Commercial Ground Lease Lawyers for Chicago, Illinois

A seasoned attorney with deep General Counsel experience and a flexible, business-minded approach to legal leadership. Skilled in collaborating with product, sales, operations, finance, and executive teams — not just to mitigate risk or ensure compliance, but to enable growth, innovation, and efficient deal execution. In my current practice at GCBench, I offer scalable, on-demand counsel tailored to organizations’ changing needs. Legal rigor is combined with operational sensibility, making guidance a facilitator rather than a hurdle. Whether structuring transactions, advising on regulatory matters, or shaping policies, legal strategy is aligned tightly with business objectives.

Attorney creating plans and strategies to help individuals create, build, protect and pass on wealth.

15 years for legal experience; expertise in contracts, healthcare, ERISA, physicians, financial services, commercial contracts, employment agreements, etc. I am adept at all contracts and can provide you with efficient and quality services. I have worked at a law firm, financial services company, consulting ,and non-profit.

Former partner in mid-size firms, now a solo practitioner, with over a decade of experience in commercial real estate, including leasing, acquisition and disposition, and real estate finance.

Licensed to practice Law in Illinois since 2009. Family Law and Real Estate Law Attorney.

Illinois-licensed attorney with 9 years of experience in public interest work utilizing advanced skills in contract & project management, compliance, investigation, risk management, & training. Proven record developing and managing partnerships to deliver exceptional results in government agencies, non-profits, law firms, and broad community networks leading to multi-million dollar recoveries, risk management, and execution of large-scale program initiatives. Skills include: 1. Project & Contract Management: 9 years in project & contract management tracking project and contract goals, stages, budgets, and deliverables to lead and support program and department initiatives. 2. Compliance, Investigation, & Risk Management: 9 years in law, policy, & programs conducting investigation, research, writing, analysis, and education in administrative agency and court matters relating to: compliance, financial regulation, contracts, employment, workforce development, healthcare, retirement assets, mental health, disability, taxes, immigration, civil rights, grants, benefits, social services, & criminal defense. 3. Training/Teaching: 4 years training co-workers & community partners; 3 years teaching in U.S. & Ecuador (7 total). 4. Technology: Microsoft Office (including Excel), Contract Express, DocuSign, SharePoint, Westlaw, Lexis Nexis, Concordance, GoldFynch, Clio, Smokeball, Qualtrics, Google Forms, Slack, Zoom, Teams, Webex, & Adobe. 5. Spanish: Advanced Spanish skills from 1 year of teaching, studying, & travel in Ecuador, Peru, & Mexico.

As a resident of the Chicago Southside, Attorney Carissa Essex is a dedicated mother, wife, and attorney. Carissa graduated from the Illustrious Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. She then returned to Chicago to obtain her Juris Doctorate in 2016 from DePaul University College of Law. After working in Corporate America for several years as a full-time Legal Project Manager practicing law part-time, Carissa decided to devote all of her time to her legal practice and founded Essex Law in early 2024. Focusing on Family Law and Real Estate Law matters, Essex Law provides exceptional and affordable services to all throughout the Chicagoland Area.

Attorney who focuses on all sorts of civil disputes.

I am an Illinois-barred attorney with 20 years of in-house government and affordable housing experience. I have had responsibilities of a member of the Office of a Chief Legal Officer, am an adaptable "Jill of all trades," and have strong operations and business acumen. I'm also well equipped to work in fast-paced, multi-priority environments, learn new areas of law and deal with unique situations.

Over the course of the past 30 years, in both General Counsel roles (3 times) and in private practice, I have built a successful national real estate transaction, construction, and environmental law practice