Burke has been criticized for alleged conflicts of interest involving law clients and his role as chairman of the Council's Finance Committee. Burke has helped line up millions of dollars in public subsidies to companies that later hired his firm for property tax assessment appeals. Burke law clients which regularly have legislative issues before the Finance Committee have included communications company Ameritech, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Yellow Cab Company, and several major airlines and concessionaires at the city-owned O'Hare and Midway airports.