Richard F. Friedman

Richard F. Friedman is experienced in municipal law, real estate law, public finance, litigation, eminent domain and appellate practice. Mr. Friedman is a member of the managing group and has been affiliated with Neal & Leroy, LLC since 1983. Prior to joining Neal & Leroy, LLC, Mr. Friedman was a member of the City of Chicago Law Department’s Appeals and Review and the Finance Divisions. He also served as counsel to the Chicago Landmark Commission and the City’s Motion Picture Appeal Board. Mr. Friedman has written chapters on appellate practice and eminent domain for legal publications and has lectured on eminent domain and historic preservation law. Mr. Friedman has represented clients in appeals at all state and federal levels.

Representative Matters

Assembled land and tried condemnation cases for projects such as City of Chicago’s North and South Loop projects, McCormick Place expansion, White Sox Park and projects for cities such as Park Ridge and Oak Park.
Tried cases testing TIF districts and financing.
Counsel and trial attorney in complex real estate litigation and transactions.
Counsel in airport, TIF and other major municipal financing.
Served as lead counsel in more than 100 appeals in federal and state courts.
Jury and bench trials in condemnation cases.

Professional Activities

Chicago Bar Association
Appellate Lawyers Association
Decalogue Society of Lawyers
General Counsel and Director of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois
Teaches Historic Preservation Law at University of Chicago Law School and Master’s degree program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Lecturer on Land Use, Eminent Domain, Urban Development, and Historic Preservation Law at attorney continuing education seminars