Barber, Segatto, Hoffee, Wilke & Cate, LLP is more than just a law firm; it is a team of community-oriented professionals that is committed to helping clients resolve their legal problems and reach their goals. We have been serving Springfield and Sangamon County for more than a century.
Since the firm’s inception in 1897, we have grown to become a prominent estate planning, real estate and general practice law firm led by highly knowledgeable and determined lawyers. Together, our attorneys offer more than 150 combined years of legal experience to clients throughout the state.
Read more about the educational and professional backgrounds of our accomplished attorneys and professionals by following the links below:
A Trusted And Established Legal Team
Over A Century Of Service In Central Illinois
Barber, Segatto, Hoffee, Wilke & Cate traces back to the end of the 19th century. John A. Barber, the founding member of the firm, received his law degree in 1897 and began the general practice of law that same year in Sangamon County, Illinois, associating in practice with Samuel D. Scholes, Sr., a veteran of the Union Army. Subsequently, in 1902, Clayton J. Barber joined his brother and the firm adopted the name Barber & Barber. The firm grew with the addition of Alton G. Hall and the sons of each of the initial partners, Charles F. Barber and Henry R. Barber, in the 1930s. Each of these three attorneys was a member of the firm for over 50 years. For over half a century, the firm was located in the First National Bank Building on South Fifth Street, directly southwest of the former State Capitol Building, which at that time housed the Sangamon County Circuit Court. Barber & Barber built a reputation as one of Springfield’s leading firms, and was particularly known for its probate and real estate practice. The firm handled all of the legal work associated with the construction and development of Lake Springfield in the 1930s.
Bernard G. Segatto and Carl O. Hoffee, who both graduated from the University of Illinois Law School, joined the firm in 1957 and 1968, respectively. Prior to joining the firm, Carl Hoffee clerked for the Illinois Supreme Court Justice Harry Hershey and practiced with another firm in Springfield. The firm’s emphasis on probate and real estate matters continued, and the firm developed several specialty practice areas, including condemnation, libel defense and media law, oil lease and development, and banking law.
In 1971, the firm relocated to its present location at the northwest corner of 9th & Monroe. In the 1960s, the state had repurchased the Old State Capitol and undertook a major restoration effort. As a result, the county built new court facilities at 9th & Monroe to house the Sangamon County Circuit Court. Barber & Barber built a new law office on land directly across the street.
Meeting The Modern Needs Of Our Clients
In 2008, the firm adopted its present name, Barber, Segatto, Hoffee, Wilke & Cate. Today, our legal team is led by six partners. Bernard G. Segatto III and Randall W. Segatto, both graduates of Southern Illinois University Law School, in 1985 and 1987, respectively, practiced with their father until his death in 1994. R. Kurt Wilke, a graduate of Indiana University Law School, and a son-in-law of the late Carl Hoffee, also joined the firm in 1985. Matthew J. Cate, a graduate of Southern Illinois University Law School, joined in 2011. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Cate clerked for the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District. Randy Paswater joined the firm in 2008 and Brittany Kink Toigo joined in 2011, and both subsequently became partners.
Since 1980, Peggi L. Weymouth has been employed with the firm as a CPA and certified valuation analyst.
Several team members at Barber, Segatto, Hoffee, Wilke & Cate have published works and lectured on legal topics, and hold memberships in numerous professional organizations, including:
American Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
Sangamon County Bar Association
Leading Lawyers Network
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
Leading Lawyers in Illinois Network
Sangamon Valley Estate Planning Council
Central Illinois Women’s Bar Association
The firm today has a broad general civil practice including litigation at the trial and appellate level, while continuing to concentrate in the major practice areas of real estate, taxation, estate planning, business transactions and related litigation. Barber, Segatto, Hoffee, Wilke & Cate has developed a reputation in the niche area of taxation, handling preparation of income tax, gift tax and estate tax returns, as well as audit defense and representation before the Internal Revenue Service and tax courts.
We invite you to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your legal matters. For the convenience of our clients, we offer office locations in Springfield and Waverly, Illinois. Our law office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We accept all major credit cards. Call us at 217-544-4868 or contact us online.