300 S. Wacker Drive
Suite 3400
Chicago IL 60606
TEL: 312.786.6560
FAX: 312.986.9192

Practice Areas

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, University of Illinois College of Law, 1997
B.A., cum laude, Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), 1994 (history, political science)

Bar & Court Admissions

Illinois
U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois

Brian P. Crowley

Partner

Brian has significant experience assisting school districts in all of their business dealings and transactions including contracting needs, real estate, leasing and finance matters. Brian is a “go-to source” in the firm on matters relating to the Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, various general election law issues, school boundary issues and charter schools. Beyond school districts, Brian has represented other public entities such as city councils, village boards, plan commissions and park district boards. This depth of local government experience gives Brian unique insight in assisting organizations with intergovernmental cooperation and agreements between public bodies. He has also served as public and private sector counsel in the negotiation of numerous transactions involving land use matters, private development matters and public financing matters.

Brian served as associate counsel to the Illinois Speaker of the House for a legislative term. He was the primary attorney for the Local Government, Urban Revitalization, and Transportation Committees.

Brian is a frequent author and speaker on school law matters and has made presentations for the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, SCOPE and Ed-Red. He is one of the primary authors of a chapter entitled “School Board Practices, Procedures, and Elections” for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

Brian is a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys, the Chicago Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Brian resides in the Ravenswood area in Chicago and is a frequent runner, participating in 5K and 8K races throughout the City. He also enjoys traveling with his young family to destinations where he can participate in his favorite activities, which are hiking, kayaking and golfing.

Representative Experience click to view

Acts as the primary attorney for more than 30 Illinois school districts on a diverse array of contract matters including construction, architect, transportation, and consultant and employment contracts; bidding issues; real estate and land use; and technology, energy savings and performance guarantee agreements
Handles complex FOIA requests, Open Meetings Act issues and other general governance issues
Serves as one of the firm’s primary election "go-to" partners for school districts
Counsels clients on the review and establishment of charter schools
Negotiates revenue generating agreements for school districts, including facility use agreements and cellular tower lease agreements
Served as primary attorney on a $7 million real estate purchase of a manufacturing facility by a local school district, assisting with the environmental remediation and development issues for the proposed development of athletic fields and facilities
Negotiated long term stadium use facility between a local high school district and local university

News

Attorneys Faulkner and Crowley Co-Author IICLE Chapter on Illinois School Law