Women in Law 2024

2024

KAREN KAVANAGH MACK PARTNER Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C.

K aren Kavanagh Mack is a Partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. She is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate, State & Local Government, Eminent Domain, Real Estate Tax, Environmental and Litigation practice groups, serving as Chair of the Firm’s Environmental Practice Group. Karen focuses her practice in the areas of environmental law, eminent domain and other real estate related litigation, including taxation. She assists her clients on environmental matters by navigating local, state, and federal regulations that impact the day-to-day operations of their businesses. She assists clients in permit applications, conducting environmental assessments and site cleanups, as well as defending against enforcement actions by governmental authorities. In the area of eminent domain, Karen advises both public and private entities on proper valuation of real estate, including considerations in assessing damage to the remainder property. She also litigates disputes over just compensation between condemning authorities and property owners. Karen has been appointed a Special Assistant Attorney General to represent various state agencies on environmental and eminent domain issues. Karen’s practice also involves assisting clients in ensuring that their property is fairly assessed for local property tax purposes, including appeals of assessed valuation at the local assessor, county Boards of Review, the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board and the

Cook County Circuit Court. Karen is a longtime member of the Illinois State Bar Association’s (ISBA) Environmental Law Section Council and has spoken and moderated at its Annual Environmental Law Conference. In 2021- 2022, she served on the Executive Board of the Environmental Law Section Council as its Chair, having previously served as its Vice-Chair (2020-2021) and Secretary (2019-2020). She has also served as the Co- Chair of the Standing Committee for the Judicial Evaluation in Cook County, having previously served as a member on the Committee for six years. She now serves as a member of the appellate panel for the Committee. Prior to joining the Firm in 2018, she was a partner at Deutsch, Levy & Engel in Chicago. Before entering private practice in 2000, Karen was a staff attorney and hearing officer for the Illinois Pollution Control Board where she drafted opinions and administrative rules related to the enforcement and implementation of the Environmental Protection Act, as well as federally mandated regulations established by the EPA. Karen received her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her B.A. in political science, cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago. Karen has also served as an instructor of Appellate Advocacy at Loyola University Chicago Law School.

WOMEN IN LAW 2024