Richard C. Jones, Jr.

Of Counsel

Rick is an attorney with more than 40 years of professional experience. His practice is focused on commercial real estate matters, including drafting and negotiating commercial loan documents and leases. An experienced real estate and construction litigator, Rick has tremendous knowledge and experience with mechanics lien and mortgage foreclosure litigation, including federal and state trial and appellate experience. He was trained in real estate at Chicago Title Insurance Company, where he worked as a title examiner in law school. There, Rick gained unmatched insight into Chicago commercial real estate transactions – including matters such as Chicago’s legal description and property identification number (PINs) systems and customs – which has given his clients an upper-hand in litigation for decades.

Rick is a trial attorney. He has litigated countless cases in Cook County, Illinois, the surrounding counties, and in Illinois federal courts, where he has tried dozens of jury trials and bench trials to verdict and judgment. Rick has prosecuted scores of mortgage foreclosure proceedings through judgment, forced judicial sale of the subject real property, and transfer of real estate to its new owner by way of sheriff’s deed. He has represented contractors and subcontractors in construction litigation and mechanics lien foreclosure actions. He has represented clients in equitable proceedings, including quiet title, accounting, equitable liens and partition actions. Rick has also represented creditors in proceedings before federal Bankruptcy Court, including automatic stay litigation and objections to discharge actions.

Rick has extensive appellate experience, and has argued cases before the Illinois appellate courts and the Illinois Supreme Court. In fact, Rick was instrumental in creating widely-known mechanics lien law precedent by arguing the seminal LaSalle Bank Nat. Ass’n v. Cypress Creek 1, LP, 950 N.E.2d 1109, 1111, 351 Ill.Dec. 281, 283, 242 Ill.2d 231, 233 (Ill. 2011) decision before the Illinois Supreme Court – after the landmark case, the Illinois General Assembly codified the very position Rick advocated by amending the Illinois Mechanics Lien Act. He has also represented parties in arbitration and mediation proceedings before alternative dispute resolution facilitators, including the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and JAMS.

His substantial transactional experience includes closing hundreds of commercial real estate sales and purchases during his career.  He has drafted and negotiated real estate sale contracts for sellers and buyers.  He has also acted as outside counsel for Chicagoland banks and financial institutions, in matters including drafting mortgage loan documents and closing commercial loans. In addition, Rick has represented property owners and contractors in drafting and negotiating construction contracts.

Rick and Jeremy got to know each other as adversaries in litigation matters over the last decade, and Jeremy is honored and grateful that Rick has joined the firm as Of Counsel.