Practice Areas:

• Business Law 
• Employment Law
• Litigation 
• Construction Law
• Real Estate
  

G. A. Finch is a partner in the firm's business, litigation and real estate practice groups. Mr. Finch regularly advises clients on all facets of their business and litigation matters including formations, financings, acquisitions, corporate compliance and corporate governance. He negotiates and drafts employment contracts concerning senior executives and professionals. He also negotiates and drafts outsourcing, technology licensing, energy, manufacturing, supply, franchise, consulting, confidentiality, and construction agreements. His clients include publicly traded companies, closely held corporations, financial institutions, health care organizations, not-for-profits, municipal corporations as well as numerous developers, architects, engineers, brokers, and contractors. He has more than 20 years of experience in handling major real estate and construction projects as well as substantial experience in employment law, ethics investigations and counsel, government procurement and governmental affairs.

Prior to his becoming a full-time transactional attorney, he also was a civil litigator for ten years.

His previous positions have included co-managing shareholder, corporate group chair, real estate group chair, and governmental affairs/procurement group chair at another law firm. Additionally, he is a former City of Chicago Deputy Planning Commissioner, Illinois Human Rights Commissioner, Chicago Housing Authority General Counsel, and Deputy General Counsel to the Illinois Capital Development Board. Mr. Finch served as a Law Clerk to Chief Judge James B. Parsons of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Representative work for Mr. Finch includes:

Commercial & Corporate Matters:

• Acted as special counsel for Board of Education of the City of Chicago $547,335,000 Unlimited Tax GO bond deal
• Represented out-of-state lender as local counsel in loan document review for legal sufficiency and due diligence for $140 million  financing of bio-fuels plant expansion
• Represented corporate borrower on $70 million revolving credit facility, $30 million credit facility, $7.5 million consolidated loan and security agreement, and $2.5 million subordinated debenture term note and pledge agreement; supervised document negotiations and revisions
• Represented major subprime automobile lender in providing an opinion letter concerning the legal sufficiency of the sale and assignment of certain retail installment contracts secured by security interests to accomplish the issuance of  $126,060,667 asset backed notes; led a 5-person team to conduct due diligence and contract review for several related entities in 17 states and negotiated and drafted appropriate opinion letter
• Represented selling telecommunications company in 100% stock sale
• Acted as borrower’s counsel for a charter school $7,220,000 (combined tax exempt and taxable) bond deal
• Acted as special counsel for  Board of Education of the City of Chicago $53,750,000 TIF-backed  GO bond deal
• Represented dental HMO and optical HMO in 100% stock sale of companies
• Represented telecommunications company in structuring alliance relationship for multiple public contracts
• Represented closely held carriage trade jewelry corporation in unwinding a joint venture, selling 20% of its stock and restructuring its debt; drafted all documentation
• Formed and organized a wholly owned US subsidiary of Canadian software company
• Advised major corporation in anticipatory breach of media sponsorship contract matter
• Represented technology company and trucking company in their stock redemption agreements
• Represented restaurant, tax services, and printing companies concerning their franchise agreements
• Acted as outside general counsel to health care organizations
• Represented authors in their publishing contracts
• Negotiated and drafted agreement to purchase major public art sculpture

Employment:

• Drafted employment contracts concerning a CEO of a manufacturing company, CEO of a health center, a CEO of major chamber of commerce and a CEO of American subsidiary of European multinational company; negotiated employment contracts of a CEO of American subsidiary of Japanese multinational company, senior vice president of securities firm, managing director of money management firm, a general counsel of a technology firm, a CEO of major municipal corporation, and a senior vice president of American subsidiary of European bank; advised not-for-profit CEOs, EVPs, COOs, and CFOs of health care providers and affordable housing organization concerning employment contracts
• Advised and negotiated numerous physician employment contracts
• Represented numerous employers on employment claims including wrongful termination, whistle blowers, race, sex, national origin, religion, age, and disability discrimination
• Represented numerous employers and employees in their separation and severance agreements
• Represented "talent" concerning television employment contracts and agent contracts
• Counseled employers on employee policy manuals, FLSA, FMLA, ADA, COBRA, etc.

Real Estate Matters:

• Represented energy company in its obtaining special use permits in two counties for massive wind farm project
• Represented Chicago Housing Authority in its Planned Development concerning retail and service uses.
• Represented energy company in its real estate due diligence for $2 billion acquisition of wind farms
• Represented seller in $4,054,000 sale of 43 acres of farm land to cold storage warehouse company
• Represented energy company in obtaining multiple wind turbine leases/easements
• Represented Fortune 500 Company outdoor advertising subsidiary in its leases, easements, and licenses
• Represented construction contractor in the purchase of headquarters building and industrial space
• Negotiated, drafted, and closed sales, purchases, leases, licenses, and bond financing for over 140 facilities and over 150 acres for Chicago Park District in its master transfer agreement with the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Public Building Commission
• Represented European company in its advertising bus shelter licenses with numerous municipalities
• Represented real estate investment firm in the purchase of downtown office property
• Represented mixed-use developer in major annexation agreement in a Northern Illinois city
• Represented residential developer in multiple acquisitions of land
• Represented lenders and borrowers in documentation of real estate loans
• Represented landlords and tenants in office, industrial and retail leases
• Represented numerous title company insureds in real estate litigation
• Represented numerous contractors, subcontractors, architects and engineers in construction litigation
• Oversaw redevelopment in downtown Chicago as deputy planning commissioner

Education:

• University of Michigan (JD)
• Michigan Journal of International Law (formerly Michigan Yearbook of International Legal Studies)
• Amherst College (BA)

Admissions:

• Illinois
• District of Columbia
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Including Trial Bar)

Professional Activities:

• Chicago Bar Association Board of Managers 
• CBA Television Productions, Inc. Board of Directors
• Chicago Bar Foundation Board of Directors (2011 Fall Benefit Chair; Investing in Justice Vice Chair; Life Fellow; Finance & Audit Committee; Nomination & Governance Committee)
• Member, The Economic Club of Chicago
• Fellow, Leadership Greater Chicago
• Fellow, Salzburg Seminar - International Trade
• Illinois Leading Lawyer
• Illinois Super Lawyer
• Highest Martindale Peer Review Rating in Legal Ability & Ethics (AV)
• Member, Lambda Alpha International Honorary Land Economics Society
• John Marshall Law School Center for Real Estate Law Advisory Board
• Former Adjunct Professor, John Marshall Law School
• Former Secretary, Editorial Board Member, Illinois Bar Journal
• Former Editorial Board Member, CBA Record
• Former Editorial Board Member, Journal of Real Estate Development
• Former Editorial Board Member, Journal of Real Estate Finance
• Former Member, Chicago Bar Association Real Property Committee Executive Council
• Former Chair, Union League Club Steering Committee on Real Estate

Civic Activities:

• Chair, Decatur Classical School Local School Council, currently
• City Colleges of Chicago Community Advisory Council, currently
• Concept Schools, Inc. Advisory Committee, currently
• Cook County Recorder’s Blue Ribbon Committee, previously
• Governor’s Steering Committee on Housing, previously
• Cook County Board President’s Transition Team, previously
• Illinois Agriculture Export Advisory Committee, previously
• Two Governor’s Transition Teams, previously
• Lieutenant Governor’s Energy Working Group, previously
• Former Board of Trustees, Hampshire College (Chair of Buildings & Grounds Committee)
• Former Board of Trustees, Commonwealth School
• Former Board of Trustees, Chicago Housing Authority Pension Fund
• Former President, Board of Advisors of St. Joseph Seminary of Loyola University
• Former Vice President, Chicago Area Boy Scouts Council Board of Directors
• Former Vice President, Amherst Club of Chicago
• Former Board of Trustees, Robert Morris College  
• Former President, Katherine Dunham Retrospective Festival
• Former Board of Directors, Chicago Sinfonietta
• Former Vice President, Pegasus Players Board of Directors
• Former Illinois State General Counsel for League of United Latin American Citizens and Vice President of Council 313 (LULAC)
• Lifetime Member, Association For the Study of African American Life & History
• Former Freed Scholars Committee of Roosevelt University

Honors & Awards:

• Chicago Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Citizens Award
• Chicago Commission on Human Relations Thomas and Eleanor Wright Award
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Award
• Named a Business Leader of Color by Chicago United
• Cook County Bar Association Ida B. Platt Award

Publications:

• "How Serving on Non-Profit Boards Can Boost Your Career," Diversity MBA Magazine
• “City of Chicago Political Contributions Limitations and Prohibitions,”  Client Alert
• “Municipal Law Tips: Ten Basic Things To Know About Illinois Public Official Gift Bans,” Martindale.com Articles
• “How to Keep Your Business Information Confidential,” Daily Reporter
• "A/E Confidential: Protecting Trade Secrets," Consulting-Specifying Engineer
• "The Consequences of 'Anticipatory' Breaches of Contracts,"  Daily Reporter
• "Public Contractor Misconduct in Illinois,"  Client Alert
• "Non-compete Agreements: You May Not Get What You Bargained For," Lorman.com Newsletters
• “Chicago's New Restrictive Covenant Ordinance,” Illinois Real Estate Journal
• "Employment Contracts: A Primer," Daily Reporter
• "Employment Contracts: More Than Just a Handshake,” Consulting-Specifying Engineer
• “Attorney Billing Practices:  What is a Consumer of Legal Services to Think,” Illinois State Bar Association
• “Employment Contracts – What You Should Know,” Midwest Engineer
• “Talking Politics, Why Do We Need a Robust CTA?  Entire Region’s Health Depends on It,” Crain’s Chicago Business
• “Lawyer’s Forum:  Block 37’ Just One Piece of North Loop Project,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin 6
• “Talking Development, Mickey on State:  What Dealmakers Can Expect,” Crain’s Chicago Business
• “Talking Politics, What Should Be Done With Block 37?  Keep it Vacant,” Crain’s Chicago Business
• “Effective Meetings,” CBA Record
• “Illinois Public Bidding Statute:  The Pitfalls,” 78 Illinois Bar Journal 402
• “Understanding the Other Sector in the Regulatory and Market Environments,” The Journal of Real Estate Development
• “A Primer on Illinois Public Mechanics Liens,” 75 Illinois Bar Journal 500
• “Going to Leader School Makes Chicago Stronger, Your Turn,” Crain’s Chicago Business
• “Lawyers Forum: Bankruptcy Law - Retroactive Relief Should be Considered,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin 2
• “Lawyer’s Forum: Attorney Fees – The Illinois Statutory Attorney’s Lien,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin 2
• “American Antidumping Law & Japanese Imports,” Spring-Autumn Papers

Presentations:

Mr. Finch has lectured on topics including business startups, business succession, employment, real estate, environment, construction, social media, election law, achievement motivation/education ethic, and civic affairs as well as economic development.