Experience

Over 27 years of advising and representing owners (public and private), contractors and design professionals in construction-related transactional work, financing, construction disputes and litigation.- Twenty-seven years of litigating at every level of state court litigation including the Illinois Supreme Court and the Federal District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts. Extensive experience in all types of construction-related claims including construction defects, delays, breach of contract, performance and payment bonds, mechanic liens, payments, price acceleration, change orders, different site conditions, site changes, alterations, and extra work.

Over 20 years of experience as an Administrative Adjudication Hearing Officer for municipal ordinance violations.

Extensive experience in zoning, municipal law, tax, finance, and civil litigation matters. Experience as Chair of the DuPage County Bar Association’s Local Government Committee and Special Assistant Attorney General to prosecute and defend construction litigation claims on behalf of the Illinois Capital Development Board. Appointed Special State’s Attorney for Winnebago County and Special Assistant State’s Attorney for Winnebago County and Cook County. Former member of the Illinois ASBO Service Associate Advisory Committee; served as a Trustee for the Village of Lombard for eight years and is a member of the Lombard Fire and Police Commission.

Mediator Style & Process Preferences

My mediation philosophy is to approach setting parties’ disputes in a practical, time and cost sensitive manner based on my 30 years of experience as a litigator and 25 years of experience as a hearing officer. My approach is based on an understanding of the complexities of representing client interests while strongly advocating for the result that clients expect. Mediation should be utilized as a tool for every form of disputes, particularly with litigation, the timing of which will vary in each case depending on attorney strategy and their clients’ and carriers’ expectations, goals and costs parameters.

My mediation philosophy is a combination of evaluative and facilitative models with initially facilitating the parties towards reaching a mutually agreeable settlement and then, as needed, progress to an evaluative analysis of the dispute and parties’ positions to assist and guide the parties to a mutually agreeable resolution. Many such resolutions may include both monetary and non-monetary components.

Awards

• Illinois Leading Lawyer, Construction Law; Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law; Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law; and School Law

• Illinois Association of School Business Officials, Above and Beyond Award 

• Illinois Institute for Local Government Law, Annual Litigation Award 

Publications

• Author, “Navigating the Future of School Purchasing, The Final Word,” Update Magazine, Illinois ASBO (2025)

• Co-author, “Navigating the Evolving Map of School Purchasing,” Update Magazine, Illinois ASBO (2025)

• Contributing author, “School Property and Environmental Issues,” School Law: Organization, Finance, and Property, IICLE (2025)

• Contributing author, “Competency in ADR: Assuring Ethical Practice through Competency and Communication,” DCBA Brief, The Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association (2024)

• Contributing author, “Navigating Construction Disputes: The inevitable construction disputes can be navigated with a combination of knowledge, preparation, and outside guidance,” School Business Affairs (2023)

• Contributing author, “Diving into ADR Ethics: Exploring the Ethical Obligation of Attorneys as Advisors, Advocates, and Third-Party Neutrals,” DCBA Brief (2023)

• Contributing author, “Joint Purchasing Everything You Want to Know but Are Afraid to Ask!” UPDATE Magazine, Illinois ASBO (2019)

• Contributing author, “How Far Does the Law Allow Schools to Go?” UPDATE Magazine, Illinois ASBO (2018)

• Contributing author, “Top 11 Public Bidding Questions & Solutions” UPDATE Magazine, Illinois ASBO (2018)

• Co-author, “School Construction from Start to Finish: A Project Checklist,” School Business Affairs Magazine, Illinois ASBO (2018)

• Contributing author, “Mediation a Win-Win for Clients and their Attorneys in Construction Litigation,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (2018)

Presentations

• Road Map for Construction Projects, Illinois ASBO Annual Conference (April 2026)

• What I Wish I Knew Before Construction, Illinois ASBO Annual Conference (April 2026)

• Best Practices in the Purchasing, Contracting and the Competitive Bidding Process, Illinois ASBO Administrative Academy (November 2025)

• Construction 101: Understanding Money from Start to Finish, Wisconsin ASBO Midwest Facility Masters Conference (October 2025)

• Advanced Land Use and Zoning Disputes with Local Governments, National Business Institute Webinar (October 2025)

• Construction 101: Understanding Money from Start to Finish, Illinois ASBO Rising Leaders in School Business (July 2025)

• Mastering the Complex World of Public Bidding, Illinois ASBO Annual Conference (April 2025)

• Eminent Domain – Key Challenges: Advanced Development Agreement Drafting Techniques; and Legal Ethics, National Business Institute National Seminar (February 2025)

• Taking Action: Administration Red Flags During Construction, IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference (November 2024)