An IRELA CLE Webinar

Zoning Topics for a Real Estate Transaction

Frederick Agustin, Nicholas Ftikas, and Nicole Lopatinski

MCLE approved for 1-hour General CLE credit

Registration is Free for IRELA Members
Non-Members ~ $50*

General topics on zoning that a real estate attorney should know about when negotiating a transaction. The emphasis is on the City of Chicago, however, a lot of those regulations apply to suburban municipalities.

Frederick E. Agustin

Fred is an Illinois licensed attorney who has been practicing since 2003. For the last nearly 20 years of practice, he has spent the majority of that time specializing in zoning law as well as property tax appeal work. Clients count on him for his expertise in complex zoning issues, as well as commercial, industrial, condominium and residential property tax appeal work.

Nicholas J. Ftikas

Nicholas J. Ftikas joined the firm in 2008 and focuses his practice on Zoning and Land Use, Licensing and Municipal Code matters. Mr. Ftikas’s clients include homeowners, developers and corporations who require zoning and land use

counsel. He appears regularly on behalf of these clients before the Chicago City Council, City of Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), and City of Chicago Plan Commission. Mr. Ftikas also handles matters in Administrative Hearings and before the Housing Court Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Mr. Ftikas is highly adept in handling residential, commercial, and industrial projects involving planned developments, variations, special uses, appeals, billboards and advertising signage entitlements, licensing and permitting matters, and other governmental regulatory issues. He also handles transactional work related to leasing, purchasing and selling residential and commercial real estate throughout the Chicago area.

Nicole I. Lopatinsky

Nicole I. Lopatinsky joined the Law Offices of Samuel V. P. Banks in 2022 as a Law Clerk and was promoted to Associate in 2024. Her practice focuses on Zoning and Land Use, Building Code Violations, and Property Tax Appeals.

Ms. Lopatinsky represents a diverse range of clients, including homeowners, landlords, developers, corporations, business owners, and legal entities. She regularly appears on their behalf before the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals, Chicago City Council, the City of Chicago Committee on Zoning, and in Administrative Hearings and the Housing Court Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. She works closely with the Department of Buildings, the

Department of Planning and Development, the Cook County Assessor’s Office, neighborhood and community groups, associations, Aldermen of Chicago, and other City staff. Ms. Lopatinsky has experience handling Variation and Special Use applications, Zoning Amendments, Administrative Adjustments, and Lakefront Protection Applications, among other matters.

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