Previous Law Firm Name

• Beckman, Kelly & Smith

Law Firm Overview

Beckman, Kelly & Smith ("BKS") is widely respected both by the public and by peers in the legal profession. Our excellent reputation reflects the pride we take in providing our clients with top-quality legal services in virtually every aspect of life and business. Since its founding over a century ago by C. B. Tinkham, the firm’s goal has always been competent, creative, and aggressive client services.

Our office is located in Hammond, Lake County, Indiana, which is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Our office is only 25 miles from downtown Chicago. Lake County has a population of approximately 500,000 and is one of Indiana's largest urban and industrial areas.

BKS provides service to businesses and individuals, and practices before state and federal administrative agencies. Our practice is concentrated in business representation and civil litigation.

Our attorneys are experienced in counseling individuals, and businesses, from small business planning to the most complex environmental issues. We regularly represent clients in the areas of employment, pension, healthcare, construction, real estate, and tax law. BKS also services the estate planning and administration needs of individual clients.

The firm is recognized for its excellence in trial advocacy. Our attorneys practice at the trial and appellate levels in cases involving environmental and commercial claims, product liability, professional liability, employment, trucking and transportation and personal injury.

BKS clients have the advantage of hiring the entire firm; the experience and expertise of every attorney in the firm can be made available to help our clients solve their problems and achieve their planning goals. The wide-ranging expertise of our attorneys, as well as our legal assistants and state-of-the-art resources, are available and can be tailored to the needs of each client and issue.

BKS provides clients with representation of the same quality as the largest firms. We also offer the personal service, responsiveness, and economies that only a local firm can provide. As a part of our service, billing practices are discussed thoroughly when we are retained.

BKS is a Member of the ALFA International legal network. Founded in 1980, ALFA counts 115 law firms within its membership, 85 U.S. firms and 30 firms in major cities around the World (including the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Rim). ALFA Members combine their resources and expertise to better serve their clients, offering legal seminars, a wide range of reference materials, coordinated research capabilities, and a ready referral network of outstanding legal counsel. For more information about the ALFA legal network, click on the ALFA logo or other ALFA link provided herein.

Areas of Practice

• Business Organizations
• Child Support
• Elder Law
• Estate Planning
• Litigation & Appeals
• Nursing Home
• Personal Injury
• Probate & Estate Administration
• Products Liability Law
• Real Estate Law
• Sexual Harassment
• Social Security -- Disability
• Wills

Representative Clients

• Aetna Casualty and Surety Co.
• Ancilla Systems, Inc.
• Bethlehem Steel Corp.
• Chrysler Corp.
• CIGNA Companies
• CRST, Inc.
• Envirotech Operating Services, Inc.
• First National Bank of Chicago
• General Motors Corp.
• Hammond Port Authority
• Indiana Vocational Technical College
• Indiana Waste Systems, Inc.
• ITT Finance Corp.
• Jones Clinic
• Lake County Public Library Leasing Corporation
• Multi-Risk Management, Inc.
• Northland Insurance Companies
• Northwest Indiana Public Broadcasting, Inc.-WYIN Channel 56
• Our Lady of Mercy Hospital
• Paccar Financial Corp.
• Purdue University
• Schoop's Enterprises, Inc.
• Sears, Roebuck and Company
• Signal Capital Corporation
• St. Catherine Hospital
• St. Mary Medical Center
• The Salvation Army
• The Travelers Insurance Co.
• Underwriters at Lloyd's London
• Vidimos, Inc.
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
• Waste Management of North America, Inc.
• Yellow Freight System, Inc.

West Practice Categories

Business Organizations, Sexual Harassment, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Wills, Social Security -- Disability, Nursing Home, Litigation & Appeals, Personal Injury -- Defense, Probate & Estate Administration, Products Liability Law, Real Estate Law