Partner Support
We ensure senior-level staffing on every matter, so that each client's case receives the attention and care it deserves.
Who We Are
About Us
Since 1938, Neal & Leroy has delivered principled counsel with direct partner involvement, civic commitment, and an unwavering dedication to the communities we serve.
Our Firm
Who We Are &How We Work
Neal & Leroy, LLC is a law firm built on a singular premise: exceptional legal work demands both intellectual depth and relentless advocacy. Since 1938, we have represented clients in matters of real consequence, from complex real estate transactions and public and project finance to zoning and land use, and from eminent domain to labor and employment, corporate, and complex areas of technology transactions. The outcomes we achieve shape careers, organizations, and communities.
Our work is built on relationships, not volume. A focused group of experienced attorneys means every client works directly with a partner from the first call to the final signature, ensuring consistent representation guided by a commitment to people and community above all else.
Our attorneys understand how legal decisions play out in the real world, not only in a courtroom or at a closing table. That perspective allows us to provide advice that holds up long after a matter is closed or a case is resolved.
“We built this firm to win — not to process. Every matter we take is one we intend to see through with the full force of our knowledge and our conviction.”
Government & Municipal Fluency
Procurement, regulatory approvals, and public-private transactions are a core part of our practice. We handle a substantial volume of these matters, allowing us to bring proven experience to every engagement.
Cross-Practice Integration
Our litigation and transactional attorneys collaborate closely, allowing us to identify and address issues while a deal is still being structured, rather than leaving outcomes to chance.
Chicago-Based, Nationally Competitive
We have practiced in Chicago for more than 85 years, giving us local relationships and market knowledge that distinguish us even against national competition.
Why Neal & Leroy
Reasons ClientsChoose Us
Selecting a law firm is a high-stakes decision. Across every practice, we listen closely to what matters most to our clients.
One Team, Start to Finish
The attorneys you meet at the outset are the attorneys who stay with your matter. We build each engagement around continuity and direct access, not hand-offs, so the people who understand your goals on day one are the same people seeing it through to the end.
Government Fluency
From zoning approvals to procurement regulations, our team knows how government works and how to navigate it on a client's behalf.
Institutional Memory
Eight decades in practice mean enduring relationships with courts, agencies, and counterparties, and a track record in real estate and corporate matters that speaks for itself.
Straightforward Counsel
We tell clients what we genuinely believe, not simply what they wish to hear. That candor can be uncomfortable, but it is what makes our advice worth relying on.
Our History
Founded on Principle
Founded in 1938 in Chicago, Earl J. Neal built the firm around a singular focus: trial advocacy. Neal & Leroy quickly established a name in courtrooms across Illinois. In the decades since, the firm has grown in size and scope, earning a reputation as one of the country's leading real estate law firms, with deep experience in real estate transactions and finance, public and project finance, zoning and land use, and related regulatory matters.
Our practice extends beyond real estate. Our attorneys also handle commercial transactions and corporate matters for clients who require more than one area of counsel. What has not changed is our approach: efficient, direct, and honest about what a client is truly facing, whether that challenge is immediate or still on the horizon.
Neal & Leroy, LLC — 20 South Clark Street, Chicago — Est. 1938
Timeline
- 1938
- Founded by Earl J. Neal and James Leroy in Chicago, Illinois
- 1965
- Expanded into civil rights litigation during the height of the movement
- 1989
- Named bond counsel for Chicago’s first major infrastructure bond program
- 2001
- Served as lead counsel on Millennium Park — one of Chicago’s most celebrated civic projects
- 2026
- 88 years of continuous practice — still Chicago’s firm of record for public law
Community & Pro Bono
Giving Back ToThe City We Call Home
Pro Bono Practice
Every Neal & Leroy attorney contributes pro bono hours annually. That work spans wrongful-conviction appeals, housing-discrimination disputes, and small-business formation for Chicago entrepreneurs who need legal counsel and cannot easily access it.
Community Investment
Our attorneys serve on boards and lead civic organizations, including:
- Chicago Urban League, Board Member
- Chicago Bar Foundation, Annual Sustaining Sponsor
- Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Partner Counsel
- South Side Community Arts Foundation, Founding Supporter
- Illinois Access to Justice Commission
Inclusion & Opportunity
Building A FirmThat Reflects Our City
Neal & Leroy has been a minority-owned, Black-led law firm for over eight decades. Founded in Chicago in 1938 by Earl J. Neal, the firm continues our founder’s legacy of civic and civil rights leadership. This history is part of why clients entrust us with matters that directly involve their communities, not only their businesses.
Mentorship is embedded in our culture, not a formal program. Partners work directly with associates from day one, continuing the tradition of senior lawyers investing in the next generation.