Municipal Law Practice Area
Experience and Services
Zoning, Land Use and Annexations; FPA Boundaries and Related Questions
We have a great depth of experience in this area. Many of our clients are rapidly changing or seeking to preserve their environment, thus requiring us to provide them with land use guidance and legal advice. In this regard, we have been greatly involved in preparing development and annexation agreements, recapture agreements, and agreements necessary for a variety of developments. We have worked diligently in this area, not only with regard to counseling, but also in the area of litigation, when necessary. We have been involved in major redevelopment projects. For instance, we have worked closely with the Village of Bolingbrook, Village of Addison, Village of Villa Park, Village of Winfield, City of Warrenville and others in addressing and achieving their redevelopment goals and their desire to maintain their unique character. We believe that our counsel and legal advice for these representative communities has allowed them to grow and strengthen. Since all our communities have experienced rapid growth, we have been intimately involved in issues pertaining to FPA boundaries and related questions and stand ready to assist our clients in these important areas.
Finance and Taxation
Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess, LLP is regularly involved with public financial transactions for our municipal clients. We are familiar with a broad range of needs encompassing bond financing including tax increment financing. As such, our clients often seek our advice on unique methods for debt financing while also planning future projects. We work closely with our municipalities to provide creative solutions in this forum, including assistance establishing special service areas and business redevelopment areas. We frequently counsel our clients on financing issues, which are clearly related to the ultimate enhancement and growth of their communities.
Tax Increment Financing Districts, Redevelopment Districts, and Incentive Agreements
Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess, LLP has a great deal of expertise in these areas. We have represented numerous public bodies in creating and expanding or preserving redevelopment areas that, but for Village involvement, would lie fallow or underused or would not be preserved.
Insurance Law, Torts, Workers Compensation
Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess, LLP has wide and diversified experience in dealing with questions pertaining to insurance, including, but not limited to, insurance defense, insurance coverage, tort law, workers compensation law, and court decisions underpinning the entire range of questions which arise when properly defending municipalities embroiled in litigation. In this regard, we have defended class action lawsuits, wrongful death claims, excessive force and personal injury cases. We have also litigated many zoning matters and condemnation proceedings.
Our attorneys are familiar with state and federal courts in Illinois and have successfully defended many cases on behalf of our governmental clients. Whether the cases are small or large, we believe they are all equally important. Perhaps most important is our counsel and advice which we give to our clients so they can avoid litigation and reduce the exposure to damages, fees and unnecessary expenses. We first strive to represent our municipal clients in a most professional and zealous manner. We posture our clients to be dealt with similarly, rather than as a targeted defendant in a lawsuit. While we try to avoid unnecessary work or expense, we, nonetheless, always aggressively advance or clients' interests.
Regulatory and Administrative Law and Contracts
We regularly draft and negotiate a variety of contracts including employment, construction, professional service and utility contracts. When necessary, we are ably skilled to litigate same. Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess, LLP has expertise in the field of regulatory and administrative law at the federal, state and local levels. We regularly advise the committees, as necessary, including Liquor Commissions, Plan Commissions, Zoning Boards of Appeal, Police and Fire Boards, etc. We have appeared on behalf of our municipal clients before NIPC, the Illinois Commerce Commission, Illinois Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, the Pollution Control Board and other administrative bodies. We frequently serve as speakers for the Illinois Municipal League.
Labor and Employment
Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess, LLP has extensive experience in employment related issues. For example, we represent governmental clients in collective bargaining negotiations, grievance arbitrations, mediation and unfair labor practice matters before various forums, including the Illinois Labor Relations Board. In particular, we have frequently been part of our municipalities’ negotiating “teams” relative to contract discussions with police, fire or public works bargaining units.
When necessary, we diligently defend our clients against actions in state and federal court, which may be based on Title VII discrimination, wrongful discharge, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Employee Retirements Income Security Act (ERISA), etc.
