Richard F. Klawiter focuses his practice in the areas of land use and zoning, multifamily housing, tax increment financing and other public-private financing transactions, and transactions involving community and economic development.

Mr. Klawiter's land use, zoning, and government affairs practice focuses on representing developers and municipalities in connection with annexation, zoning, and public sector related matters for complex commercial, retail, residential, hotel, and office developments. Mr. Klawiter has had primary responsibility for the legal issues pertaining to the annexation, zoning, and economic incentives for numerous properties both in Chicago and in the suburbs. In addition, his practice involves representation of developers and property owners in the acquisition and disposition of property, including contract negotiations, due diligence and property evaluations, and project financing. Mr. Klawiter also concentrates on public-private development transactions, including the establishment of industrial, commercial, retail, and residential tax increment financing projects; the creation of special service areas; and the structuring of sales tax sharing agreements, property tax abatements, and government grants. Mr. Klawiter has secured more than $500 million in economic incentives for his clients.

After graduating from Stanford Law School, he worked for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago as a recipient of a two-year Skadden Public Interest Fellowship. At the conclusion of the fellowship, Mr. Klawiter became a staff attorney with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, where he served as housing specialist until joining DLA Piper in 1994.

Mr. Klawiter is recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and the respected English research firm Chambers & Partners notes that clients praise him for “knowing how to get through the red tape on any matter.” He has also been named an Illinois Super Lawyer, as the result of a research project conducted jointly by Law & Politics and Chicago magazines, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for land use and zoning law. Mr. Klawiter is a frequent lecturer on topics ranging from municipal law, including eminent domain, to public-private partnerships, including tax increment financing.

Mr. Klawiter is currently the firm's pro bono partner for the Chicago office.

Representative Transactions:

• Advised Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee on zoning and land use, public financing and land acquisition matters.
• Represented Goldman Sachs in connection with securing zoning and $27.5 million in tax increment financing and other incentives in connection with redevelopment of Brickyard Mall on the northwest side of Chicago.
• Represented Chicago Cubs in connection with securing approvals from the City of Chicago, including landmarking of Wrigley Field and amendment to local ordinance increasing allowable number of night games.
• Represented Archon Group in connection with securing $32.5 Million in tax increment financing and other incentives in connection with redevelopment of Ryerson Tull site at 83rd and Stewart, Chicago.
• Represented Sage Hospitality in connection with zoning and financing of The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, including allocation of $12.0 million of tax increment financing from the City of Chicago.
• Represented various developers in connection with securing zoning and public sector financing approvals with respect to the implementation of the Chicago Housing Authority's Transformation Plan at former public housing sites across the City of Chicago, including the former Madden Wells, Stateway Gardens, Henry Horner Homes, and Robert Taylor Homes.
• Represented Forest City Commercial in connection with securing zoning and tax increment financing approvals for redevelopment of 2,000,000 square foot former Pfizer/Searle site in Skokie, Illinois.
• Established and implemented numerous commercial, residential and industrial land use and tax increment financing projects throughout metropolitan Chicago, including in Skokie, Northbrook, Highland Park, Glenview, Barrington, Matteson, Park Ridge, Tinley Park, Des Plaines, Elgin and Aurora.
• Represented Archon Group in connection with securing tax increment financing approvals for the redevelopment of a retail shopping center in Allen Park, Michigan.

Felvétel

• Illinois

Tagságok

• American Bar Association
• Chicago Council of Lawyers
• Chicago Bar Association
• Metropolitan Planning Council
• Urban Land Institute
• Illinois Tax Increment Association
• Lambda Alpha, Ely Chapter
• International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
• Economic Club of Chicago
• Vice-Chair, Obama for America Housing Policy Committee

Civil és jótékonysági tevékenység

• Friends of Downtown (Board of Directors, 2002 - 2006)
• Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Real Estate Committee (Co-chair, 1998 - 2000)
• Uptown People's Law Center (President, 2000 - 2006)
• Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (Board of Directors, 2001- present)
• Metropolitan Tenants Organization (General Counsel, 1996 - present)
• Leadership Greater Chicago (2002 Fellow and Member of Board of Directors, 2002 - 2004)
• Public Interest Law Initiative (Distinguished Alumni Award, 2001)
• City Year Chicago (Board of Directors, 2006 - present)