The Sperling Law Office PC

What The Sperling Law Office PC does

The Sterling Law Office LLC is a Chicago-based boutique law firm founded in 2008 that provides legal services across three integrated practice areas: Real Estate, Litigation, and Corporate Law. The Real Estate practice covers sales, acquisitions, leasing, property management, development, construction, finance, and brokerage matters; the Litigation practice focuses on business disputes, commercial landlord-tenant issues, real estate and construction litigation, and broker commission claims; and the Corporate Law practice handles entity formation, corporate transactions, employment agreements, and borrower-side restructuring and workouts. The firm serves commercial and multi-family residential property owners, developers, real estate brokerage firms, and business owners/entrepreneurs, primarily in the Chicago metropolitan area.

The firm operates as a privately held LLC under Illinois law, with Managing Partner Kevin A. Sterling — formerly a partner at Levenfeld Pearlstein, General Counsel at Friedman Properties, Ltd., and Assistant Vice President/Counsel at CBRE, Inc. — supported by two associates (Michael R. Zook, Jr. and Blake K. Walsh). Headcount is 1-10 employees. The firm's revenue model is traditional professional services billing for legal services, with no publicly disclosed pricing or hourly rates; prospective clients are directed to contact the firm directly for fee discussions. Distribution is direct through attorney-client relationships at the Chicago office, with marketing conducted primarily through legal directories (Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, Chambers), professional networks (Chicago Bar Association, LinkedIn), and the firm website.

The core differentiator is positioning as a cost-effective alternative to larger firms, offering sophisticated legal solutions "without the hindrances of conflicts of interest, impersonal service, and high hourly rates found at larger firms." Technology consists of standard law firm tools for case management, document preparation, and client communications, with no proprietary AI/ML or technology stack investments disclosed. The firm has earned sustained third-party recognition through Super Lawyers (2017-present), Leading Lawyers (2018-present), and Chambers Spotlight Firm in Real Estate (2025-present).

Name

The Sperling Law Office PC

Legal name

The Sterling Law Office LLC

Website

https://thesterlinglaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sterling Law Office LLC is a Chicago boutique law firm founded in 2008 providing Real Estate, Litigation, and Corporate Law services to commercial property owners, developers, brokerage firms, and business owners in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate law
• Corporate legal services
• Commercial litigation
• Real estate transactions
• Business legal counsel

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Traditional law firm billing for legal services including real estate transactions, corporate law matters, and litigation representation. Services provided without hourly rate structures of larger firms while maintaining high-quality counsel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Sterling Law Office LLC is a Chicago-based boutique law firm that provides sophisticated legal counsel in three integrated practice areas: real estate (sales, acquisitions, leasing, development, construction, finance, and brokerage matters), litigation (commercial disputes, construction litigation, broker commission claims, and real estate litigation), and corporate law (entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, employment agreements, restructurings and workouts). Services are delivered through direct attorney-client relationships, positioning the firm as a cost-effective alternative to larger firms without the conflicts of interest associated with bigger practices.

Product overview

The Sterling Law Office LLC provides legal services through three integrated practice areas: Real Estate (covering sales, acquisitions, leasing, development, finance, litigation, and brokerage), Litigation (handling business disputes, commercial landlord-tenant matters, construction disputes, and other commercial conflicts), and Corporate Law (including entity formation, corporate transactions, employment agreements, and restructuring). The firm positions itself as a cost-effective alternative to larger firms, emphasizing sophisticated legal solutions without conflicts of interest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Real Estate Legal Services Comprehensive legal representation for commercial and multi-family residential real estate matters including sales and acquisitions, leasing, property management, development, construction, finance, litigation, and brokerage matters, including Tax Increment Financing, Historic Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, and public-private financing.
• Litigation Services Legal representation in business disputes, commercial landlord-tenant matters, real estate litigation, real estate broker litigation, construction litigation, and other commercial conflicts, with a focus on cost-effective resolution through trial or settlement.
• Corporate Law Services Legal counsel for business entities including entity formation (partnerships, LLCs, shareholder agreements), corporate transactions (acquisitions, dispositions, mergers, joint ventures), employment agreements (including independent contractor agreements), and debt restructuring/workouts (loan modifications, foreclosures, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, discounted loan payoffs, loan forbearance, receivership actions).

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully defeated a seven-figure breach of contract claim and prevailed on counterclaim exceeding $1,000,000 with full attorneys' fees and costs recovery.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Benesch: National law firm with a Chicago office and a significant real estate practice. Competes for middle-market real estate transactions and related corporate matters in the Chicago market.
• Vedder Price: Chicago-based law firm with strong real estate finance, corporate, and litigation capabilities. Competes for similar commercial real estate clients with a broader institutional footprint.
• Arnstein & Lehr (now Saul Ewing): Chicago-origin full-service law firm (now part of Saul Ewing) with real estate, corporate, and litigation practices. Long-standing Chicago competitor for commercial real estate and business clients.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with a major Chicago office and broad real estate, corporate, and litigation practices. Represents the larger-firm alternative from which Sterling explicitly positions itself as a differentiated, conflict-free alternative.
• Seyfarth Shaw: Large Chicago-headquartered law firm with extensive real estate, litigation, and corporate practices. Competes for many of the same enterprise and middle-market real estate clients.

Direct peers

• Levenfeld Pearlstein: Chicago-based business law firm where Managing Partner Kevin Sterling previously was a partner. Comparable as a Chicago mid-market firm with strong real estate, corporate, and litigation practices serving similar clientele.
• Beermann LLP: Chicago boutique law firm focused on real estate, family law, and litigation. Comparable as a smaller Chicago firm competing for similar real estate and commercial clients.
• Much Shelist: Chicago-based business law firm with a strong real estate, corporate, and litigation focus serving middle-market clients. Directly comparable in size, market, and practice mix to The Sterling Law Office.
• Goldberg Kohn: Chicago-based law firm offering real estate, corporate, and litigation services to commercial clients. Comparable boutique-style practice with similar Chicago market focus and client types.

Regional players

• Leech Tishman: Pittsburgh-based full-service firm with strong real estate and corporate practices. Comparable boutique-style alternative for real estate clients, though operating in a different regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sterling-law-office-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Sperling Law Office PC