Thomas R. Burney

Practiced land use law for 39 years, since 1977, when I graduated from Loyola University at Chicago Law School. My land use practice involves all aspects of the entitlement process including presenting cases for zoning relief including map and text amendments, special and conditional uses, variations and planned unit developments in cities, village and counties in the region. Over the course of career I have annexed thousands of acres of ground into communities located in the Chicago Metropolitan area and negotiated dozens of annexation agreements. I have been the lead attorney on nearly 100 lawsuits and related appeals initiated in Cook County and the collar counties involving among others challenges to municipal decisions to deny requested zoning relief; petitioning to disconnect land from municipalities; and mandamus actions to compel a municipality to execute subdivision plats.

I have been retained by private developers and municipalities to draft and negotiate economic incentive agreements including TIF redevelopment agreements and sales tax sharing agreements. I served as Village Attorney to the Village of Palatine for ten (10) years from 1992 to 2002 and appointed as special counsel to several municipalities in the region.

Significant case include the SWANCC (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County balefill and transfer stations in the 90’s which resulted in the siting of the balefill and transfer station and a landmark decision limiting the Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction over isolated wetlands; United States v. Palatine which resulted in the Seventh Circuit decision requiring the exhaustion of administrative remedies before initiating a Fair Housing Act violation; two significant affordable housing entitlements; and a recent appellate and trial court decision affirming municipal zoning jurisdiction over school property. I have been an adjunct professor at Loyola-Chicago Law School teaching land use law since 2009.

Practice areas:
Land use, zoning, litigation, municipal law, developer incentives and government relations

Education:
JD, 1977, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
BA, 1972, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Bar Admission:
Illinois