John Mays, a partner of Gould & Ratner, focuses on real estate development with emphasis on land use and construction. He represents clients in all phases of the development process, from the acquisition, zoning, financing, and construction of buildings and projects through their ultimate leasing or disposition.
John has spoken on growth strategies before the American Planning Association, and he has been an instructor at the Urban Land Institute's National Real Estate School and at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a member of the Adjunct Faculty of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law where he lectures on land use and development issues.
John is a past Chair of the Urban Land Institute's 1,000-member Chicago District Council and today serves as a member of the Institute's Community Development Council (Black). He is a member of ULI's Board of Directors in Chicago and its Management Committee. John has chaired several ULI panels assisting communities in and surrounding Chicago.
John's additional professional affiliations include Lambda Alpha International, an honorary Land Economics Society, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Illinois Institute for Local Government Law and the American Bar Association's Forum on the Construction Industry.
John has been recognized as both an Illinois Leading Lawyer and an Illinois Super Lawyer.
