About Patrick J.
Patrick J. Crotty built a legal career that starts in the classroom and runs through tax departments, small firms and his own practice. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame in 1971, and returned to Notre Dame School of Law to receive his J.D. in 1975. He also qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois in May 1975, a credential that has shaped much of his work.
His early years in practice were shaped by large-firm tax work. In 1978 he joined the tax department of McDermott, Will & Emery as an associate. Two years later he moved to Carroll, Hartigan & Hillery Ltd., where he rose to principal and shareholder. Those roles exposed him to corporate and tax matters and to clients with complex financial and estate planning needs.
Crotty then shifted toward private practice. In 1991 he opened the Law Office of Patrick J. Crotty. He later formed a partnership as Legal Director at Crotty & Smyth in 1997. In 2009 he established Crotty Legal in Oak Brook and serves there as Legal Director and proprietor. Across those settings he has combined legal counsel and accounting insight, often handling matters that sit at the intersection of tax law and personal planning.
Professional associations and volunteer work have been part of Crotty’s professional life. He served on the Illinois CPA Society’s Estate and Gift Tax Committee from 1983 to 1993. He was a volunteer and panel attorney for the Acadiana Legal Service Corporation between 1979 and 1988. In DuPage County he chaired the Tax Committee for 1996–1997 and the Estate Planning and Probate Practice Committee for 1998–1999. Those committee roles reflect steady engagement with both the tax and estate planning bar in his region.
Throughout his career Crotty has combined technical tax training and accounting credentials with years of courtroom and transactional work. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and maintains an office in Oak Brook. He concentrates his practice on estate planning, probate and tax matters.
