THE DOHERTY LAW FIRM - Key Persons

Mark was born and raised in DeKalb, Illinois. After graduating from DeKalb High School, Mark earned a Business Finance Degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1996, where he was an Academic All-Conference member of the varsity football team. Thereafter, Mark attended Northern Illinois University College of Law, where he was a published member of the Law Review, law clerk to the General Counsel of the University, and research assistant to his civil procedure professor, before graduating with academic honors in 2000. Mark began his law career as an attorney at a law firm in Naperville, Illinois, focusing on the representation of condominium and homeowners associations as well as general civil litigation. Beginning in 2004, Mark partnered with his father, Tom Doherty, with whom he practiced law until Tom was elected as a Circuit for DeKalb County in 2010. Mark then formed The Doherty Law Firm, LLC, and serves as its Managing Member. After many years as a general civil practitioner, Mark now focuses his practice on residential and commercial real estate transactions; business formation and representation; estate planning, asset protection, and probate matters; landlord leasing matters and enforcement; and condominium and homeowner association representation. Mark practices primarily in DuPage, Kane, and DeKalb Counties and is a member of their respective Bar Associations, in addition to the Illinois Bar Association. On a personal note, Mark is married to Lisa Doherty, who is a schoolteacher in Wheaton, Illinois, where they reside and have raised their children Madelyn and Sean. Mark enjoys spending time with his family, shooting hoops and playing tennis and pickleball, and writing and recording music; he has written, produced, and recorded many full-length albums, primarily under the band name Light Silver Automatic.

Rolf was born and raised in DeKalb, Illinois. After graduating from DeKalb High School, Rolf earned a Business Finance Degree from Arizona State University in 1996. He then returned to Illinois and attended law school at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he graduated in 2000. Thereafter, Rolf pursued business opportunities acquiring land across several communities in Illinois, developing and constructing apartment complexes upon the land, and then owning and managing the assets. In addition to that ongoing business, Rolf works as a professional consultant and independent contractor for private developers in the industrial/logistics real estate sector, with a general focus on transactional practice areas and a high-level attention to transactions involving real estate, including land use, entitlements, commercial leasing, commercial real estate, and construction loans. He also has experience with construction law, contracts and insurance matters. For more than five years, Rolf has been "of counsel" to The Doherty Law Firm, LLC, applying his business acumen and firsthand knowledge and experience to assist our clients with their real estate, land use, and development projects. Rolf is a longtime resident of St. Charles, Illinois, where he lives with his wife Molly and their children Luke and Kate. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball, and snow skiing.

Tom moved to DeKalb with his family in 1953. After graduating from DeKalb High School, he earned an undergraduate degree in Business Management from Northern Illinois University in 1969, and served with the United States Marine Corps Reserves from 1966-1972. Tom co-owned and operated Royal Realty, providing real estate brokerage services throughout DeKalb County, from 1976-1982. Thereafter, Tom pursued his passion for the law and earned his law degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1986. He then started his own general law practice, with a focus on real estate transactions. After twenty-five years of private practice, Tom was elected a Circuit Judge for DeKalb County and served in that capacity from 2010-2022. After retiring from the bench, Tom became "of counsel" to The Doherty Law Firm, LLC, with a focus on residential and commercial real estate transactions. He has served on the Board of Directors of the DeKalb Education Foundation, Opportunity House, YMCA, and DeKalb Barb Boosters, and taught real estate courses at Kishwaukee College. Tom lives in DeKalb with his wife Jill, who is a Realtor, and has four adult children and nine grandchildren. Tom has enjoyed playing racquetball for over fifty years and is arguably the number one NIU Huskie football fan.