John Mays

Biography: John Mays is a partner of Gould & Ratner, a mid-sized Chicago Law Firm. His practice 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 John Marshall Law School where he lectures on land use and development issues. John is a past Chair of the Urban Land Institute's Chicago District Council and serves on ULI'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 Urban Land Institute Chicago panels assisting communities in and surrounding Chicago. He is a member of Lambda Alpha International, the Honorary Society for the Advancement of Land Economics. John's additional professional affiliations include 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.