John F. Donahue, Partner (312)541-1075

John Donahue has represented local governments and private clients in matters involving local governments for over 30 years. He has extensive experience in economic development, tax increment financing, bond financing, election law, zoning and land use, annexations, property acquisitions and sales, school law, and providing legal services for public meetings, ordinances, resolutions, intergovernmental agreements, contracts, and issues arising under the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act. John currently serves as Corporation Counsel for the City of DeKalb, the Village of Glenwood, the Village of Rosemont, and School Districts 78 and 149. John also provides legal services for the various entertainment venues owned and operated by the Village of Rosemont, including the Allstate Arena, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Parkway Bank Park, Rosemont Theater, and Impact Field. John is the author of sections of an Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education land use publication addressing the municipal regulation of adult uses. John received his undergraduate Engineering Degree with honors from the Illinois Institute of Technology and his Juris Doctor with honors from the DePaul College of Law, where he was a member of the law review.

Matthew D. Rose, Partner (312)541-1078

Matthew Rose has extensive experience representing local governments and private clients in various matters, including zoning and land use, economic development, general local government corporate governance, and civil litigation. He currently serves as co-general counsel for the City of DeKalb and the Village of Rosemont, and as prosecutor for the City of DeKalb and the Village of Glenwood. He also serves as the firm’s primary litigation counsel with experience litigating bench and jury trials, administrative hearings, arbitrations, appeals, dispositive motions, and mediations. He regularly litigates various local government issues involving police misconduct, tort immunities, constitutional law, code violations, the FOIA, and the OMA. Matt is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, where he served as co-chair of the Local Government Committee; the Illinois State Bar Association; the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association; and the Illinois Municipal League Home Rule Attorneys Committee. Matt received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his Juris Doctor with honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law (IIT), where he interned for the City of Chicago’s Law Department, the Illinois Attorney General, the Presiding Judge of the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and a Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court.

Barbara A. Adams, Of Counsel (312)541-1077

Barbara Adams has represented local governments and private clients in matters involving local governments for over 30 years. Barb has extensive experience in administrative law, construction law, contracts, intergovernmental cooperation, water law, zoning and land use, real estate acquisition and taxation, public pension law, personnel and employment, telecommunications, cable television, environmental law, public finance and bonds, and code and ordinance interpretation. Barb has provided general counsel and special counsel services to the City of Joliet, the County of Lake, the Illinois Finance Authority, the Village of Northbrook Firefighters Pension Fund, and the Village of Northbrook Police Pension Fund. Barb conducts litigation in state and federal courts, and she represents clients before various administrative bodies and tribunals. Barb has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America and also as an Illinois Super Lawyer for a number of years. Barb is also a frequent author and lecturer on matters affecting government law, including cable television, telecommunications law, construction law, contracting and finance, water law, and zoning of and leasing for wireless facilities. Barb is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, where she served as a chair of the Local Government Committee; the Illinois Local Government Lawyers Association, where she currently serves as pro bono General Counsel; the Illinois Municipal League Home Rule Attorneys Committee, where she served as a past chair; and the International Municipal Lawyers Association, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the President. Barb received her undergraduate degree with honors from Knox College and her Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law.

Judith N. Kolman, Of Counsel (312)541-1079

Judy Kolman has represented local governments and private clients in matters involving local governments for over 30 years. Judy currently serves as the township attorney for Leyden Township. Prior to joining our law firm, Judy was a partner at Rosenthal, Murphey, Coblentz & Donahue, where she specialized in all aspects of local governmental law, including representing municipalities, townships, park districts, and school districts. Judy also has considerable experience in redevelopment and redevelopment agreements, tax increment financing, zoning and land use matters, election law, real estate, contracts, including preparation and review of service and construction and software contracts, preparation of bid proposals, personnel, FOIA, home rule matters, and related litigation, and no cash bids for municipalities. Judy is the firm’s primary attorney for providing counsel to the firm’s clients about compliance with employment-related laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the federal regulations for drug and alcohol testing of commercial motor vehicle drivers (“CDL Regulations”), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s Privacy Rule (“HIPAA”) and COBRA, and Illinois’ new recreational cannabis law. Judy has authored several Personnel Handbooks and Zoning Codes for her clients and has been responsible for the codification of her client’s municipal codes. Judy also serves as the local election board attorney for the firm‘s clients, and she has served as a Public Member and Chairperson on various local electoral boards by appointment by the Chief Judge of Cook County. Judy is a member of the Bar of the State of Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. She is an active member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Local Government Committee and the Illinois Municipal League’s Home Rule Attorneys Committee. Judy received her J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law, a Master’s of Library Science (MLS) degree from the University of Toronto, and a BA from George Washington University.

Jason R. Blumenthal, Of Counsel (815)403-7135

Jason Blumenthal is an attorney at Donahue & Rose and a McHenry County native. Jason’s practice areas focus on matters relating to local government, election law, and residential real estate. He has extensive experience with the Freedom of Information Act, the Open Meetings Act, and prosecutions of ordinance violations. Jason also has experience working in public administration and management for a home rule municipality and a non-home rule county. Jason’s experience as a local government administrator gives him an invaluable perspective when providing advice and counsel to his local government clients. Jason received his Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Economics from Bradley University in 2016 and his Juris Doctorate and Masters in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University in 2019.