Partner Support
We ensure senior-level staffing on every matter, so that each client's case receives the attention and care it deserves.
Who We Are
About Us
Since 1938, Neal & Leroy has delivered superior legal services to the clients we serve.
Our Firm
Who We Are &How We Work
Neal & Leroy, LLC is a law firm built on a singular premise: exceptional legal work with intellectual depth and relentless advocacy. Since 1938, we have represented clients in matters of consequence, from complex real estate transactions and public and project finance, to zoning and land use, and from labor and employment to corporate and complex areas of technology transactions. The outcomes we achieve shape projects, organizations, and communities.
Our work is built on relationships. A focused group of experienced attorneys means every client works directly with a partner from the first call to the final signature, ensuring consistent representation guided by a commitment to people and community above all else.
Our attorneys understand how legal decisions play out in the real world, which allows us to provide advice that holds up long after a matter is closed or a case is resolved.
Government & Municipal Experience
Procurement, regulatory approvals, and public-private transactions are a core part of our practice. We handle a substantial volume of these matters, allowing us to bring proven experience to every engagement.
Cross-Practice Integration
Our attorneys collaborate closely, allowing us to identify and address issues while a deal is still being structured.
Nationally Competitive
We have practiced in Chicago for more than 85 years, giving us long-standing relationships and market insights that distinguish us from our national competitors.
Why Neal & Leroy
Reasons ClientsChoose Us
Selecting a law firm is a high-stakes decision. Across every practice, we listen closely to what matters most to our clients.
One Team, Start to Finish
The attorneys you meet at the outset are the attorneys who stay with your matter. We build each engagement around continuity and direct access, not hand-offs, so the people who understand your goals on day one are the same people seeing it through to the end.
Government Fluency
From zoning approvals to procurement regulations, our team knows how government works and how to navigate it on a client's behalf.
Institutional Memory
Eight decades in practice mean enduring relationships with courts, agencies, and counterparties, and a track record in real estate and corporate matters that speaks for itself.
Straightforward Counsel
We tell clients what we genuinely believe, not simply what they wish to hear. That candor can be uncomfortable, but it is what makes our advice worth relying on.
Our History
Founded on Principle
Founded in 1938 by Earl J. Neal, Neal & Leroy, LLC began its proud tradition of legal services in Chicago. From the start, the firm distinguished itself through its commitment to excellence in trial advocacy, quickly earning a reputation as a formidable presence in courtrooms across Illinois. Over the decades, Neal & Leroy has grown in both size and scope. Today, the firm is recognized as one of the preeminent real estate and corporate law firms in the nation, with deep experience in real estate transactions and finance, public and project finance, zoning and land use, and commercial transactions and corporate law.
While Neal & Leroy has evolved, we remain grounded in the tenacity and drive that defined our beginnings. We continue to deliver high-caliber legal services with efficiency, integrity, and a forward-looking approach, always focused on helping our clients navigate today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.
Neal & Leroy, LLC
Important Dates in Our History
- 1938
- Founded by Earl J. Neal and James Leroy in Chicago, Illinois
- 1965
- Expanded into civil rights litigation during the height of the movement
- 1989
- Named bond counsel for Chicago’s first major infrastructure bond program
- 2001
- Served as lead counsel on Millennium Park — one of Chicago’s most celebrated civic projects
- 2026
- 88 years of continuous practice — still Chicago’s firm of record for public law
Community & Pro Bono
Giving Back ToOur Clients and Our Community
Pro Bono Practice
Every Neal & Leroy attorney contributes pro bono hours annually. That work spans wrongful-conviction appeals, housing-discrimination disputes, and small-business formation for Chicago entrepreneurs who need legal counsel and cannot easily access it.
Community Investment
Our attorneys serve on boards and lead civic organizations, including:
- Chicago Bar Foundation, Annual Sustaining Sponsor
- Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Partner Counsel
- South Side Community Arts Foundation, Founding Supporter
- Illinois Access to Justice Commission
Inclusion & Opportunity
Building A FirmThat Reflects Our Tradition
Neal & Leroy has been a diverse and inclusive law firm for over eight decades. The firm continues our founder’s legacy of civic and civil rights leadership. This history is part of why clients entrust us with matters that directly involve not only their businesses, but the communities in which they operate.
Mentorship is not just a formal program, but is embedded in our culture. Partners work directly with associates from day one, continuing the tradition of a collaborative work environment, with senior lawyers developing the next generation of firm members.