As attorney Tom Brabec remembers it, he first heard of a new local newspaper at church. Before he could get home for Sunday dinner, he already had plans to buy an ad from the H-F Chronicle.
Brabec said he was the only advertiser on the Chronicle’s website initially. “The ad would blink off. Five seconds later, it came back, and it was me,” he said. “The Chevy dealer caught wind the next week, and then it was me and him.”
Brabec spent much of his career working at a law firm in the city. He and his wife moved to Homewood because they thought it was a special place. Other members of their families followed them to the area.
Although it took some faith and courage, Brabec and his wife eventually agreed that Brabec should open an office close to home.
We have our advertisers to thank for providing the stable financial foundation we need to keep our community informed. Chronicle advertisers get the benefit of reaching the community with their messages, but our most loyal partners also continue to advertise because supporting local news is a way to contribute to the community. Some of those partners offered their support early and have stayed with us the whole way. As we celebrate the Chronicle’s first decade (we published our first story in June 2014) we invited them to share their progress in the past decade and talk about the future they envision.
— Chronicle staff
(Marilyn Thomas/H-F Chronicle)
Although it took some faith and courage, Brabec and his wife eventually agreed that Brabec should open an office close to home.
Brabec explained how his law practice has changed over the years. “I used to do a great deal of civil litigation,” he said. “I found out that the demand is for wills and trusts.”
Brabec said that estate law initially comprised a small fraction of his practice but eventually took up more of his time. “It is sort of what I was meant to do,” he said. “Arguing with judges about exemptions and appropriate settlements is one thing. It’s much more fulfilling when somebody comes in sick, and you can calm them down and explain how trusts work.”
Now 10 years after the Chronicle began delivering the news to Homewood and Flossmoor, Brabec still uses it to help customers find him. “The thing about the Chronicle is that they’re in Homewood and Flossmoor almost exclusively,” he said. “They send me good clients. It’s where the people are.”
Brabec said he was once told to hire the best people he could find, and he believes following this advice has paid off. He credits his success to the dedicated and loyal people he has employed.
