About Michael Balourdos

What’s my goal?

To get deals done. Nothing more. Many lawyers are notorious for ‘killing’ deals due to their overzealous representation of their clients. They tend to bog down negotiations with unnecessary arguments and take stubborn positions. Not me.

I strive to close out transactions without sacrificing crucial deal points for my clients. How? Well, because I wear a developer’s ‘hat’ on many occasions, I’m able to understand the deal from both sides. As an active partner in a local, successful commercial real estate development firm, I can confidently claim that I’m able to see through the eyes of my clients. Not many lawyers can do that. I can.

Since I constantly communicate and deal with my tenants, I know when to back off and when to squeeze. Real world, business experience gives me the edge over other lawyers to evaluate the situation and adapt to the existing environment and not simply use the same ‘cookie cutter’ legal tactics. When you personally fight the battles, you’re better equipped to represent your client.

What Else

When push comes to shove, and it becomes necessary, I go to court. I generally believe it should be the last resort to resolve any dispute. But, it can often become an effective tool. Leverage, timing, consequence, success, recovery….all are taken into consideration before presenting yourself and your clients before a judge.

I’ve litigated my fair share of cases. Primarily commercial breach of contract and forcible eviction cases. I’ve learned from my litigation practice to further hone my transactional practice. How a judge rules on a particular contractual issue aids and often dictates how I would approach it during my contract negotiations.

Final word…..

Reputation. An incredibly undervalued and overlooked term. Chicago may be a large city, but it’s a small business community. I cannot stress the importance of building up a solid reputation between developers and attorneys. I can confidently claim that I’ve established a strong reputation in this community. It precedes you before any negotiations start and carries through to the end.