LawArk

Brief Bio/Education/Publications/Public Speaking   

     Gary L. Cole AIA, ALA, Esq. is a Chicago-based Illinois and Florida-licensed attorney and an Illinois-licensed architect with over twenty years experience in real estate development, design and construction, historic preservation and accessibility matters.  He is a solo legal practitioner and also outside General Counsel and on the Board of Directors of The Chicago-Midwest Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America.  He earned his law degree at Loyola University Chicago and holds both Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of Illinois. 

     He is also a member of the Historic Resources Committee of the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Association of Licensed Architects, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Florida Bar, and is a member of the Roster of Neutrals for the American Arbitration Association.

     As an architect, prior to becoming an attorney, he worked for several architectural firms, operated his own design and construction practice, was a Historical Architect with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and was a Visiting Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois for more than a decade. 

     As an attorney, he worked for two of Chicago’s largest law firms - Winston & Strawn LLP and Seyfarth Shaw LLP - and was in-house counsel for one of the largest retail developers in the southeast – The Sembler Company.  He is a co-author of “Historic Preservation Law,” published by The Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE).

     Legal and business philosophy:  While attorneys generally provide excellent legal advice, it is when that legal advice is combined with business experience that their counsel offers insights that permit clients to make more fully-informed decisions.  As one of the few licensed architects who are also licensed and practicing attorneys in the country, he combines his architect’s insight and experience, his attorney’s legal expertise and his experience in business to provide clients with a wide range of creative services and solutions.

Education

Loyola University Chicago School of Law - Juris Doctor (1998)
Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judges – Senior Articles Editor, Spring/Fall 1997
American Jurisprudence Award for Highest Grade – Comparative International Law
Dean’s List
Loyola Rome Center for International Studies, 1997

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Master of Architecture (1992)
First Place Charles E. Peterson Prize
First Place Edward C. Earl Prize in Architecture
Dean’s List
Graduate Teaching Assistant

University of Illinois at Chicago - Bachelor of Architecture (1988)
Graduated with “Distinction in Design”
Dean’s List
Talent Tuition Scholarship
Pillsbury Traveling Scholarship
Golden Key National Honor Society
Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
L’Ecole D’Architecture Et D’Urbanisme De Versailles, France (1985-’86)

 

Military Service

United States Air Force
Sergeant - Honorable Discharge
Tactical aircraft and helicopter avionics communication specialist 

  

Online Publishing:  LAWARK  & LAWARK PRESERVATION

     Gary L. Cole AIA, Esq. regularly publishes timely articles dealing with real estate development, design and construction, green building, historic preservation and accessibility on his websites/blogs “LawArk” and “LawArk Preservation.”  His articles are regularly republished on law firm and similar building-related websites and blogs, and LawArk is followed by several national organizations, including The American Institute of Architects.  LawArk and LawArk Preservation are fully integrated with other social media for maximum exposure including LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.   

 

Periodicals

•   Retail Law Strategist, “Proposed Revisions to the ADA.” October 2004. 

•   Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), “Land Use – Historic Preservation Law.”  2004/2006.

•   Heartland Real Estate Business, “Minimizing the Risk of ADA Lawsuits.”  January 2004.

•   Heartland Real Estate Business, “A Lesson in Historic Properties.”  June 2003.

•   Florida Journal of Real Estate, “Financial Incentives for Historic Properties.”  November 2002.

•   Midwest Real Estate Journal, “Financial Incentives Help Preserve Historic Properties.” October 2002.

•   Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judges, “State Court Invalidation of a Federal Regulation:  Thomas v. NCDHR.”  Spring 1997.

•   Urban Lawyer, “Recent Developments in Historic Preservation and Architectural Control Law.”  Co-authored, Fall 1996.

 

Legal Reference Publications 

Co-author of “Historic Preservation Law.” Published by The Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE).

 

Public Speaking

•   American Institute of Architects – Chicago Chapter Historic Resources Committee, 2010.  “Expanding Your Services:  Become an Historic Rehabilitation Economic Incentives Consultant.” 

•   American Institute of Architects – “Renew Tampa” Conference 2008.  “The Rise of the Green Building Ordinance.”

•   American Institute of Architects – Chicago Chapter Historic Resources Committee, 2003.  ”Legal Advocacy Skills for Architects.”

•   Miami Design and Preservation League, Art Deco Weekend, 2003.  “Historic Rehabilitation Economic Incentives.” 

•   Restoration ’97 National Preservation Conference, 1997.  “Legal Issues of Architectural Salvage.”

•   VI Foro International Patrimonio Arquitectonico, Cartegena, Columbia, 1996.  “Chicago Historic Preservation.”

•   Restoration ’96 National Preservation Conference, 1996.  “Careers in Preservation-The Architect’s View.”

•   Illinois Statewide Preservation Conference, 1995.  “Historic Building Assessment Fundamentals.”

•   Restore – National Masonry Conference, 1994.  “Structural Assessment of Flood Damaged Historic Buildings.”

•   Illinois Statewide Preservation Conference, 1994.  “Assessing Flood Damaged Historic Structures.”

•   Illinois State Preservation Conference, 1993.  “19^th C. Historic Sidings v. 20^th C. Artificial Sidings.”