John Donahue is one of the founding members of Donahue & Rose. John has dedicated his career to the representation of public entities. He represents the Village of Rosemont, the City of DeKalb, the Village of Glenwood, and School District 78 as general corporate counsel. He also serves as labor counsel to School District 149.
John has served as special counsel to numerous public entities, including the Villages of Bensenville, Burnham, Chicago Ridge, Lansing, Sugar Grove, as well as the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District. He assists public clients with various issues, including annexations, pension funding, electoral boards, Tax Increment Financing Districts, zoning disputes, and intergovernmental agreements.
During more than 35 years representing public entities, John has dealt with every local government issue that can arise, including litigation in the trial and appellate courts of the State of Illinois and the United States. He has extensive experience in the Illinois property tax system, the management of Tax Increment Financing Districts, and the preparation of numerous agreements incentivizing the development of property.
John has provided legal services for many successful development projects, including multiple 100+ million-dollar projects and numerous smaller projects. He has given opinions for and participated in bond financings totaling in excess of $400 million dollars, as well as traditional bank financings. He also represented one of the first municipalities utilizing a PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) funding program.
John is an author of a chapter on the municipal regulation of adult uses published by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. He has participated as a speaker in various forums educating public officials and their employees on development issues, the Open Meetings Act, the Freedom of Information Act, special education, discipline, and drug testing issues.
John graduated with honors from the DePaul College of Law. Before becoming a lawyer, he graduated with honors and received an engineering degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology. His technical engineering background makes him particularly well-suited to the analysis of complicated construction issues.
John is married with two daughters, attempts to train for triathlons, and enjoys the outdoors.
- Depaul College of Law, J.D. with honors
Member of Law Review - Illinois Institute of Technology, B.S. in Engineering with honors
- Illinois Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Contributor, Municipal Regulation of Adult Uses under the First Amendment, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education