Property, business, and local government problems rarely stay in one lane.

Duncan Lamphere

Duncan Lamphere is the attorney behind Lamphere Legal. He represents clients in commercial real estate, commercial leasing, zoning and land use, municipal hearings, building code matters, property tax assessment appeals, and business disputes connected to property operations. His clients include property owners, closely held businesses, business owners, landlords, tenants, developers, investors, operators, and landowners facing practical legal problems involving property, value, use, local government, and business risk.

Duncan earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. from Lawrence University. His work is built around problems that often cross more than one area of law: a closing delayed by title, survey, zoning, tax, or tenant issues; a lease that does not match how a property is operated; a municipal notice that threatens a business plan; a tax assessment that does not reflect value; or a business dispute that is really about control of property, cash flow, use, or risk.

In real estate matters, Duncan works on commercial purchase and sale issues, title commitments, surveys, easements, access, diligence, closing problems, tenant estoppels, post-closing disputes, and property operation issues. In leasing matters, he handles lease drafting, negotiation, default strategy, CAM and additional-rent disputes, amendments, assignments, surrender, possession, and business terms that have to work in the actual building.

His municipal and zoning work includes permitted-use issues, special use questions, building code problems, administrative hearings, inspections, citations, permits, and local-government disputes affecting commercial property or business operations. His property tax appeal work focuses on commercial valuation, assessment strategy, income-producing property, vacancy, sale evidence, and practical appeal positioning.

Duncan’s approach is direct: identify the document, the deadline, the decision-maker, the leverage, and the business objective, then work toward the result that makes practical sense.

Madison R. Miller

Madison R. Miller serves as of counsel to Lamphere Legal for planning, trust administration, probate, guardianship, and family asset matters. Her practice focuses on helping clients organize personal affairs, protect loved ones, administer trusts and estates, and address the legal work that follows incapacity, death, family transition, or asset transfer.

Madison earned her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and is licensed in Illinois. She works with clients in the North Shore and greater Chicago area on individualized planning designed around the client’s family, assets, decision-makers, and long-term goals.

Her work is useful when a property, business, trust, estate, or family asset issue needs to be coordinated with broader planning. That can include trust administration involving real estate, probate matters involving family property, guardianship issues, powers of attorney, estate plans, and planning questions that affect how ownership and authority should be documented.

Madison’s practice areas include estate planning, trust administration, probate, and guardianship. Her professional associations include the Chicago Bar Association, Lake County Bar Association, and Illinois State Bar Association.

Joseph Hemphill

Joseph Hemphill practices as a litigator in Illinois and federal courts. His work includes litigation support and dispute-related matters for clients facing business, property, contract, and civil litigation issues.

Joe earned his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Illinois. At Lamphere Legal, he adds dispute-focused judgment to matters where business, real estate, lease, contract, or municipal issues become contested.

Joe assists with disputes where clients need court experience, motion practice, discovery strategy, settlement evaluation, and courtroom support. His work helps clients move from a practical problem to a litigation plan, including what has to be proven, what documents matter, what deadlines control, and whether the dispute should be resolved by negotiation, motion practice, hearing, or trial.