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
Scott represents a variety of governmental bodies, including cities and villages, park districts, fire districts, townships and school districts.
For almost 25 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. He continues to supervise municipal prosecution for traffic, DUI and ordinance violation cases for cities and villages.
Scott also appears before local governments as the attorney for the petitioner in various zoning matters.
Scott is an adjunct law professor at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago where he teaches 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 and Spring Grove, and as counsel to the City of Zion. He also serves as the attorney for the Crystal Lake Park District, Lake Bluff Park District, Foss Park District, Nunda Township, and Lakes Region Sanitary District. He has also served as special counsel to a variety of units of government.
Experience
Highlights of Scott’s practice include:
- Assisted a village with new zoning regulations to classify a large scale planned unit development with appropriate regulations and negotiated a planned unit development agreement with the developer
- 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
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 Annexation Issues
- 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 on construction issues and legal issues facing agency leaders
- Provides training on legal issues at police training seminars
- Presented at the Illinois Association of Park Districts annual conference on Intergovernmental Cooperation, Board Practices and Procedures, 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
Publications
Scott is a contributing author to the Illinois Municipal Handbook, published by the Illinois Municipal League, and the Illinois Park District Law Handbook, published by the Illinois Association of Park Districts.