Leo G. Aubel

Attorney
Howard & Howard

Leo G. Aubel’s extensive experience in closing luxury residential and new construction transactions has earned him a stellar reputation in real estate law. His impressive record of accomplishment includes more than 6,000 closings over his 29-year career and recognition as a 2015 Leading Lawyer. He is the attorney of choice for Realtors seeking counsel for high- end clients and for their own personal transactions as well. Agents appreciate his extensive legal knowledge and his perspective as a licensed managing broker and title agent, both of which contribute to his deep understanding of the real estate industry’s complexities.

Aubel’s parents were both licensed as real estate brokers, and his mother owned a brokerage. “Sitting open houses for my mother as a teenager helped prepare me for this profession even before I entered law school,” he laughs. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts as a cum laude graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University, he attended Chicago-Kent College of Law, finishing with honors in addition to representing the school in national moot court competitions. That experience helped him strengthen his analytical and negotiation skills. “My clients rely on me to strip disputes down to the bare elements so that we can resolve matters through a shared understanding of the facts,” Aubel explains. “I make this happen by taking an approach that’s practical, attentive and responsive so that the final decision is a fair one.”

That isn’t as easy as it sounds, but Aubel is not easily daunted. For example, he worked diligently for eight years to finance and close a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-sponsored multi-unit building on Chicago’s West Side that now houses 50 otherwise homeless adults with developmental challenges. “It’s a prime example of how a real estate project can benefit the community and its people,” says Aubel, who finds that placing individuals in a home is what most inspires him. “It’s great to support commercial real estate investors as they grow their business, but helping people secure a trophy home of their own is truly satisfying.”

Aubel is a member of Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, and also a member of the Illinois and Chicago Bar Association as well as Lambda Legal, and is
now sharing his skills with future attorneys as a law instructor. “My students are happy to learn what this career entails on a daily basis from someone who understands it firsthand,” he says. He shares his own background in real estate development and investment in his law school classes, as well as the need to give back to the community. “I’m fulfilled knowing that I’m part of making Chicago an even more vibrant city than it already is, but helping prepare tomorrow’s real estate attorneys is a terrific feeling that’s equally rewarding.”

 

Thanks to AtWater Apartments for letting us use their beautiful location for our photo shoots.