LaVon M. Johns

Representative Engagements

Acquisitions & Disposition Transactions

• $49M – Seller’s Local Counsel in the sale of a 221-unit apartment building located in Evanston, Illinois to The Bascom Group LLC and Spirit Investment Partners. 
• $23M – Purchaser’s Counsel to an Educational & Economic Development Corporation in the acquisition, leasing, construction, and development of a LEED certified office complex located in Chicago, Illinois. The client is seeking LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Our LEED AP designation and experience have been instrumental in the Project.
• $10.6M – Purchaser’s Counsel to a national fuel multi-site operator in the acquisition of various Shell gas stations within the Chicagoland area.
• $15.6M – Seller’s Counsel to the Chicago Housing Authority in connection with the sale of its real estate assets located in Chicago, Illinois.

Complex Commercial Leasing

• Tenant’s Counsel to a Fortune 25 financial institution in connection with a commercial lease and construction build-out of a call center space having approximately 130,000 square feet. Project included acting as counsel in connection with client’s Cook County 7(b) Incentive Application and construction compliance issues related to a Redevelopment Agreement between client and City of Chicago. 
• National Tenant’s Counsel for a Fortune 25 Insurance Company in connection with numerous leasing and construction build-out of commercial office spaces throughout the U.S. Projects currently include approximately over 3M square feet of office space.
• Landlord’s Counsel to the City of Chicago in connection with the negotiation of a Redevelopment and Concession Management Agreement with Westfield in connection with Terminal 5 of O’Hare International Airport.
• Tenant’s Counsel to an international not-for-profit corporation in connection with the Green leasing of its headquarters located at 101 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. The new space is seeking LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Our LEED AP designation and experience have been value-add to our client.
• Tenant’s Counsel to the Chicago Housing Authority in connection with the leasing of its new headquarters to be located at the CNA Building, Chicago, Illinois.
• Tenant’s Counsel to a Concession Tenant in connection with the retail leasing of four commercial spaces located at Chicago’s Midway Airport, O’Hare International Airport, Navy Pier, and Northwestern Station, Chicago, Illinois.

Public/Private Partnership Transactions

• $1.83B – Lead Real Estate Counsel to the City of Chicago Department of Finance in connection with the privatization of the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Project consisted of the privatization of a public asset to a private consortium via a Concession Lease Agreement having a 99-year Term. The Lease Agreement provides the Concessionaire (Tenant) with rights to all toll revenue and all rents payable by certain other businesses located on the Skyway Toll Bridge during the Term. The rent in the amount of $1.83B was paid in a single upfront payment at closing.
• $563M – Lead Real Estate Counsel to the City of Chicago Department of Finance in connection with the privatization of the four publicly held underground parking garage structures, located on Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue underneath Chicago’s highly acclaimed Millennium Park. The Project consists of the privatization of the public assets to a privately held company via a Concession Lease Agreement having a 99-year Term. The Lease Agreement provides the Concessionaire (Tenant) with the rights to all revenues from parking during the Term. The rent in the amount of $563M is to be paid in a single upfront payment at closing.
• $2.8B – Lead Real Estate Counsel to the City of Chicago Department of Finance in connection with the privatization of Midway International Airport. The Project consists of the privatization of the largest FAA approved airport in the nation to a privately held company via a Concession Lease Agreement having a 75-year Term. The Lease Agreement would provide the Concessionaire (Tenant) with the rights to all revenues from Midway Airport during the Term. The rent in the amount of $2.8B is to be paid in a single upfront payment at closing.

Development & Construction

• Developer’s Counsel to a national not-for-profit organ procurement organization in connection with the acquisition, construction, and leasing of a commercial office building. The Project required the negotiation a Grant Agreement between the client and the City of Chicago Department of Planning utilizing Community Block Grant Development CARES Act funds and the leasing and construction of a new educational facility to be occupied by Chicago State University.
• $250M – Represented a public owner/transit agency in a very complicated land exchange, and joint development of a mixed-use transportation, retail, and office complex including a 28-story headquarters tower and multi-modal transportation facility. Exclusive right to negotiate, development agreement, reciprocal easement and operating agreement, access and easement agreements, master construction contract, construction management agreement, and other documents were drafted and negotiated.
• $120M – Developer’s Counsel in connection with the redevelopment, including demolition, zoning, infrastructure, and construction, of approximately 100 acres of land currently known as the ABLA Homes public housing development, located in Chicago, Illinois. The project involved (i) state, local, and federal government regulation, including zoning and land use; (ii) financing, including the use of public/private funds, tax increment financing (TIF), HOPE VI/Public housing capital funds, public housing operating subsidiaries, affordable housing development subsidies, and infrastructure resources; and (iii) real estate development, including issues of condominium law and land acquisition and condemnation strategies.
• Outside General Counsel for a minority-woman owned concrete construction company. Projects include the Obama Public Center.

Real Estate Backed Financing Transactions

• $22M – Lender’s Counsel to a national institutional investment firm in connection with the financing of a commercial office building located in Baltimore, Maryland. 
• $100M – Lender’s Counsel to an International Banking Institution having a Chicago presence on the issuance of various financing development transactions, including construction loan financings and revolving lines of credit to Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation, Resurrection Homes; loan participation facilities to CommunityReinvest IV and Oakwood Shores Development; and revolving lines of credit to Planned Parenthood.

Education

Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1996
Creighton University, B.A., Philosophy, 1993, cum laude

Bar Admissions

Illinois

Professional Memberships

Teaching Appointments

Adjunct Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law (2009-present)
Structured Transactions/Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Honors & Awards

Women of Influence Diversity Champion, ALM │ GlobeSt. (2024)
Woman of the Year, Illinois Real Estate Journal (2024)
The Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers® (Real Estate Law, 2010-2011, 2024-2025)
100 Top Women in Real Estate, Illinois Real Estate Journal (2006-present)
Illinois Leading Lawyer in Association & Non-Profit Law, Land Use, Zoning & Condemnation Law, Public Finance Law, Real Estate Law: Commercial, Real Estate Law: Finance, Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyers (2010-2024)
Illinois Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters (2006, 2008, 2011-2021, 2023-2024)
Chicago Notable Notable Black Leaders, Crain’s Chicago Business (2024)
Chicago Notable Women in Law, Crain’s Chicago Business (2024)
Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame, Midwest Real Estate News (2023)
Top Women in Law, Law Bulletin Media (2024)
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 (2022)
Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Award Honoree (2019)
Top Real Estate Attorney, Leading Lawyers Magazine (2011-2016)
Leading Women in Real Estates, Real Estate Publishing Group (2005-2016)
Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers® (2010-2011)
LEED Applied Professional Certification, Green Building Certification Institute (2009)
40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40, Law Bulletin Media (2004)