The Role of Local Government

Peter Friedman Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Elrod Friedman LLP

Peter Friedman has an accomplished and broad real estate and government law practice, representing both private and public sector clients in all phases of government operations, real estate finance, acquisition, development, zoning and land use matters. He is the co-founder of Elrod Friedman LLP and serves as the firm’s General Counsel.

Peter represents numerous Illinois local and state government agencies, municipalities, and counties on all aspects of government law, real estate, and development. Peter serves 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). He is General Counsel to the Chicago Association of Realtors and special outside counsel to the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois. He has represented the state of Illinois and the Illinois Medical District on significant public-private partnerships involving large multiuse developments as well as infrastructure and public transportation projects. He has also handled cyber security and related technology issues.

On real estate and transactional projects in Chicago, throughout Illinois and nationwide, Peter’s private sector clients include property owners, pension funds, tenants, developers, and private equity groups. For these clients, Peter works 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.

Peter has special knowledge and experience in environmental law as well as internal investigations related to procurement matters, regulatory compliance, employment issues, fraud, corporate governance, and criminal misconduct.

Peter has defended numerous lawsuits challenging local zoning and land use controls. He has handled several local government lawsuits involving civil rights, annexation disputes, contract actions, environmental enforcement, and numerous First Amendment claims. For both public and private sector clients, Peter has argued cases in Federal District and Appellate Courts and at all levels of state court including successfully before the Illinois Supreme Court.

Peter served as co-counsel and ethics officer for the transition team of former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner. As part of this representation, he advised the administration on all issues related to Illinois ethics, procurement, personnel, employment, and government law.

Appointed by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Peter serves on the board and as vice-chairman of the Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) and as Chairman of the CCLBA’s property acquisition committee.

Chambers USA 2022 placed Peter in the highest band in Illinois (Band 1), and included the following observation: Peter “provides wise and sage counsel on a variety of matters” and “is exceptionally knowledgeable, a sophisticated businessman and a master of interpersonal relations.”

Steven Elrod Related Seminars and Products

Managing Partner

Elrod Friedman LLP

Steve Elrod represents private and public sector clients on land use, zoning and real estate matters. He is the co-founding partner of Elrod Friedman LLP and serves as the firm’s Managing Partner.

Steve is a past-president of the Chicago Bar Association, the largest metropolitan bar association in the nation.

He is the Corporation Counsel for the City of Highland Park, and the Village Attorney for the Villages of Deerfield, Glencoe, Lincolnwood and Northbrook. Steve represents owners and developers in a variety of real estate and transactional projects, and is regularly engaged to secure zoning relief, entitlements, incentives and approvals from state and local governments.

This past year, Elrod has been intensely involved in a matter that has been in the international spotlight. As the corporation counsel for the city of Highland Park, IL, Elrod has been advising and consulting the city on a myriad of legal issues resulting from the horrific mass shooting event that took place in the city during the Fourth of July Independence Day parade. Elrod appeared with the city’s Mayor before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and met with United States Attorney General Merrick Garland concerning proposals to ban assault weapons. He is currently defending the city, along with co-counsel Sidley Austin on a Second Amendment challenge to a city ordinance.

His practice focuses on:

• Public-private partnerships
• Tax incentive and abatement agreements, including tax increment financing (TIF) and special
• service area (SSA) financing
• Annexation, subdivision and development agreements
• Shopping center, multi-family residential and mixed-use developments
• Affordable and attainable housing programs

Steve has litigated land use issues, including eminent domain, regulatory taking and inverse condemnation, RLUIPA, the First Amendment and the Second Amendment. He drafted, and successfully defended a federal court challenge to, the City of Highland Park Assault Weapons Ban ordinance.

Steve is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where he teaches Land Use and Local Government Law. He is a founding member of the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic and serves on its Board of Directors.

Chambers USA 2022 placed Steve in its highest possible ranking level, “Star Individuals,” and included the following observations: Steve is a “preeminent attorney in land use and local government matters… he “is a recognized leader in the area of municipal law”