Located in the heart of Illinois’ capital, Brown, Hay + Stephens has a strong tradition of representing clients in front of government bodies and representing local governments.

Government Relations

Our government law attorneys and registered lobbyists help clients change policy with the Illinois legislature, executive offices, state departments and agencies. Our teams lobby legislators and staff to enact new laws and aggressively opposes legislative proposals that can negatively impact our clients. Recognizing the political landscape is constantly changing, we remain adaptable and implement needed changes with input from clients and our own political insight and advice. We also provide weekly reports to inform clients about the activity of the Illinois General Assembly during session, work with our clients to keep them compliant with Illinois' ethics laws and assist with political contributions by offering expert advice and recommendations.

Administrative Law and Local Permitting

Our government law specialists protect clients' interests in administrative venues. When a government agency is pursuing an individual, small business, family farm, or large company for an alleged regulatory or compliance violation, our attorneys help clients through the process, defend their rights and reduce penalties or fines. Brown, Hay + Stephens also helps  clients with regulatory compliance, licensing, permitting, and making public comments regarding proposed regulations.

Similarly, we help our clients access  government services, grants and other assistance. Our attorneys’ extensive experience permits us to represent clients in front of a number of different state and federal agencies, including:

State of Illinois Agencies

  • Department of Agriculture
  • Capital Development Board
  • Department of Children and Family Services
  • Illinois Commerce Commission
  • Illinois Community College Board
  • Illinois Labor Relations Board
  • Various Education Agencies
  • State Board of Elections
  • Department of Employment Security
  • Environmental Protection Agency
  • Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
  • Human Rights Commission
  • Department of Insurance
  • Labor Relations Board
  • Department of Labor
  • Property Tax Appeal Board
  • Department of Revenue
  • Secretary of State
  • Workers Compensation Commission

Federal Agencies

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Department of Commerce
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • U.S. Department of the Interior (Land Management, Mining, etc.)
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • U.S. Department of Labor and other labor related agencies
  • U.S. Department of Transportation
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Brown, Hay + Stephens also represents clients attempting to obtain local permitting authority. Local governments can have a large impact on your home, business, and lifestyle. The complexity associated with navigating local government can be as daunting as cutting through the red tape in state and federal agencies. Our attorneys represent clients in front of many units of local government when they are seeking zoning changes, liquor licenses, building permits and many other types of local government licenses and permits.

Local Government Representation

Our team represents and advises units of local government regarding the powers and authority that the local government possesses, complying with public record requirements, ensuring proper governance steps are followed and other issues. Our attorneys have a combination of knowledge and skills that create the experience necessary to assist units of local government in achieving their public service goals.



Municipal + Government Law Attorneys

Roland R. Cross

Roland R. Cross

Partner

Dylan P. Grady

Dylan P. Grady

Partner

Claire A. Manning

Claire A. Manning

Senior Counsel

Dwight H. O'Keefe

Dwight H. O'Keefe

Senior Counsel

Anthony D. Schuering

Anthony D. Schuering

Associate Attorney

Scott B. Sievers

Scott B. Sievers

Of Counsel

Donald R. Tracy

Donald R. Tracy

Senior Counsel