Erik K Jacobs

Erik K Jacobs

Cicero, France & Alexander, P.C.
  • Real Estate Law, Personal Injury, Business Law ...
  • Illinois
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Lawyer Rating and Reviews
Legal Knowledge
5.0/5.0
Legal Analysis
5.0/5.0
Communication Skills
5.0/5.0
Ethics and Professionalism
5.0/5.0
Todd Alan Ramlow
Todd Alan Ramlow November 23, 2020
Rating: 10 Lawyer Rating - 10 out of 10
Overall, Attorney Jacobs is a great advocate for his clients and is an asset to the legal profession.
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Biography

Erik Jacobs is a highly regarded litigator and transactional attorney in Northern Illinois. He received a BBA in Finance from the University of Iowa and his law degree, with honors, from the Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1991. He was a member of both the Law Review and the National Moot Court Team as well as a Research Assistant for the Dean of the Law School. He spent the first two years of his practice as a law clerk to a Federal Judge in the Northern District of Illinois before moving into private practice where he represented physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice litigation. Over the next several years he acquired an affinity for real estate and developed a transactional practice alongside his defense work. Over his nearly 30 years of practice he has represented hundreds of developers, contractors and consumers in residential and commercial real estate transactions and related litigation throughout the area. He spent many years as counsel to the Rockford Area Association of Realtors® (RAAR) and was instrumental in drafting the RAAR and Winnebago County Bar Association (WCBA) Joint Approved Contracts for the purchase and sale of residential, commercial/industrial, and farm properties as well as contracts for new construction and other forms. He currently serves as General Counsel for the Rockford Area Apartment Association. He is a past Chairman of the Real Estate and Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections of the Winnebago County Bar Association. He has been the Hearing Officer for Winnebago County, Illinois since 1997, where he presides over violations of the County’s Health, Zoning and Building code violation hearings, among other things. He is an active member of the Winnebago County and Illinois State Bar Associations and the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association. Among other civic and charitable activities, he volunteers his time as a board member for the Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity.

Practice Areas
Real Estate Law
Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
Personal Injury
Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
Business Law
Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
Insurance Claims
Bad Faith Insurance, Business Insurance, Disability Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Motor Vehicle Insurance, Property Insurance
Arbitration & Mediation
Business - Arbitration/Mediation, Consumer - Arbitration/Mediation, Family - Arbitration/Mediation
Estate Planning
Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
Probate
Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
Insurance Defense
Video Conferencing
  • Zoom
  • FreeConferenceCall
Fees
  • Does Not Currently Practice Law
  • Not Currently Accepting Clients
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    Our firm has a schedule of regular hourly fees for all cases except Wrongful Death and Personal Injury cases, which are accepted on a contingent fee basis.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Illinois
Supreme Court of Illinois
ID Number: 6207081
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United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
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United States District Court - Northern District of Illinois
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
  • Spanish: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
Partner
Cicero, France & Alexander, P.C.
- Current
Hearing Officer
Winnebago County
- Current
I preside over cases involving violations of the Winnebago County Illinois Zoning, Building, Health and Animal Control Ordinances.
Partner
Hyzer, Hyzer & Jacobs
-
Associate
Kostantacos, Traum, Reuterfors & McWilliams, P.C.
-
Law Clerk
United State District Court for the Northern District of Illinois - Honorable Philip G. Reinhard
-
Education
Northern Illinois University College of Law
J.D. (1991) | Law
-
Honors: Graduated with Honors
Activities: Member of the Law Review Member of the National Moot Court Team Best Oral Advocate Research Assistant to Dean Leonard P. Strickman
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University of Iowa
B.B.A. (1987) | Finance
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Activities: I was a member of the University of Iowa Soccer Team
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Professional Associations
State Bar of Illinois
Member
Current
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Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association
Current
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Winnebago County Bar Association
- Current
Activities: Past Chairman of the Real Estate and CLE Sections Past President of the Winnebago County Bar Foundation
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Illinois State Bar Association
- Current
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Speaking Engagements
Instructor, Rockford, IL
Rockford Area Association of Realtors
I provided instruction to Rockford Area Realtors regarding the local Joint Approved Contract for the Purchase and Sale of Real Estate (Residential, Commercial/Industrial, Farms, Condominiums), Agency and Ethics for many years. I have also spoken at various Continuing Legal Education courses over the past 29 years.
Legal Answers
35 Questions Answered
Q. I'm interested in turning a lake house property into a co-op with about 20 owners. Can any real estate lawyer cover this
A: Sure - there are a few ways to go about doing this. For instance, you can create an LLC to own the property and then set forth the members rights and responsibilities in an operating agreement.
Q. I'm in Chicago, how do I remove the lien from my property after I fully paid the balance?
A: If the City has recorded a lien against the property in the Cook County Recorder's Office then you will need a release of lien from the City to have it removed.
Q. Does a real estate lawyer have to review the offer to send to the seller?
A: Not necessarily. I often have clients, particularly those without Realtors, that have me review an offer prior to submission to the seller. However, most standard contracts have attorney approval clauses which allow for attorney review once the contract is complete. Depending on where you live, the attorney approval clauses may differ. For instance, in the Multiboard 7.0 contract an attorney can approve, disapprove (but not based on price, propose modifications, etc.
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Contact & Map
Cicero, France & Alexander, P.C.
6323 E. Riverside Blvd
Rockford, IL 61114
Telephone: (815) 226-7700
Fax: (815) 226-7701
Monday: 8:30 AM - 5 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 5 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 5 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM - 5 PM (Today)
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed