Peter Friedman

Background

About Peter Friedman

As an accomplished and broad real estate and government attorney, I represent both private and public sector clients in all phases of government operations, real estate finance, acquisition, development, zoning, and land use matters. I represent numerous Illinois local and state government agencies, municipalities, and counties on all aspects of government law, real estate, and development, serving as City Attorney for the City of Des Plaines; as Village Attorney for the Villages of Lake Bluff and Winnetka; and as General Counsel to the Waukegan Port District (including the Waukegan Harbor and Marina and the Waukegan National Airport). I am also General Counsel to the Chicago Association of Realtors and special outside counsel to the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois. I previously represented the state of Illinois and the Illinois Medical District on significant public-private partnerships involving large multiuse developments as well as infrastructure, public transportation, projects, cybersecurity, and related technology issues. On real estate and transactional projects in Chicago, throughout Illinois, and nationwide, my private sector clients include property owners, pension funds, tenants, developers, and private equity groups. For these clients, I work on a broad range of real estate and transactional projects, including annexation, zoning, and development agreements, TIF and SSA financing, tax incentive and abatement agreements, mixed-use and multi-family developments, and public-private partnerships. With expertise in environmental law as well as internal investigations related to procurement matters, regulatory compliance, employment issues, fraud, corporate governance, and criminal misconduct, I have defended numerous lawsuits challenging local zoning and land use controls. Local government lawsuits have included civil rights, annexation disputes, contract actions, environmental enforcement, and numerous First Amendment claims. For both public and private sector clients, I have argued cases in Federal District and Appellate Courts and at all levels of state court, including successfully before the Illinois Supreme Court. Additionally, I have served as co-counsel and ethics officer for the transition team of former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner. As part of this representation, I advised the administration on all issues related to Illinois ethics, procurement, personnel, employment, and government law. In my spare time, I enjoy sports, reading, and spending time with my wife and three children.