Digital Infrastructure & Data Center

Neal & Leroy’s attorneys handle the real estate, construction, and contract work behind data center projects, advising developers and operators on site selection, leasing, and the agreements that keep a facility running. From early site evaluation and acquisition through construction, operations, and ongoing commercial agreements, we provide legal counsel at every stage of the project. We combine deep familiarity with power and zoning requirements with the transactional discipline these projects demand.

Our Digital Infrastructure & Data Center Practice

How We Approach Digital Infrastructure & Data Center

A data center project often requires coordinating real estate, construction, service agreements, zoning, and municipal approvals, and a decision in one area can affect all the others. Our attorneys bring this range of experience together, providing coordinated legal counsel throughout the project so clients do not need to manage multiple firms across different stages of development.

Data center site selection also requires considerations that go beyond traditional real estate transactions, including power availability, proximity to network hubs, zoning and land use entitlements, and whether existing utility infrastructure can support the anticipated load. We advise clients on the land acquisition process, including due diligence, title, zoning approvals, and utility coordination, as well as the leasing and development arrangements that follow. Our experience includes structuring wholesale and retail data center leases, build-to-suit arrangements, and sale-leaseback transactions, helping clients navigate these complex projects from acquisition through development and occupancy.

Once a site is secured, our team advises clients on construction-related matters. After the facility is built, there are additional contracts to manage, and our team can help with this process.

Data center projects also often attract greater local attention than traditional commercial developments. Zoning approvals, special use permits, and community engagement are typically integral to the development process, and we advise clients throughout, including on matters involving public financing. We’ve structured tax increment financing, industrial development bonds, and municipal grant packages for these projects, working directly with the Illinois Development Finance Authority and local economic development agencies to put the incentive structure together.