James Paul F. Bebawy

James was great, until he wasn’t. I hired James through a recommendation and he was responsive, kind, and seemingly knowledgeable for the purchase of my home in October 2024. During the transaction, he were aware of the potential special assessment but failed to take appropriate steps to determin...e its extent or likelihood. When I later inquired why he didn’t seek further clarification from the HOA, he responded in writing, "I would have been happy to do so had you expressed a concern about this." Additionally, he mentioned that the 22.1 disclosure contained “VERY general language, with no specific projects or amounts indicated.” However, this statement is inaccurate. The 22.1 disclosure clearly stated that projects were under consideration, that a special assessment was possible in late 2024, and that the exact amount was yet to be determined. An experienced attorney should recognize the difference between generic boilerplate language and this disclosure, which presents a tangible, known risk. His responses demonstrate a clear failure in his professional responsibilities. As my attorney, it was his duty—not mine—to investigate potential financial risks and ensure I had all relevant information before closing. Rather than waiting for me—who is not a legal expert—to flag such matters, it was his responsibility to proactively identify and address any potential liabilities. Had he exercised reasonable care by inquiring about the special assessment, I would have had the opportunity to renegotiate the terms, request that the seller cover the cost, or reconsider the purchase altogether. James’ failure to do so has caused significant financial harm of $20,240 plus interest. I do not recommend, he cost me over 20k from his mistake.

I used James for my recent Chicago condo purchase, which he made an extremely smooth and painless process. James answered all of my questions and always responded to my emails very quickly (even late at night and over weekends). Whenever I had a question, concern, or problem, James always made time t...o talk to me that day (usually within a few hours of my initial email to them). Even more fantastic was that James, the founding partner, is the one who took my calls and returned my emails, as opposed to being passed off to a lower level associate. Being incredibly familiar with the intricacies and complexities of Chicago condo purchases, James also made sure that the overall purchase process was proceeding as scheduled. James' experience and expertise were especially demonstrated during the closing at the title office, where he spotted that the PIN number on the property was written incorrectly on some of the closing documents. Thank goodness for his attention to detail because that could have been a huge problem down the road. James sat with me through the entire closing and explained the entire closing process. He even keeps the closing documents for 7 years at his office in the event that I lose mine - now that's a great client experience! I highly recommended James to a number of my colleagues and they all enjoyed working with him as well. James emailed me to thank me for each of the people that I referred to him. I can't recommend James (and his staff) enough. They are incredibly professional, experienced, and responsive.

James is a wonderful attorney. From our very first phone call he was attentive, responsive and explained the process in a clear, concise manner. He helped us through both our home sale and home buying process and though there were a few bumps in the road, James guided us through everything seamlessly.... He was always our advocate and absolutely had our best interests at heart. James will definitely be the first phone call we make if we sell or buy again.