p 312) 251-5286
e sviz@fslegal.com

Stephen A. Viz concentrates his practice in the areas of eminent domain/condemnation litigation, other real estate-related litigation and commercial/business litigation.  For almost 20 years, Steve has devoted his practice to counseling private landowners, commercial tenants, business owners, lenders and governmental agencies in eminent domain, real estate and business matters as well as litigating on their behalf when necessary.  Steve has a proven track record of obtaining just compensation for his clients significantly above the government’s offer for the taking of private property interests in eminent domain proceedings, both by settlement and jury verdict.  Steve has tried eminent domain cases in federal court as well as state courts throughout Illinois.  Additionally, Steve has litigated multiple challenges to the government’s authority to use the power of eminent domain to condemn private property interests in certain circumstances.

Steve’s experience in eminent domain and condemnation has involved numerous large scale public works projects on the federal, state and local level, including new highways, highway extensions and reconfigurations, roadway and intersection expansions, electrical power stations, interstate pipelines, airports, downtown municipal redevelopments, TIF district acquisitions, municipal acquisitions, forest preserve acquisitions, park district acquisitions and school district acquisitions in Cook, Will, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, Kankakee, Kendall, Kane and LaSalle Counties.  Steve also represents owners of vacant land sought by governmental entities for public use or private development.

Steve has litigated numerous eminent domain cases to jury verdict on behalf of both property owners and condemning authorities.  He has represented Fortune 500 corporations, family-owned businesses, homeowners and condo associations, individual property owners and commercial tenants in eminent domain matters involving the acquisition of commercial, industrial, residential, agricultural and vacant property. Steve also represents financial institutions and other lenders in protecting their interests in eminent domain proceedings.  He also represents a wide array of commercial tenants, including restaurants, retail stores, offices and other businesses in eminent domain litigation to assure that they receive just compensation for the taking of their interests, as well as all the moving and relocation benefits to which they may be entitled. Steve has written and lectured on various eminent domain topics for National Business Institute and has conducted seminars and town hall meetings on eminent domain issues.

Steve also handles other types of civil litigation, including matters involving business and commercial disputes, shareholder disputes and oppression actions, property disputes, easement disputes, breach of contract, fraud, professional malpractice, landlord and tenant disputes, homeowners’ disputes, annexation and land use.  In addition, Steve has extensive experience representing corporations and individuals in negotiations and transactions for the sale and purchase of real estate.

Steve has also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General representing both the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority in eminent domain and land acquisition litigation for large scale roadway improvement projects, most notably the I-355 South Extension.

Steve graduated from Marist High School in Chicago.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 1989 where he was a charter member of the Theodore M. Hesburgh Program in Public Policy and served as the Hesburgh Intern at the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.  Steve received his law degree from the Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1992.

Steve is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Will County Bar Association and the Notre Dame Attorney Network, and he serves on the executive committee of the Marist Alumni Law Association.  He is married with six children.