John J. O'Leary Of Counsel

John J. O’Leary is an “Of Counsel” member of the law firm of Walters Levine & DeGrave, where he practices in the areas of construction and business litigation.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

John has over 20 years experience successfully representing contractors, architects, developers, specialty contractors, fire suppression systems installers, millwork installers, material suppliers, and commercial landlords and tenants in construction contract disputes. He has extensive experience addressing a wide variety of construction defect claims including claims of masonry and curtain wall failures, water infiltration, HVAC system failures, millwork installation and defective design. He has also defended insured and self insured entities against construction injury claims including public utilities and their contractors against claims arising out of the construction and operation of nuclear power plants. John is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, the Chicago Bar Association Construction Law and Mechanics Lien Committee, the Chicago Association of Subcontractors and Affiliates and the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago. He has lectured and presented seminars throughout the Chicago area before professional organizations and builders groups on the subjects of Construction Law and Mechanics Liens.
John has been admitted to practice law in all state courts in the State of Illinois. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois, before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and has been admitted to the Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

EDUCATION AND SCHOLASTICS

John received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law where he served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. He has obtained a Master of Laws in Real Estate Law (LL.M.) from The John Marshall Law School.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

John is a founding director of Chicago’s Rogers Park Builders Group. He is a past president of the Rogers Park Community Council and has served on the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. He served on the Cook County State Attorney’s Nuisance Abatement Advisory Committee to develop strategies to utilize real property nuisance laws to attack illegal drug operations in Chicago neighborhoods.