Firm Overview

Practice Areas:

• Business Law
• Contracts
• Limited Liability Companies
• Petroleum Marketing Practices Act
• Real Estate
• Tax Increment Financing

Daniel D. Drew P.C. was formed in 2005 by Daniel D. Drew. With extensive business and legal experience, including both in-house legal experience at two publically traded companies and experience as a CFO, Dan formed the firm at the request of specific clients that desired more direct attention.

Clients benefit from accessibility and the firm's industry knowledge, effectively solving problems and achieving success. Representation by the right legal counsel is part of the recipe for success and forms part of the positive reputation of a business.

Dan Drew is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law. He is active in local and national bar associations. His undergraduate degree is also from the University of Illinois, in Accountancy, with high honors. Dan is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Operating Committee of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago, among other supported community and civic organizations. He is an Illinois licensed real estate broker and has personally partnered in the development of real estate.

Significant former and current clients include Outdoor Resorts of America, Inc., a national developer of luxury RV resorts; Marathon Coach, Inc., a manufacturer of luxury recreational vehicles; Heritage Harbor Ottawa Resort Development LLC, an Illinois resort developer; Lake Oliver, LLC an Illinois resort developer; a developer of GSA buildings; a petroleum wholesaler/retailer with more than 40 Illinois and Wisconsin retail locations and quick change oil facilities and numerous other real estate developers and small businesses. Prior significant real estate clients include Shell Oil Company and 3M. Dan spent three years as CFO and General Counsel of the Heartland Alliance, a large United Way Charity providing medical services and low income housing to the disadvantaged.

The firm has a strong background in representing clients on diverse matters related to sales of products and services, commercial real estate development, wholesale and retail petroleum, construction and financing, including real estate and asset based financing, tax increment financing and other creative funding vehicles. Sample matters include:

• Lead counsel in $200,000,000.00 planned unit development river resort community in Ottawa, Illinois, including utilization of tax increment financing, recovery zone bonds and ongoing development of hotel and marina uses.
• Developer counsel regarding several tax increment financed projects.
• Developer counsel regarding formation of an Illinois Port Authority.
• Borrower counsel for asset based and real estate based loans, including securitized loans.
• Bank counsel for asset and real estate based loans, including aviation assets.
• Managed all real estate, closing and approval issues related to purchase or ground lease and subsequent development of new to industry retail commercial locations, including convenience stores, quick service restaurants and car washes as counsel for international petroleum corporation.
• Responsible for all aspects of review and response to eminent domain issues affecting real estate portfolio. Settled recurring issues arising under Petroleum Marketing Practices Act, including close of transfer of portfolio of filling stations, avoiding continued and extensive litigation.
• Counsel to officers, directors and principals of corporations engaged in national sales of durable goods.
• Counsel for acquisition and continued operation of manufacturer of customized motor coaches.
• Coordinated critical aspects of $1Billion divestiture of subsidiary, including drafting, counsel to officers, contact with investment bankers and oversight of due diligence.
• Decreased real estate outside counsel fees by more than 50% through standardization of lease and acquisition documentation and increased paralegal participation.
• Closed or oversaw closing of over 500 real estate and lease acquisitions and instituted national program with title insurers, surveyors and other vendors to achieve cost savings as counsel for publically-traded client.

The firm maintains an extensive network of legal, accounting and finance professionals and when outside expertise is required the firm can cost effectively bring such support to bear. While the firm believes disputes can and should be avoided without the time and expense of litigation, when settlement is not available, appropriate referrals are made and supported.

All clients benefit from a strong appreciation that legal issues and needs arise from the business needs of a client and should always be approached to achieve those needs and not for their own sake. Most businesses cannot afford the luxury of creating new law when facing an issue and instead should focus on operating assertively yet comfortably within existing law.