Samuel Levine’s practice covers a broad spectrum of activities in the area of real estate litigation, including construction disputes, mechanics liens and bond claims, commercial mortgage foreclosures and other proceedings to enforce creditors’ rights, real estate title disputes and bankruptcy matters.

Samuel has extensive experience representing title insurance companies and their insureds in complex title claims and real estate title actions. He also advises and represents lenders, note purchasers and servicers in loan workouts, collateral enforcement proceedings, and actions against guarantors, providing strategic counsel to protect their interests and resolve disputes effectively.

In addition, Samuel has significant experience in mechanics lien enforcement and related proceedings, as well as payment and performance bond enforcement and construction defect disputes. His broad background across real estate, finance, and construction matters enables him to navigate complex legal and regulatory issues with precision and deliver practical, results-driven solutions for his clients.

He has tried and arbitrated construction, foreclosure and real estate related litigation cases. His clients include secured creditors, developers, construction industry parties and title insurers. Samuel has written and spoken extensively on a variety of topics relating to construction law, mortgage foreclosure law, bankruptcy and other real estate topics. He is an arbitrator of mechanics lien cases as part of the Cook County, Illinois mechanics liens pilot arbitration program.

• Education:

  • J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1981
  • B.A., Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1978

• Professional Memberships & Associations:

  • Illinois State Bar Association Real Estate Section Council Secretary
  • Illinois State Bar Association Commercial Banking Collections and Bankruptcy Section Member and CLE Chair
  • Illinois State Bar Association Construction Law Section Council and Newsletter Editor
  • Illinois State Bar Association Legislative Committee Member
  • American College of Real Estate Lawyers
  • Chicago Bar Association – Mechanics Liens and Construction Subcommittee
  • Chicago Mortgage Attorneys Association
  • DuPage County Arbitration Program
  • DuPage County Real Estate Law Committee
  • Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys (SOICA) – Treasurer

• Seminars & Presentations:

  • Recovering Attorneys Fees in Real Estate Litigation, Illinois State Bar Association, October 2025
  • How an Idea Becomes a Bill and (Hopefully) Becomes a Law, Chicago Bar Association, June 2025
  • Collecting Against LLC Interests and Using Equitable Remedies to Enforce Judgments, Illinois State Bar Association, February 2025
  • The Nuts & Bolts of Mechanics’ Liens, May 2024
  • Lien Cuisine; Perfecting and Enforcing Mechanics Liens, Lake County Bar Association, March 2024
  • Single Family Residential Construction The Owner’s Perspective, Lake County Bar Association, January 2024
  • Condominium Association Litigation on Behalf of the Board and the Owner, Illinois State Bar Association’s Real Estate Law Webcast, April 2021
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Construction Arbitration: Know Before You Include Arbitration Clauses in your Contract, American College of Real Estate Lawyers, January 2021
  • Bankruptcy and Receiverships, Chicago Bar Association, December 2020
  • Understanding Construction Claims and Construction Claims Processes, Illinois State Bar Association’s Construction Law Primer for Young Attorneys and General Practitioners, November 2020

• Articles & Publications:

  • “Consequences of Stopping Construction: Delays and Disruptions Resulting from Catastrophes,” American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education, The Practical Real Estate Lawyer, May 2022
  • “Amendment to Illinois Mechanics Lien Act Authorizes Bonding Over of Mechanics Liens Claims”
  • “City of Chicago to Tax Assignments of Mortgages”
  • “Court Denies City of Chicago’s Tax on Assignments of Mortgages”
  • “Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Practice Handbook,” – Chapter Author “Judgments of Foreclosure, Reinstatement, and Redemption”
  • “New AIA 2017 Construction Contracts Part I: Owner General Contractor Forms”
  • “New AIA 2017 Construction Contracts Part II: Bankruptcy”
  • “Restoring the Benefit of the Bargain,” American College for Real Estate Lawyers Papers, Spring 2017
  • “Subcontractors Claims,” Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education – Construction Dispute Litigation, 2017 Edition
  • “Tis Better to Receive–The use of a Receiver in Managing Distressed Real Estate,” American College of Real Estate Lawyers Papers, Fall 2009
  • Co-Authored Mechanics Liens in Illinois Handbook Chapters on, “Trial Practice: Proof of Selected Issues” and “Trial Practice: Proof of Damages Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education – IICLE
  • Co-authored Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education Handbook on Real Estate Litigation Chapter on Rescission and Chapter on Judgments, Reinstatement and Redemption, 2016

• News & Insights

  • Levelset, “How to Minimize Risk on Government Construction Projects,” March 2021