Samuel H. Levine

Partner

Mr. Levine is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and the Real Estate Practice Group of Arnstein & Lehr LLP. His practice covers a broad spectrum of activities in the area of real estate litigation, including commercial mortgage foreclosures and other proceedings to enforce creditors’ rights, construction disputes, mechanics liens and bond claims, real estate title disputes and bankruptcy matters. His clients include major financial institutions and other secured creditors, developers, construction industry clients and title insurers. Mr. Levine has written and spoken extensively on a variety of topics relating to construction law, mortgage foreclosure law, bankruptcy and other real estate topics. He is an arbitrator of mechanics lien cases as part of the Cook County, Illinois mechanics liens pilot arbitration program.

Professional Activities and Achievements

Mr. Levine is a Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Standing Committee member on Legislation, a ISBA member of the Commercial Banking, Collections and Bankruptcy Section Council, a current member and immediate past chair of the ISBA Construction Law Committee and a current member and  past chair of the ISBA Real Estate Law Section Council. He is the current editor of the ISBA Construction Law Newsletter.  He is a past president of the Chicago Mortgage Attorneys Association.  He is a member of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys and a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.  He is also a former chair of both the Chicago Bar Association’s Mechanics Liens and Construction Subcommittee and DuPage County Real Estate Law Committee.

Recent Publications and Lectures

Mr. Levine co-authored “Tis Better to Receive-The use of a Receiver in Managing Distressed Real Estate,” published in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers Papers (Fall 2009). He is the author of a chapter titled “Mechanics Liens in Bankruptcy” and a co-author of chapters titled “Trial Practice: Proof of Selected Issues” and “Trial Practice: Proof of Damages,” which appear in the Mechanics Liens in Illinois Handbook published by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE). Mr. Levine also authored chapters for the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Practice Handbook, entitled “Judgments of Foreclosure, Reinstatement, and Redemption.”

His lectures include “Tis Better to Receive-The use of a Receiver in Managing Distressed Real Estate,” which was presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He also presented “Bankruptcy and Claims” at the December 2009 Chicago Bar Association (CBA) “Mechanics Lien and Construction Claims” seminar and “Mechanics, Liens, Work Authorization and Condominiums” also at a CBA seminar. In November 2010 he presented “Recent Cases on Mechanics Liens, Mortgage Priorities, Receiverships and Standing to Sue” to the Chicago Mortgage Attorneys Association. Mr. Levine provides frequent updates on issues relating to mortgage foreclosure law and construction law to bar associations. He has also spoken on “Litigation Issues in Title Insurance” for Lorman Educational.

Education

Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D., 1981)
Washington University (B.A., 1978)

Bar Admissions

State of Illinois; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois