Our real estate attorneys counsel clients in all aspects of real estate sales and purchases, representing a broad range of clients including investors, developers, businesses, corporations and lenders. With our Corporate & Business Law Group, we form appropriate entities to own and hold real estate investments and assets. We assist in transactions involving large commercial, institutional and industrial properties, development and redevelopment of sites, and Section 1031 tax deferred exchanges, by drawing upon a team of attorneys for their particular talents, knowledge and experience in the negotiation, documentation and completion of such transactions.

We represent both landlords and tenants in real estate leasing transactions, from commercial and retail space to industrial and office space. We strive to obtain timely and cost effective results for our clients’ business needs. Our working relationships with owners, brokers and developers over a number of years allow us to seek out alternatives to a given lease opportunity. Our real estate attorneys coordinate with our Commercial Litigation Group in the event a dispute arises.

Our clients include architects, contractors, engineers and title companies, as well as developers and property owners. We review, negotiate and draft construction agreements. Our attorneys have experience in drafting and perfecting mechanics liens and notices for public and private construction projects, as well as broker, landlord and other statutory real estate liens.

Sometimes, it is necessary to utilize our Commercial Litigation Group to resolve disputes over workmanship, payment issues or project management in construction projects. Working together we are able to timely and efficiently handle real estate disputes in arbitration, mediation or the courts, if necessary. We assist our clients with such matters as boundary disputes, construction bond issues and partition actions. Our attorneys have experience in defending land owners in eminent domain actions and working with appraisers in order to maximize compensation for governmental takings of property.

In conjunction with attorneys in our Health Care Group, we represent both for profit and not for profit institutions, health care providers and other health care entities in projects that involve medical office buildings, MRI facilities, nursing homes and senior care centers.

When lien rights must be enforced through litigation, we are ready to serve our clients with experience in foreclosure actions involving residential and commercial mortgages, agreements for deed, mechanics liens and other statutory lien matters. We provide advice and litigation strategy concerning the protection of rights to possession, deficiency and sale in a responsive manner. Although we generally represent lenders and creditors in these matters, we also have successfully defended borrowers and owners, individually and through title insurance companies, in foreclosure and lien litigation.

We represent commercial clients and consumers in tax assessment proceedings before administrative bodies such as local Boards of Review and the statewide Property Tax Appeals Board. We have in the past achieved favorable results for our clients in reducing the assessed valuations of large industrial properties, health care facilities and various sized commercial and office buildings. We have also assisted clients in obtaining “Open Space” reductions in their real estate tax bills and in seeking property tax exemptions and arguing for such exemptions before the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Our attorneys’ familiarity with the policies and procedures of local and regional municipal entities assists our clients to efficiently navigate the process for development or land use plans and to protect their real estate interests. Our attorneys have experience in working with various municipal entities in the process of zoning changes, special use permits and variances, annexations and appeals of enforcement/regulatory actions. We appear at public hearings and conduct negotiations with local officials. We have provided clients with counsel relating to municipal financing for sewer and water projects and compliance with industrial revenue and development bonds.

For many years, HolmstromKennedy has performed legal services for the agricultural and farming community including the acquisition and sale of farm land, farm leasing, land development and business counseling. In conjunction with our Commercial Litigation Group and Trusts & Estates Group, we are able to assist our clients with asset protection and asset preservation strategies.

Our attorneys represent condominium associations and deal with issues relating to governance and related documentation as well as enforcement of various declarations, covenants and restrictions.