Kevin M. O'Keefe State and Local Taxation Practice Government Relations Practice
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Kevin M. O’Keefe rejoined O’Keefe Lyons & Hynes, LLC in July 1997, after more than four years in the administration of President Bill Clinton.

Government Service

While on the White House Staff, Mr. O’Keefe served initially as Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel and Director of Political Liaison. In these positions he was responsible for the nomination and confirmation of all United States Attorneys and Marshals as well as numerous other presidential appointees. Subsequently, Mr. O’Keefe became Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In this capacity, he acted as a liaison between the federal government and state and local officials on multiple issues including the 1994 Crime Bill, Empowerment and Enterprise Zones and Welfare Reform.


Private Practice

Prior to 1993, Mr. O’Keefe devoted twenty years to the practice of state and local taxation at O’Keefe Ashenden Lyons & Ward. Under his leadership the Tax Practice tripled in size and extended the scope of its practice from Cook County across the nation.

Mr. O'Keefe has successfully litigated real estate taxation matters in jurisdictions throughout the nation, including Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Texas. In such cases, he developed creative legal theories in response to the valuation issues raised by hotel, office, industrial and retail properties.


Presentations

As a result of his national practice and reputation for innovation, Mr. O'Keefe has been frequently invited to address national taxation associations. Such presentations included but were not limited to the following:

•	The Increasing Impact of Property Taxes on the Corporate Bottom Line, Illinois Manufacturer’s Association, April 1992.
•	The Future of Uniformity After Allegheny, Committee on State Taxation, Summer 1989.
•	Introduction to Property Taxation in Cook County, Illinois Manufacturer's Association, November 1987.
•	Effect of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 on Business Property Values, Institute of Property Taxation, 11th Annual Conference, June 1987; State Tax Commission of Missouri, October 1987.
•	Presentation of an Assessed Valuation Complaint in Cook County, Building Owners and Managers Association, Summer 1987.
•	Corporate Response to Recent Trends in State and Local Taxation, Institute of Property Taxation, Chicago Chapter, October 1986; Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. Chapter, December 1986.
•	Administrative and Judicial Remedies, Institute of Property Taxation, Property Tax Negotiation and Appeal Symposium, November 1985.
•	The Use of Syndicated Values in the Market Approach, Institute of Property Taxation, Real Estate Valuation Symposium, November 1984; Chicago Chapter, March 1985.
•	The Assessor’s Dilemma: Choosing Between Market Value and Investment Value, International Association of Assessing Officers, International Conference, October 1984.
•	The Classification Issue and the Law of Fixtures, IAAO Legal Seminar, November 1982.

Publications

•	Tax Issues: Chicago’s Favorable Tax and Incentive Climate, BOMA/Chicago, Chicago Office 1991. Reprinted in Journal of Property Tax Management, Summer 1992.
•	Appealing an Assessment: Evaluating Remedies, Journal of Property Tax Management, 1990.
•	The Classification Issue and the Law of Fixtures: A Chattel by Any Other Name, Journal of State Taxation, Vol. 2, No. 1 (1983).

Civic Activities

He previously served on the Boards of Directors of Fannie Mae Corporation, Central DuPage Hospital, Healthcorp Affiliates, B. R. Ryall YMCA and the Wheaton Wings Soccer Club.