals and the offer of free consultations for estate planning demonstrate a client-friendly approach. Positive client feedback consistently praises the attorneys' expertise, responsiveness, and dedication to achieving favorable outcomes. The firm's deep roots in the community and active involvement in professional associations further solidify its standing as a reputable and reliable legal resource within the "Lawyers Near Me" category.