The Trusted Adviser
July - August 2012 | Volume 5 · Number 5

John O'Brien Joins ATG as Vice President – Counsel to President

by Peter J. Birnbaum, ATG President and CEO

Peter Birnbaum photoJohn G. O’Brien, one of the most recognized and beloved attorneys in Illinois, has joined ATG as Vice President – Counsel to President. O’Brien resigned from the ATG Board of Directors at its June meeting and began his new responsibilities on July 16, 2012. Chicago attorney Jonathan Sherry was appointed to fill his vacancy on the ATG board.

I couldn’t be more pleased about John O’Brien joining our executive staff. This is an exciting new chapter for John and for ATG. No lawyer, since the days of Stan Balbach, has had a more important impact on the practicing real estate lawyer. Through his founding and chairing of IRELA and his presidency of the ISBA, he has built valuable relationships with law firms throughout the state. We believe that John can use those skills to bring significant value to ATG, not only from a marketing standpoint but also through the advocacy we provide lawyers on a daily basis.

In his new role at ATG, O’Brien will serve as my special counsel on industry matters both on the local scene and in bigger arenas. He has already been focusing his expertise in a variety of legal matters. For example, in early June, he testified on behalf of ATG before the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Mortgage Foreclosures. ATG and its subsidiaries have progressive business plans and a significant consumer protection agenda. John will be charged with coordinating the efforts of those companies, bar associations, regulatory bodies and other interested parties to further these objectives.


John O'Brien through the Years: At Play, at Work, and now at ATG!

ATG's August 16, 2001 Golf Outing. From left: John O'Brien, Aurora Austriaco (ATG member, Chicago), John Brennan (guest), Stuart Wolf (ATG member, Arlington Heights).
O'Brien at June 10, 2006 ATG Real Estate Hotline. Standing from left: Ralph Schumann (ATG member, Elk Grove Village ), Hank Shulruff (ATG Staff), Aurora Austriaco (ATG member, Chicago), and John O'Brien. Seated:  David Kaplan (Coldwell Banker); and Naomi Schuster (ATG member, Palos Heights).

John G. O’Brien, ATG Vice President – Counsel to President

John earned a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., and a J.D. from Loyola University in Chicago. Starting in 1972, he practiced law in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where he and his wife, Karen, raised their family. His successful law practice focused on real estate and estate planning. He took an interest in his local bar, holding various leadership positions in the Northwest Suburban Bar Association through the decades. He became an ATG member in 1984 and soon became an active voice among suburban practitioners. His interest grew in transactional lawyers and the clients they serve, eventually inspiring him to found the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association (IRELA) in 1994. IRELA, composed of real estate attorneys from all corners of Illinois, is the only bar association that represents the interests of real estate attorneys. ATG and IRELA have partnered over the years to advocate for real estate attorneys and the clients they serve. His passion for the profession continued, and his appetite for rubber chicken dinners in every county of the state eventually led to leadership positions within the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), culminating in his election as ISBA president in 2009-10.

O’Brien is past president and current chairman of the IRELA board of directors. Largely through his advocacy efforts in the mid-90s, IRELA filed a lawsuit against a large Chicago-area realtor to prevent its agents from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. IRELA won the lawsuit and continues, according to the ISBA, “to serve as a watchdog to prevent non-lawyers from offering what are essentially legal services to home buyers and sellers.” The impact of this ruling is clear not only for attorneys but also for the clients they represent.

The ISBA also credits O’Brien with traveling throughout the state during his presidency, which took place during a period of high foreclosure rates in Illinois, to help homeowners hang on to their homes and, if foreclosure was inevitable, to help them understand the process.

As many of you know, John is an experienced speaker and has expertise in many topics related to real estate. He has lectured for the ISBA, the American Bar Association, numerous other bar associations throughout the state, as well as the Illinois Institute for Continuing Education and ATG.

Of his decision to come to ATG, John said: “I’ve believed my entire career that ATG is the single greatest lawyer service organization in the State of Illinois. It has done more for what I’ll call ‘Main Street’ lawyers than anybody. ATG supports real issues, for real lawyers, and for real people. I’m energized and really looking forward to this (position). This is what I want to do.”

O’Brien’s roles and accomplishments within the profession are many. In 2006, he was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the Minimum Continuing Legal Education Board. He is also vice chair of the board of directors of the ISBA Mutual Insurance Company and serves as Chancellor of the Academy of Illinois Laureates, which honors select Illinois lawyers for a lifetime of service to both the profession and the public.

We are proud to have "Johnny O" on our staff, and know that you will extend a warm welcome to him at the next ATG event. Click "Back to Issue," below, to read about staff promotions and other new faces at ATG.

 

Back to Issue