Practice Areas: Land Use & Zoning, Government Relations, Cannabis Law view more
Licensed in Illinois since: 1995
Education: Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2025 Call today:
312-300-4587
Virtual Appointments Reyes Kurson
328 South Jefferson StSuite 909
Chicago, IL 60661 Visit website
Details
Amy Kurson helps highly regulated businesses interact with local governments in northern Illinois. She has extensive experience coordinating with government on procurement and economic development matters. Amy has represented public-private partnerships, hospitals, charter schools, pawn shops, industrial facilities, and developers in highly sensitive land development and incentive matters. For challenging projects, Amy helps clients combine creative legal strategies, public affairs outreach plans, and government affairs approaches to achieve winning results.
Amy received her Juris Doctor from the Chicago Kent College of Law. She is managing partner of Reyes Kurson, and a former member of the Illinois Human Rights Commission and Illinois Liquor Control Commission.
Practice areas
Land Use/Zoning, Government Relations, Cannabis Law, Real Estate: Business- 40% Land Use/Zoning
- 30% Government Relations
- 20% Cannabis Law
- 10% Real Estate: Business
First Admitted: 1995, Illinois
Professional Webpage: https://www.rkchicago.com/meet-our-team/
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Covered current laws and legislation in the State of Illinois and in Cook County., Presenter and author, "Land Use and Zoning", National Business Institute, Government, Banking, Hospitals, Transportation, 2003
- Indepth analysis of Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act and how it governs Facility Siting., Co-Author, "An Analysis of Facility Siting Issues under Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996", 30 Urban Lawyer 729, 1, Telecommunications, Government, Banking, Hospitals, Transportation, 2005
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Amy presented Chicago’s first case on the issue of medical marijuana dispensaries., 2019
- Amy serves as land-use counsel for the company that developed Chicago’s city digital network, a public-private partnership that operates nearly 60 digital signs along city expressways. , 2021
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Key advisor to Iris Y. Martinez, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Assisting the new Clerk with her transition team., 2020
- Amy recently secured a controversial zoning approval for placement of the first sober home on Chicago’s North Shore., 2018
Transactions:
- Prentice Women’s Hospital – Teaching Hospital in Chicago’s Most Affluent NeighborhoodDeveloped and executed a strategy to secure land use approvals for a new high-rise hospital and parking facility without public hearings; navigated multi-party review process, 2020
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – Construction Sites NationwideLegal services including drafting construction agreements and directives, provided site-specific analysis and counsel; conducted 50-state review of regulations to support Clean Water Act compliance at construction sites around the country to comply with the terms of a settlement between Wal-Mart and the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Delaware, and the States of Tennessee and Utah, 2020
- J.B. Hunt – Container Storage FacilityProvided government relations services, public relations consulting, and real estate and zoning legal work to secure zoning approval for new freight container facility on historic Route 66 at property near residential uses, 2020
- Century Docks – Rock crushing and construction and demolition materials recycling facility on Calumet River (former location of Koch Carbon, Inc.)Ongoing government relations, public affairs, and legal services to secure zoning and environmental approvals for a proposed rock crushing and construction and demolition reprocessable materials facility, 2020
- Illinois Medical District – 560 acre medical and technology district on Chicago’s west sideOngoing land use counsel; pursuing comprehensive amendment to zoning ordinance that has governed every property in the district since 1997; land use counsel for development projects, 2020
- General Iron – Metal recycling operation located in Lincoln Park in the process of transitioning operations to a new location on the south side of ChicagoOngoing legal and government relations to preserve rights to operate in Lincoln Park while the North Branch Industrial Corridor transitions to the mixed-use development Lincoln Yards and to secure land use approvals for a proposed new location in a community where organized environmental justice activists oppose all new industrial projects, 2020
- Interstate JCDecaux – Public-private partnership with the City of Chicago to install and operate digital signs that carry public messages and advertisingOngoing counsel and advice on Illinois Plat Act, Illinois Administrative Code, Chicago Zoning Ordinance, and government relations and coordination of legal services for interactions with Illinois Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, 2020
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
- ComEd v. Premcor Refining Group – Recovery of Damages for Environmental RemediationHandled litigation and negotiated settlement to recover ComEd’s losses for emergency clean-up of contamination resulting from a third-party criminal act that damaged a ComEd transformer at a Premcor refinery site, 2020
- Obtained dismissal of defamation claims against public company in action seeking over $1 million in compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages and attorneys fees., 2017
- Secured $2.5 million pre-hearing settlement in $39 million tax litigationbrought by Ciy of Chicago againts a national communications company., 2018
Representative Clients:
- JCDecaux - Represent street furniture concessionaire on contract with City of Chicago, 2021
- Reliable Asphalt Corporation - Represent manufacturing company on land use and zoning matters, 2021
- Prudential Insurance Company, 2020
- Allstate Insurance Company, 2020
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – Construction Sites NationwideLegal services including drafting construction agreements and directives, provided site-specific analysis and counsel; conducted 50-state review of regulations to support Clean Water Act compliance at construction sites around the country to comply with the terms of a settlement between Wal-Mart and the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Delaware, and the States of Tennessee and Utah, 2010
- J.B. Hunt – Container Storage FacilityProvided government relations services, public relations consulting, and real estate and zoning legal work to secure zoning approval for new freight container facility on historic Route 66 at property near residential uses, 2020
- General Iron – Metal recycling operation located in Lincoln Park in the process of transitioning operations to a new location on the south side of ChicagoOngoing legal and government relations to preserve rights to operate in Lincoln Park while the North Branch Industrial Corridor transitions to the mixed-use development Lincoln Yards and to secure land use approvals for a proposed new location in a community where organized environmental justice activists oppose all new industrial projects, 2020
- American Water, 2019
- Illinois Medical District – represent the district in all zoning and land use matters. The district is a 560 acre medical and technology zone that is a unit of local government located on Chicago’s west side. Representative matters include a comprehensive amendment to the zoning ordinance that has governed every property in the district since 1997. Serves as land use counsel for development projects., 2021
- Prentice Women’s Hospital – Teaching Hospital in Chicago’s Most Affluent NeighborhoodDeveloped and executed a strategy to secure land use approvals for a new high-rise hospital and parking facility without public hearings; navigated multi-party review process, 2020
- Interstate JCDecaux – Public-private partnership with the City of Chicago to install and operate digital signs that carry public messages and advertisingOngoing counsel and advice on Illinois Plat Act, Illinois Administrative Code, Chicago Zoning Ordinance, and government relations and coordination of legal services for interactions with Illinois Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, 2020
- Ameren, 2019
- WEC Energy Group, 2019
- ComEd – Recovery of Damages for Environmental RemediationHandled litigation and negotiated settlement to recover ComEd’s losses for emergency clean-up of contamination resulting from a third-party criminal act that damaged a ComEd transformer at a Premcor refinery site, 2020
- Peoples Gas, Natural Gas Delivery, 2019
Honors/Awards:
- From 2020 to present, Best Law Fim, U.S. News Best Lawyers, 2022
- 2019 to present- Peer nominated and selected as a Leading Lawyer in her practice areas., Leading Lawyer In Illinois, Leading Lawyers, 2022
- 2019 to present, Super Lawyer, Super Lawyer, 2022
- Reyes Kurson’s managing partner Amy Kurson was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ Notable Gen X Leaders In Law earlier this month. Crain’s cohort of 121 Chicago attorneys includes some of the top practitioners in town. Amy’s practice includes land use, municipal law, procurement, and legislative strategy. Kurson acted as land-use counsel for the company that developed Chicago’s city digital network, a public-private partnership that operates nearly 60 digital signs along city expressways. Amy presented Chicago’s first case on the issue of medical marijuana dispensaries. Kurson is an immediate past member of the Illinois Human Rights Commission and a past member of the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Working on a pro bono basis, she recently secured a controversial zoning approval for placement of the first sober home on Chicago’s North Shore. She chaired the Northbrook Caucus for the 2019 municipal election., Notable Gen X Leaders in Law, Crains Chicago Business, 2019
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS, 2022
- National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) , 2022
- Minority Supplier Development Council - Certified, 2022
- Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) , 2022
- Women Minority Business Enterprises- Certified, 2022
- Disadvantaged Business Entity (DBE), 2022
- Veteran-owned Business Enterprise (VBE) , 2022
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Member of National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Business (NAMWOLF), 2022
- Northbrook Police and Fire Commission, Former Commissioner, 2019
- Northbrook Caucus - Former Chairman (2019 Municipal Election), 2019
- Illinois Human Rights Commission - Former Commissioner, 2019
- Member of National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), 2021
- Illinois Liquor Control Commission - Former Commissioner, 2016
- Northbrook Bank and Trust - Former Director, 2021
Industry Groups:
- Cannabis
- Government Contractors
- Health Care
- Lending Institutions (including small loans)
- Manufacturers
- Out-of-home Advertising
- Real Estate Developers
- Restaurant And Hospitality
- Schools
- Transportation
Selections
6 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2025
