Robert J. Long, Attorney

With more than 35 years of experience as a municipal lawyer, trial lawyer, and appellate counsel, Mr. Long brings a substantial depth of experience in a broad range of civil law to DLP.

From complex business litigation and property disputes to municipal planning and development issues, from abstracts of title to zoning, Mr. Long has handled a vast array of cases and disputes with much success. He currently concentrates the majority of his practice in three primary fields: municipal law, litigation, and appeals.

Robert J. Long is one of the most highly regarded municipal lawyers currently practicing in Lake County. Current clients include the City of Waukegan and the villages of Antioch and Winthrop Harbor.

In the course of his municipal work for these governmental bodies and for other clients over his 25 years of practice, he has been deeply involved in the drafting of ordinances, the guiding of sound planning for development projects, and the defense and prosecution of complicated lawsuits. He has worked on behalf of his clients in cases ranging from environmental disasters such as large scale acid spills to zoning and annexation disputes.

As a corporate counsel, his leadership in guiding sound planning has resulted in significant savings to his clients in terms of being saved from exposure in lawsuits, but more importantly in terms of quality of life issues for the people residing in the cities, towns, and villages he has represented. Issues such as sewer bonds may not sound important, but if not handled properly, will lead to uncontrolled growth and a substantial burden of taxes on local residents.

In the area of litigation, Mr. Long has successfully handled lawsuits ranging from multi-million dollar personal injury claims to disputes involving land titles, business dissolutions, fraud, and corporate cheating. The appellate experience he brings to DLP is an outgrowth of this litigation practice.

Not one to take “no” for an answer, Mr. Long is willing and capable of taking an adverse ruling and convincing an appellate court to reverse a local trial judge’s decision. On the other hand, he is also more than capable of explaining in clear terms to an appellate panel why a favorable ruling from a trail court should be sustained when a strong adversary is claiming the exact opposite. The substantial number of appeals that Mr. Long has handled gives him the confidence and depth of knowledge to tackle any novel issue and to prosecute or defend any civil action.

In addition to the matters listed above, Mr. Long also handles a fair amount of business and personal transactions, contract disputes, probate cases, and general business and corporate advice. All of these areas benefit from the experience he earned in the arena of the trial courtroom.

Bar Admission

Illinois State Bar, 1981
U.S. District Court, Northern Illinois
U. S. District Court, Eastern Wisconsin
U. S. District Court, Western Wisconsin

Education

University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, B.A.
DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, J.D.

Representative Clients

Village of Antioch
Village of Winthrop Harbor
Town of Newport