John R. Russell, Ltd., Attorney at Law

11/14/2025

COOK COUNTY TAX BILLS ARE OUT!

That's right! The 2nd installment of the Cook County real estate tax bills have been issued by the Treasurer!

Payment is due on or before December 15, 2025!

Send a message to learn more

01/02/2025

On September 30, 2024, I published a video message explaining the requirements of the federal Corporate Transparency Act. (You can see the video below). This law requires most U.S. based corporations or limited liability companies to file a Beneficial Ownership Information” Report (“BOI Report”) with the Treasury Department’s Financial Crime Enforcement Network identifying all “beneficial owners.” A beneficial owner is any individual who directly or indirectly owns 25% or more equity interest in a reporting company, or who has substantial control over the reporting company.

The law set the deadline for compliance as January 1, 2025, for companies existing prior to January 1, 2024. New entities formed in 2024 would have 90 days to comply, and after January 1, 2025, any new corporation or LLC would have 30 days.

However, all these deadlines are on hold because of court order issued by the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in the ongoing case of Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Garland, where the Court is evaluating the constitutionality of the Act.

Here’s what’s been going on:

1. On December 3, 2024, a federal district court in the Eastern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction suspending the requirement to file BOI reports until the constitutionality of the Corporate Transparency Act could be determined.

2. On December 23, 2024, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the injunction, reinstated the reporting requirement, and extended the deadline to January 13, 2024.

3. On December 26, 2024, a different panel of the 5th Circuit vacated the stay (in effect overturning the overturning) reinstating the preliminary injunction and suspending the filing requirement.

For the time being, there is no requirement to comply with BOI reporting. While the future of BOI reporting is uncertain, the courts could rule in a matter that could quickly change the requirements again. While we try to keep track of what’s going on, if the 5th Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately upholds the law, most corporations and LLC’s will still need to comply with BOI reporting. Therefore, I believe it in the best interests of any company that is required to file should anyway. The requirements are not onerous, and the penalties (if enforced) are extreme. Reports are still being accepted. Should you choose to forgo compliance, you should continue to closely monitor the progress of this litigation.

11/11/2024

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 as Armistice Day to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the First World War, then referred to as the "Great War," ended. In 1938, Armistice Day became a federal holiday to honor World War I veterans. In 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all American veterans, not just those from World War I.

At the height of the First World War, in May, 1915. A Canadian physician in the British army, Lt. Col. John McCrae, was inspired to write a poem after presiding over the funeral of a comrade in a cemetery in Belgium. The poem references red poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers, which grew into the red poppy becoming a symbol used to honor and recognize soldiers who have died in conflict.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

11/11/2024

To all Veterans and those in active service: thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for all you have done. I also honor the memory of my father, who served in the Army in the 1950s.

Millions of Patriots — American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen — have for generations honored their oaths to “support and defend” Liberty, as “endowed by our Creator” and enshrined in our Constitution.

Today, and every day, we formally honor them. We remain a free people because they have stood bravely in harm’s way, and because we have faithful service people who remain on post today. For this, we, the American People, offer our heartfelt thanks.

“Mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions.” —1 Chronicles 12:8

“Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.” —Gen. Douglas MacArthur

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” ~ Joseph Campbell

“Greater love has no one than this, then to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

10/01/2024

View my explanation about the requirements of the federal Corporate Transparency Act. You MUST file by December 31, 2024.

This is "JRR_Video_1" by John R. Russelll on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

08/30/2024

"No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wishing all my clients, friends, and family a safe, relaxing, and recharging labor day weekend.

06/06/2024

Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the American-led Allied invasion of N**i Germany’s “Fortress Europe” that marked the beginning of the end of that horrific regime. It was, and remains, one of the most ambitious military undertakings in all of human history.

The scope of D-Day was immense in every measurable way – the number of soldiers, aircraft and naval vessels involved, as well as the depth of planning and the level of obfuscation to keep the N**is guessing as to the date and location of an attack that both sides viewed as inevitable.

One thing that cannot be measured is the bravery of the men who descended on those French beaches that ugly June day in 1944. Ronald Reagan gave one of his most memorable speeches at the 40th anniversary of D-Day in 1984 at Pointe du Hoc, France, focusing on the bravery and faith of men to whom all Americans owe a deep debt of gratitude.

“The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge – and pray God we have not lost it – that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest."

I know there are men who participated in the D-Day Invasion that are still alive today. But a person who was 18 years old on that day would be 98 today. They certainly deserve all the honor and respect we can give them.

Ken Burns' Documentary "The War," about how WWII affected 4 specific metro areas in America. The 4th Episode, called "Pride of Our Nation," focuses on the Normandy Invasion. I highly recommend this film -- its a life altering look at our own history.

05/28/2024

Memorial Day: Honoring those who served, and remembering those who gave the "last full measure of devotion" in order to preserve our freedom and way of life here in America. God bless you all, I we here at John R. Russell, Ltd. hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day.

01/01/2024

Some thoughts for the New Year -- Happy New Year to everyone!

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas to all my clients, family, friends, and everybody else who comes wandering by my outposts here in the social media world.