THE GEORGES Shaping Chicago’S Skyline Father/Daughter Team Is Respected for Their Honesty, Integrity and Hard Work
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JANUARY 2019 LEADING LAWYERS MAGAZINE REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION & ENVIRONMENTAL EDITION THE TOP REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, ENVIRONMENTAL, AGRICULTURE, ENERGY, PUBLIC FINANCE AND PUBLIC UTILITIES LAWYERS IN ILLINOIS THE GEORGES Shaping Chicago’s Skyline Father/daughter team is respected for their honesty, integrity and hard work FEATURING: ARNIE MALK SARAH SHAW TOM BOYLAN JEFF YOUNGERMAN PAUL KELLEY AS WELL AS 16 OTHERS AND TOP 10 & 100 LISTS ALSO, EMERGING LAWYERS PRACTICING REAL ESTATE- RELATED AREAS OF LAW LEADINGLAWYERS.COM AKERMAN LLP THE Navigating Their Clients Through the GEORGES Complexities of Urban Redevelopment by Mike Bailey In the bewildering world of urban the redevelopment business. developments in the country and what we redevelopment, one Chicago law firm has a “Our company has used Jack George for consider ‘a village in the heart of the city.’ demonstrated track record of getting a project over the past 20 years,” says Joel Carlins, co- “We also are currently developing Vista, over the finish line. That consistent and CEO of Magellan Development. “I am a which will be the third tallest residential reliable performance is not achieved by guile, developer and an attorney since 1960. Our development in Chicago consisting of 101 but by adherence to a set of principles and a company has retained Jack for virtually all of stories, all of which have had the assistance reputation for honesty. our development in the city of Chicago. Several of Jack, with respect to various requirements It has taken years, but Jack George and have had a number of complexities, which were including all zoning and most governmental his daughter and protégé, Meg, have helped uncommon to most of our past developments. approvals required. I consider Jack also a very establish Akerman LLP as one of the premier He always has been able to assist us in obtaining good friend and can attest to his qualities of real estate development law firms in Chicago. reasonable solutions and approvals.” truth, ethics and integrity.” The George family dominates redevelopment Jack’s projects are behemoths, often rising law in Chicago, advising on massive and above the city skyline or reshaping prime SMART AND WELL RESPECTED complex projects that have shaped the growth real estate along some of the most famous Meg handles her clients with the same and expansion of Chicago and will influence it boulevards in the country. comprehensive scope as her father. One well into the future. “We have, during that time developed project that has occupied some of her busy What makes it all work is that Meg and Jack approximately 40 mixed-use residential schedule is the new Time Out food hall and are not only complementary business partners developments with an aggregate of about market planned for 916 W. Fulton St. That but they also deeply respect each other and 15,000 residential units, hotels, commercial venture is part of Time Out magazine’s cultural work in harmony to create more value than and retail uses,” Carlins adds. experiences, launching in Chicago and other either of them could alone. “Our Lakeshore East Development is cities next year. The market will feature a mini- Jack established his reputation over many approximately 27 acres of land, pre-zoned, recreation of 16 top restaurants as identified years through the successful completion of with a flexible formula for use, and it enables by the editors of the magazine in a 50,000 countless projects in Chicago and is considered us to develop approximately 10 million square square foot renovated building. In addition to the premier attorney in his field by many in feet of mixed uses. It is one of the largest urban the restaurants, the plan calls for three bars, a This article originally appeared in Leading Lawyers Magazine—Real Estate, Construction & Environmental Edition for 2019 and has been reprinted with permission. ©2019 Law Bulletin Media demonstration kitchen and a retail area. provides a framework to create healthy, highly from preservationists, neighbors and the That project required a delicate touch, Meg efficient and cost-saving green buildings. architectural community. It was all part of the says, because of the effort needed to preserve “Meg is a superb attorney who has skillfully job for the Georges. as much of the West Fulton Street building as represented our organization through various “The plan (at Union Station and adjacent possible, even though its condition had badly real estate-related matters ranging from property) called for 1.5 million square feet of deteriorated. Because her clients don’t cut environmental to land use and development,” office space, a large parking structure, a hotel corners to rush through a project, Meg says, says Jason Feldman, CEO of Green Era and retail space,” Jack says. While the structure project developers took down the building Sustainability. “Meg guided us through a could support the seven-story apartment brick by brick and rebuilt it to be as unobtrusive complex process of working with the city of building atop the iconic building, neighbors and historically correct as possible. Chicago and IL/US EPA to remediate and and historic preservationists were not impressed. “L3 Capital has worked with Meg for about redevelop a brownfield site for an innovative “There were landmark (status) issues,” Meg four years on several projects throughout renewable energy project.” says. “They (developers) wanted a residential Chicago,” says Whitney Robinette, a director development on top of the building, but at of L3 Capital, a real estate investment firm and SAME WORK ETHIC, PRINCIPLES community meetings (where the plan was developer of 916 W. Fulton. “Meg is extremely But Feldman says Meg also was more than explained) it was clear that was not going to be knowledgeable about the city of Chicago land just a transactional attorney. “She took a acceptable to the community and, therefore, use laws and really makes an effort to work genuine interest to learn about our project and to 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly. So, with her clients so they can understand them provide our team with insightful guidance and that part of the plan was abandoned, and it as well and so they can be adequately prepared successful results. Meg has worked with us for will now just include a hotel.” to meet deadlines,” Robinette says. over four years, and we know we can trust her The reworked plan now calls for an addition And, she says, Meg shares many of her to get the job done well. She is smart, sharp to the station’s historic 1925 headhouse father’s attributes. “She is incredibly smart and a great legal asset. We’ve been lucky to building—the upper levels of which will and well respected in her field. She makes an have her on our team,” he says. house two hotels with a total of 400 guest effort to really get to know her clients not only Even among family members whose rooms and office space for Amtrak. Set back on a business level but on a personal level as personalities and methods are compatible, from the edge of the rooftop cornice, the new well. She takes time to fully understand working together can be awkward or, in penthouse level will attempt to mesh with the the scope of our projects in order to help us extreme cases, uncomfortable. That issue existing building’s architectural style and will achieve our goals. never arose, says Jack. not be visible from street level, planners say. “Her attention to detail, strong “It is not awkward at all,” he says. “We share The latest proposal will create a hotel communication skills, guidance and the same vision of the law, the same sense of entrance on Jackson Street, add retail offerings professionalism make her unique in her field. culture (at Akerman), the same method of to Clinton Street, and relocate valet operations I have really enjoyed working with and getting practice. And we both seek to be properly to a space within the building. The traffic to know Meg over the years and admire her prepared for each case we handle. We just management plan was tweaked to reduce drop- for her genuine personality, ability to balance meshed. We share the same work ethic.” offs on Adams Street, another compelling issue work and motherhood at the same time and Meg agrees, saying that she never felt she the Georges had to address. her skill set in the land use field.” had to prove herself or compete in any way Increased density at any site creates The Georges have a similar career arc. Both with her father’s legendary status in Chicago. additional traffic. In a city in which the flow of grew up in Chicago. While Meg did attend St. “It’s never been like that. We work together traffic is already difficult to manage, adding a Ignatius College Prep, Jack is a Life Trustee to formulate the best strategy. No one is better hotel, office space and more retail can have an there. Both graduated from Xavier University than my father by the way he prepares. He incredible impact. in Cincinnati, and both earned law degrees reads everything, every document. I emulate Meg says the Chicago Department of from DePaul College of Law. Meg, however, (his methods) and admire the way he treats Transportation and a traffic engineer had to took a slightly more circuitous route to her people and his ethics. Everyone is treated the sign off on the project after ensuring that other final destination. same, from the clients to the office staff.” businesses and residences in the community “I loved economics and art and design,” “We don’t work together on the same project would not be adversely impacted and that she says.