Scott A. Puma
Equity Partner
North Suburban Office
175 E. Hawthorn Parkway, Suite 145
Vernon Hills, IL 60061
Direct Phone: 847.856.5422
Fax: 847.247.7405
Email: spuma@ancelglink.com
B.A., University of Notre Dame 1990
Scott represents a variety of governmental bodies, including cities and villages, park districts, fire districts, townships and school districts.
For over 30 years, Scott’s law practice has focused on a variety of areas, including general local government law, zoning and economic development and real estate, among others. Scott regularly advises on all aspects of local government operations.
Scott has represented municipalities in litigation in both the federal and state courts. He has defended municipalities in tort, civil rights, annexation, zoning and contract litigation. He has also represented municipalities as plaintiffs in contract, zoning and real estate matters.
Scott also appears before local governments as the attorney for the petitioner in various zoning matters.
Scott has served as an adjunct law professor at the UIC John Marshall Law School in Chicago where he taught Land Use Control and Zoning in the LLM Real Estate Law Program to attorneys and law students.
Currently, Scott serves as the Village Attorney for Round Lake Beach, Spring Grove, Lakewood and Hainesville. He also serves as the attorney for the Crystal Lake Park District, Lake Bluff Park District, Dundee Township Park District, Cary Park District, South Barrington Park District, Streamwood Park District, DeKalb Park District, and Nunda Township. He also represents several other park districts and serves as special counsel to a variety of units of government.
Experience
Particular highlights of Scott’s practice include:
- Appointed as a Special Assistant State’s Attorney and defended the Cook County Board and Board President Toni Preckwinkle in a lawsuit filed by the Chief Judge of Cook County relative to the funding of the Cook County Court System. Negotiated the terms of the settlement which resulted in $27M less in funds than the Chief Judge sought in the lawsuit
- Defended a village and police officer in a wrongful conviction case where the plaintiff was imprisoned for 20 years and later exonerated by DNA evidence. Settled the case for less than 5% of the total $20M settlement which was paid by numerous other entities
- Won a bench trial where over 50 plaintiffs challenged a non-home rule city’s rental registration ordinance on the basis that it was ultra vires and an unlawful tax
- Successfully represented a municipality in a case against an intergovernmental agency which was formed without proper legislative authority
- Worked with a municipality on the comprehensive re-drafting of its zoning regulations to address changing land uses in the village and to accomplish the evolving goals of the village board
- Represented a village in annexing and zoning property for agritourism, including negotiating a variety of future uses for the development of the property
- Negotiated an annexation agreement with property owners for gravel mining and then the subsequent redevelopment of the property for residential and commercial uses
Awards/Professional Recognitions/Memberships
- Lake County Bar Association
- McHenry County Bar Association
Publication & Presentations
Scott regularly lectures on topics on general municipal practices and land use and development before elected officials at conferences and legal seminars for attorneys, including the following:
- Presented to the Lake County Bar Association Local Government Attorneys Section on Ethical Practices for Municipal Lawyers and regarding Annexation Issue
- Presented at the Lake County Bar Association’s Newly Elected Officials Seminar on the Gift Ban Act
- Presented at the Illinois Park and Recreation Association seminars on construction issues and legal issues facing agency leaders
- Provided training on legal issues at seminars for police officers
- Presented at the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ annual conference on Intergovernmental Cooperation, Board Practices and Procedures, Board Policy Manuals, Real Estate Matters, Developer Impact Fees and Policing Issues
- Presented two sessions at the National Business Institute on Ethics and Public Rights and Issues relating to local governments
Scott is a contributing author to the Illinois Municipal Handbook, published by the Illinois Municipal League, and the primary editor of the 8th edition of the Illinois Park District Law Handbook, published by the Illinois Association of Park Districts.