Spesia & Taylor

What Spesia & Taylor does

Spesia & Taylor is a Joliet, Illinois-based law firm founded in 1899 that provides litigation and transactional legal services across ten practice areas: personal injury, medical malpractice, eminent domain, employment and civil rights, commercial litigation, real estate and zoning, energy and utilities, school law, municipal law, and appellate practice. The firm operates from a single headquarters at 1415 Black Road in Joliet and serves clients across at least 13 Illinois counties including Will, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, McLean, LaSalle, Livingston, Dekalb, Champaign, and Kankakee. Its roster includes 13 named attorneys, of whom five are partners (John M. Spesia, Jeffrey S. Taylor, Christian G. Spesia, Michael R. Stiff, Kent F. Slater) and the remainder are associates or counsel.

The firm earns revenue through two principal mechanisms: contingency-fee representation in personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death matters (where it has secured verdicts and settlements including $4.1M, $4.5M, and $1.1M+), and hourly billing plus retainer arrangements for municipal counsel, school district representation, commercial litigation, real estate transactions, and energy/utilities eminent domain work. Energy clients include Kinder Morgan, Enbridge, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, Alliance Pipeline, Enterprise Products, and Explorer Pipeline; municipal clients span ten or more villages and cities across Illinois; and additional clientele includes the Diocese of Joliet schools, Catholic Charities, J.U.L.I.E., and Laraway Communications Center. Marketed case outcomes include $45M+ in utility and transactional closings since July 2018 and resolution of 76 pipeline condemnation cases across seven counties within 14 months.

Spesia & Taylor is structured as a partnership with no disclosed external shareholders, parent company, or institutional investment, and it makes no public financial disclosures. Its go-to-market is reputation-led, anchored by peer-recognized credentials (Leading Lawyers, Super Lawyers, ABOTA membership, Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent ratings), a 125+ year continuous operating history, multi-generational Spesia family leadership, and active civic involvement through the Community Foundation of Will County, Will County Bar Association, and various local nonprofits.

Name

Spesia & Taylor

Legal name

Spesia & Taylor Attorneys at Law

Website

https://spesia-taylor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spesia & Taylor is a Joliet, Illinois law firm founded in 1899 that provides litigation and transactional legal services across ten practice areas to individuals, municipalities, school districts, energy companies, and regional businesses across 13+ Illinois counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Litigation law
• Personal injury law
• Municipal law
• Eminent domain law

Headquarters

HQ city

Joliet

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Personal Injury & Litigation: The firm represents clients in personal injury cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and negligence claims. Revenue is generated through contingency fees (a percentage of recovery) and hourly billing depending on practice area. The firm has secured significant settlements and verdicts including $4.1 million, $4.5 million, and $1 million+ settlements.
2. Legal Services - Municipal & Corporate Counsel: The firm serves as village attorney and corporate counsel for multiple municipalities and businesses, providing ongoing legal representation, litigation defense, and transactional services. Revenue generated through retainer arrangements and hourly billing.
3. Legal Services - Real Estate & Transactions: Commercial real estate transactions, development agreements, eminent domain representation, and land use/zoning matters. Revenue through transaction fees and hourly billing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Spesia & Taylor is an Illinois law partnership founded in 1899 that provides litigation and transactional legal services across ten practice areas: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Eminent Domain, Employment & Civil Rights, Commercial Litigation, Real Estate & Zoning, Energy & Utilities, School Law, Municipal Law, and Appellate Practice. The firm represents individual plaintiffs in negligence and malpractice matters on contingency and hourly fee bases, while also serving as village attorney, city attorney, school district counsel, and corporate counsel for municipalities, school districts, utilities, and businesses across 13+ Illinois counties.

Product overview

Spesia & Taylor is a law firm offering comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm operates as a unified legal practice with specialized attorneys handling distinct service lines including Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Eminent Domain, Employment & Civil Rights, Commercial Litigation, Real Estate & Zoning, Energy & Utilities, School Law, Municipal Law, and Appellate Practice. The firm's core offering centers on litigation and transactional legal services primarily for individuals, businesses, municipalities, school districts, and utility companies in Illinois state and federal courts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Injury Law Legal representation for individuals who have been physically or emotionally injured due to the negligence or wrongful conduct of others, including automobile accidents, trucking collisions, wrongful death claims, and recovery of damages. For individual plaintiffs in Illinois.
• Medical Malpractice Law Legal representation for victims of professional medical negligence, including cases involving hospitals, doctors, dentists, and nursing home abuse and neglect. For individual plaintiffs in Illinois.
• Eminent Domain Law Legal representation in condemnation proceedings, pipeline eminent domain cases, and property rights disputes for both property owners and condemning authorities, including energy/pipeline companies and landowners. For energy/utilities companies and individual landowners in Illinois.
• Employment & Civil Rights Law Legal services for employment-related disputes and civil rights matters, including defense of municipalities and employers in various employment and civil rights cases. For municipalities, school districts, and private employers.
• Commercial Litigation Business and corporate litigation matters including breach of contract claims, shareholder disputes, governance matters, and representation across various industries. For mid-to-large regional businesses in Illinois.
• Real Estate & Zoning Law Transactional and litigation services for commercial, industrial, energy, retail and residential development, including governmental approvals, zoning, land transactions, annexations, and development agreements. For commercial developers, industrial companies, retailers, and municipalities.
• Energy & Utilities Law

Quantifiable outcome

• Record $4.1 million verdict for fatal auto collision - highest in Fifth Judicial Circuit
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Foundation of Will CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpesia & Taylor has established an endowed fund with the Community Foundation of Will County. Partner Chris Spesia serves as a Board Member and member of the Executive and Grants Committee. The firm participates in the Foundation's annual Grant Awards and co-investment programs.
• Illinois Local Government Lawyers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian Spesia serves as Board Member of the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association. The firm has published multiple articles in the ILGL Journal on local government law topics.
• Will County Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichael Stiff is a member of the Will County Bar Association. Chris Spesia served as President. The firm participates in WCBA Service Committee, Young Lawyers Division events, and scholarship programs.
• Northern Illinois Food BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpesia & Taylor partners with Northern Illinois Food Bank through sponsorships, volunteer events, and mobile food pantry distributions. Firm attorneys and staff regularly volunteer at food distribution events.
• Catholic Charities (Diocese of Joliet)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFirm advises Catholic Charities on legal matters. Spesia family has historical ties including Doug Spesia as former Chairman of Corporate Board of Directors. Active in various Catholic charitable initiatives.
• Boys & Girls Club of JolietminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpesia & Taylor is a long-time supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet. Partner John Spesia is a former Board Member. Firm sponsors events including 'Night at the Fights' fundraising event.
• Rotary Club of JolietminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJohn Spesia has served as international service chairman of the Joliet Rotary Club. Firm supports Rotary International District 6450 events including polio eradication efforts.
• Warm Heart MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded through the efforts of Doug and Lori Spesia along with Fr. Philip Mbeta. The Spesia family and firm support various projects in Malawi Africa including schools, clean water initiatives, and the St. Joseph's Centre. John Spesia has led efforts to renovate schools and provide clean water in rural Malawi.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HeplerBroom: Illinois-based defense litigation firm with offices in Chicago, Edwardsville, Belleville, and Carbondale, focused on insurance defense, medical malpractice, and municipal/civil rights defense. Comparable to Spesia & Taylor on the litigation, medical malpractice, and municipal defense side.
• Sorling Northrup: Springfield, Illinois-based law firm providing municipal, school, real estate, eminent domain, and litigation services statewide. Comparable to Spesia & Taylor in municipal counsel, eminent domain, and school law work across central and northern Illinois.
• Brown, Hay & Stephens: Springfield-based Illinois law firm with a long-standing government, regulatory, utility, and litigation practice. Comparable to Spesia & Taylor in its utility/public-sector representation and central/southern Illinois geographic reach.
• Litchfield Cavo: Chicago-headquartered regional litigation firm with offices across the Midwest and Southeast handling insurance, commercial, employment, and municipal defense. Comparable to Spesia & Taylor in its commercial and insurance defense litigation work and its multi-jurisdictional Midwest presence.
• Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins: Chicago-area law firm with a strong municipal law, school law, and eminent domain practice serving Illinois municipalities, school districts, and property owners. Direct peer on the municipal/condemnation/school-law side of Spesia & Taylor's practice.
• Segal McCambridge: Chicago-based litigation firm with significant toxic tort, commercial litigation, and municipal/civil rights defense practice. Comparable to Spesia & Taylor on commercial litigation and municipal civil rights defense matters.
• Heyl Royster: Illinois-based regional litigation firm with offices in Peoria, Springfield, Champaign, Edwardsville, and Chicago, providing insurance defense, employment, medical malpractice, and municipal defense. Comparable to Spesia & Taylor in its Illinois multi-office regional model and overlapping practice areas in litigation, employment, and municipal defense.
• Ancel Glink: Illinois-based mid-sized law firm focused on municipal, local government, and school district representation across the Chicago suburbs and downstate Illinois. Highly comparable to Spesia & Taylor's municipal counsel, school law, zoning, and civil rights defense practice serving Will County and surrounding counties.
• Brundage & Jaramillo: Specialty eminent domain / condemnation law firm representing both condemning authorities and landowners on pipeline, electric transmission, and right-of-way matters. Comparable to Spesia & Taylor specifically on its pipeline/condemnation practice for Kinder Morgan, Enbridge, and other energy clients.

Broad incumbents

• SmithAmundsen: Larger Chicago-based regional law firm with broad practice coverage including litigation, employment, municipal, insurance defense, and energy/utility work. Functions as a broad incumbent competitor to Spesia & Taylor for larger municipal, employment, and commercial litigation matters in northern Illinois.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SpesiaTaylor/?fref=ts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spesia & Taylor