Samuel’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 in representing title insurance companies and their insureds in title claims and real estate title actions.

He has extensive experience in representing lenders, note purchasers and servicers in loan workout and loan and collateral enforcement proceedings and actions against guarantors.

Samuel also has extensive experience in mechanics liens enforcement and proceedings, payment and performance bond enforcement and construction defect disputes.

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.

Samuel is certified by the American Arbitration Association as an arbitrator for consumer cases. 

DID YOU KNOW: I enjoy doing yoga.

  • Education:

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

    • 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
    • Illinois State Bar Association – Building Knowledge Construction Law Newsletter
    • Illinois State Bar Association – Commercial Banking Collections and Bankruptcy Section Counsel
    • Illinois State Bar Association Construction Law – Section Council
    • Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys (SOICA) – Treasurer
  • Seminars & Presentations:

    • “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
    • “Current Developments,” Illinois State Bar Association’s Real Estate Law Update, November 2020
    • “The Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry,” Illinois State Bar Association, August 2020
    • “How Architects Can Reduce Legal Risks in a COVID-19 Environment,” Association of Licensed Architects, June 2020
    • “Laws for Illinois Architects,” Halfmoon Education, May 2020
    • “Construction Industry Liability Issues Arising Out of COVID-19,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, April 2020
    • “Effective Strategies for Arbitration & Mediation,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, August 2019
    • “Protecting Your Client from Future Litigation,” Illinois State Bar Association’s Competence, Excellence, and Diversity in the Illinois Real Estate Practice Seminar, April 2019
    • “The Not So Neighborly Neighbor: Boundary and Building Issues with Adjacent Property Owners,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s Residential Real Estate Program, April 2019
    • “Bankruptcies and Claims,” Chicago Bar Association’s Mechanics Liens and Construction Claims Seminar, March 2019
    • “Bankruptcy in Construction Projects,” Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys (SOICA), March 2019
    • “Allowances and Contingencies: How to Avoid Disputes,” Lorman Education Services, February 2019
    • “Commercial Real Estate Construction Contracts and Mechanic Lien Litigation,” Kane County Bar Association’s Annual Commercial Real Estate Seminar, February 2019
    • “Construction Defects Litigation,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s Construction Litigation Dispute Resolution Seminar, December 2018
    • “Real Estate Law Update,” Illinois State Bar Association, October 2018
    • “Allowances and Contingencies,” Lorman Webinar, August 2018
    • “Representing the Elderly Real Estate Client,” Reverse Mortgages to Illinois State Bar Association, May 2018
    • “The Anatomy of a Mechanics Lien Claim,” Presented by the ISBA Construction Law Section, May 2018
    • “Legal Careers in Construction Law,” NIU College of Law, April 2018
    • “Lien Cuisine: Recent Development in Mechanics Lien Law,” DuPage County Real Estate Committee, December 2017
    • “Real Estate-Based Causes of Action,” Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Real Estate Short Course, September 2017
    • “Mechanics Liens and Claims in Bankruptcy,” Chicago Bar Association, January 2017 and December 2017
    • “Real Estate Litigation: A Toolkit for Transactional Lawyers,” PLI Commercial Real Estate Institute, November 2016
  • 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

Chicago, Illinois 312-377-1501 | Crown Point, Indiana 219-488-2590
Indianapolis, Indiana 219-488-2590 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin 414-758-3367

Chicago, Illinois

312-377-1501


Crown Point, Indiana

219-488-2590


Indianapolis, Indiana

219-488-2590


Milwaukee, Wisconsin

414-758-3367