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Keith Staats is counsel in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the Chicago office. He is a member of the Tax Department.
Prior to joining McDermott, Keith was a Director of State and Local Tax Services for a major Chicago-based accounting firm. He provided clients with state tax compliance, planning and consulting services, including review of tax state income tax and sales tax filings, identification of tax savings opportunities and audit vulnerabilities, and audit defense.
Keith also served as General Counsel for the Illinois Department of Revenue. As General Counsel, Keith was directly involved in the development of Illinois tax policy. He drafted and adopted regulations; issued private letter rulings; evaluated tax-related legislation proposed by the Illinois General Assembly; worked on tax legislation proposed by the governor; and provided testimony to legislative committees. In addition, he oversaw all tax-related litigation involving the department.
Keith is a frequent speaker on tax matters before groups including the Committee on State Taxation, the Tax Executives' Institute, and the Institute for Professionals in Taxation. He also speaks at training seminars sponsored by organizations such as the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
Keith is admitted to the Illinois Bar. He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association and is a member of the State and Local Tax Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. He is a professional affiliate member of the Illinois CPA Society, a member of the Society's Tax Executive Committee and Chairman of the State and Local Tax Committee of the CPA Society. Keith is a member of the Illinois Department of Revenue's Director's Advisory Committee and department's Audit Advisory Committee.
Education
Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D. (with honors), 1980
Millikin University (1977), B.A. | 