Richard F. Klawiter focuses his practice in the areas of land use and zoning, tax increment financing, landmarks and historic preservation issues and other public-private financing transactions and transactions involving community and economic development. Mr. Klawiter also has extensive experience in domestic and international infrastructure financings and alternative energy development and finance.

Mr. Klawiter's land use, zoning and government affairs practice focuses on representing developers and municipalities in 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. Recently, he has helped develop, promote and implement a tax increment finance initiative in the United Kingdom with local authorities and private developers.

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” and that his "impressive reputation has been enhanced" by recent representation in major retail developments. 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 DLA Piper'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 A. Finkl & Sons in connection with federal, state and City of Chicago legislative approvals to facilitate the relocation from the north side of Chicago to 93rd and Stony Island in Chicago of a $200 million steel production facility.
• 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 PRC Partners in connection with all land use and public financing work associated with the development of a mixed use project in downtown Park Ridge.
• Represented Sage Hospitality in connection with zoning and financing of The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, including allocation of $18.0 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.
• Represented the Clorox Company in connection with securing EDGE credits from the State of Illinois and tax increment financing from the Village of University Park to facilitate the construction of a 1.35 million square foot distribution facility.
• Established and implemented numerous commercial, residential and industrial land use and public financing projects throughout the six county metropolitan area.
• Represented Archon Group in connection with securing tax increment financing approvals for the redevelopment of a retail shopping center in Allen Park, Michigan.