Kelly, Olson, Michod, DeHaan & Richter, L.L.C. traces its history to April 10, 1872, when Orville Peckham and Edward Osgood Brown arrived from Rhode Island to practice law in Chicago, six months after the Chicago Fire devastated the city. The law firm of Peckham & Brown soon began a general business practice assisting those seeking to reestablish businesses in this commercial hub. Since 1872, the name of the firm has evolved as members have entered its practice and retired, passing the firm's clients and character on to new members. Our firm, now Kelly, Olson, Michod, DeHaan & Richter, L.L.C., has been representing many companies through several generations. 

Orville Peckham became the First National Bank of Chicago's first full-time in-house General Counsel and, upon retirement, was replaced by the oldest son of Edward Osgood Brown. To this day, the firm has an active banking practice involved in regulatory matters, loan documentation and loan enforcement for many of Chicago's banks.

In the years following 1872, the practice of Peckham & Brown involved a substantial commitment to real estate acquisition, ownership and development. Kelly, Olson, Michod, DeHaan & Richter, L.L.C. is actively engaged in all aspects of real property practice including the acquisition, development, tax assessment appeals, construction, mechanics lien, leasing and sale of real property.

As businesses formed after the Chicago Fire, Peckham & Brown organized them, prepared agreements among the members of those businesses and the contracts to be used by those businesses in dealing with others. Kelly, Olson, Michod, DeHaan & Richter, L.L.C. is actively engaged in the formation, governance, contractual arrangements and terms of enforcement for its multitude of manufacturing and service business clients.

As those who survived the Chicago Fire began to pass away, Peckham & Brown provided estate planning assistance. Kelly, Olson, Michod, DeHaan & Richter, L.L.C. continues to provide individual estate and business succession planning, asset protection planning, and taxation planning to both business and individual clients.

From 1872 through the present, our firm has been here to provide consistent and practical legal support for our clients.