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List of Forms by Chapter
Chapter 1 — Introduction to the Illinois Mechanics Lien Statute
IV. [1.4] Types of Mechanics Liens
V. Principals of the Mechanics Lien Act
VI. [1.18] Perfecting the Mechanics Lien
VIII. [1.23] Benefits Conveyed Under the Mechanics Lien Act
IX. [1.30] Waivers of Lien
XI. [1.34] There Must Be Strict Compliance with Technical Requirements
XIII. [1.45] Multiple Parcels of Property
Chapter 2 — Requirements for the Original Contractor’s Lien on Private Projects
I. Overview
II. Identifying Contractors and Persons Authorized or Knowingly Permitted by Owners
III. Identifying Lienable Work
IV. Contract Provisions and Lien Rights
V. The Claim for Lien — Timing and Contents
Chapter 3 — Subcontractor’s Claim for Lien
I. [3.1] Nature and Enforcement: The Subcontractor’s Lien Rights
III. Preserving Subcontractor’s Lien
IV. Subcontractor Remedies
Chapter 4 — Sub-Subcontractor’s Lien: Requisites for and Perfection Of
Chapter 5 — Mechanics Liens on Funds for City, County, and State Projects
Chapter 6 — Construction Bond Claims
I. Recovery on Bonds for State and Local Jobs
II. [6.17] Recovery on Bonds for Private Jobs
III. Recovery on Bonds for Federal Jobs
Chapter 7 — Mechanics Liens in Bankruptcy
II. Brief Overview of Bankruptcy
III. [7.5] The Automatic Stay
IV. [7.18] Sale of Property Under 11 U.S.C. §363
VII. Preferences
Chapter 8 — Trial Practice: Pleading Practice
I. Pleading Practice
II. Proof of Selected Issues
Chapter 9 — Trial Practice: Breach and Damages
III. [9.3] Measure of Damages
Chapter 10 — Statutory Defenses of Mechanics Lien Claims
I. [10.1] Introduction
II. Contract Requirements — Section 1 of the Mechanics Lien Act
III. [10.9] General Contractor’s Notice Requirement — Section 5 of the Mechanics Lien Act
IV. Timing and Contents of Mechanics Lien Claims — Section 7 of the Mechanics Lien Act
V. [10.26] Subcontractor’s Required Notices — Sections 21 and 24 of the Mechanics Lien Act
VI. [10.30] 30-Day Notice To Commence Suit — Section 34 of the Mechanics Lien Act
Chapter 11 — Common-Law and Consumer Statutory Defenses
VII. [11.7] Improvements Authorized or Knowingly Permitted
VIII. [11.12] Legality of Contract
IX. [11.17] Extras; Supplemental and Additional Work
X. [11.21] Contract Terms Influencing Lien Rights — The Hierarchy of Contract Power
XI. [11.31] Performance, Breach, Justifiable Abandonment
XIV. [11.41] Waiver of Liens
XV. [11.53] A Few Common Nonstatutory Claims Against Owners
Chapter 12 — Miscellaneous Remedies
II. Alternative Theories of Recovery
Chapter 13 — Attorneys’ Fees and §17 of the Mechanics Lien Act
Chapter 14 — FormsNo bio available.
No bio available.
Timothy R. Conway is Of Counsel to Conway & Mrowiec Attorneys LLLP in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on construction law. He is a member the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys and the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law. Mr. Conway received his BA from DePaul University and his JD summa cum laude from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
No bio available.
No bio available.
William J. Holloway is a Partner at King Holloway Lipinski LLC in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice in real estate litigation. He is licensed in Illinois, Wisconsin, the United States District Courts in Illinois and Wisconsin, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He is Editor of the Title Insurance Law Database, www.titleinsurancelaw.net, which contains numerous Illinois mechanics lien cases. He has been a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 1985 and was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2000. He is a member of the Illinois Society of Trial Lawyers, the American Arbitration Association’s Employment Litigation Panel, and the Association of Attorney Mediators. He completed the program Mediating the Litigated Case at Pepperdine University School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Mr. Holloway received his B.S. from Iowa State University, his J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, and his M.S. in taxation from DePaul University.
John A. Jeffries is Of Counsel to Locke Lord LLP in Chicago, where he focuses on business law, including construction disputes. He represents construction contractors in all aspects of their work and is the author of numerous articles for the construction industry. He is rated AV Preeminent for over 30 years by Martindale-Hubbell and is a Leading Lawyer and Super Lawyer. Mr. Jeffries received his B.S., J.D., LL.M, and Ph.D. from Indiana University.
Peter M. King is a Partner at King Holloway LLC in Chicago, where he represents parties in real estate disputes and represents employers in labor and employment matters. He is a member of the Illinois Land Title Association and the Defense Research Institute. He also served an externship with the Special Prosecutions Bureau of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago. Mr. King received his undergraduate degree from Eastern Illinois University and his J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago Law School.
John S. Mrowiec is a General Partner at Conway & Mrowiec Attorneys LLLP in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on construction litigation and contracts. He has been named the Chicago Lawyer of the Year in Construction Law in 2014 and in Construction Litigation in 2019 and 2025 by Best Lawyers. Mr. Mrowiec received his BA cum laude from Northern Illinois University and his JD from DePaul University College of Law, where he served as the Lead Articles & Notes Editor for the DePaul Law Review.
Margery Newman is Of Counsel to Downey & Lenkov LLC in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in construction law and business law. She has served on the American Bar Association Forum Committee on the Construction Industry; the Chicago Bar Association Committees on Real Property, Construction Issues, Mechanics Liens, and Real Estate Litigation; and the Illinois State Bar Association Construction Law Committee and Real Estate Law Section Council. She is also a member of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys. She has authored numerous articles and lectured extensively on the construction industry and was an adjunct professor of construction law at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Ms. Newman received her BA from Brooklyn College, her M.A. from Roosevelt University, and her JD with high distinction from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, where she was on the law review.
Dennis J. Powers is a Partner at DLA Piper LLP (US) in Chicago, where he focuses on construction law and real estate and commercial litigation. He has been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law, and has been designated an Illinois Super Lawyer as the result of research projects conducted jointly by Law & Politics and Chicago magazines. He is also listed in Leading Lawyers for Construction Law and is a member of the American and Chicago Bar Associations and the Construction Law Forum. Mr. Powers received his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.
Richard P. Reichstein (retired) founded the Law Offices of Richard P. Reichstein, Ltd., in Chicago, focusing on building construction claims, government contracts, and general business litigation issues. He has been a member of the American, Illinois, and Chicago Bar Associations; the National Contract Management Association; General Contractors of America; and Associated General Contractors of Illinois. Mr. Reichstein received his M.B.A. from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
No bio available.
No bio available.
Julia Jensen Smolka is a Partner at DiMonte & Lizak, LLC, in Park Ridge, where she focuses her practice on bankruptcy, litigation, estate planning, and mechanics liens. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association. Ms. Smolka received her B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
No bio available.
Michael J. Torchalski is the owner of Torch Legal in Cary, where he focuses on civil litigation, including mechanics lien; real estate tax appeal; estate planning, probate, and trust administration; real estate transactions, and title insurance. He served a judicial internship with Judge Thomas R. McMillen of the United States District Court. He is a licensed title insurance agent and a member of the Heartland Realtor Organization’s Governmental Affairs Committee. Mr. Torchalski received his B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. with honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he was a member of the Bar and Gavel Society.
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