Jonathan E. Furr is a Senior Counsel in the Chicago office of Holland & Knight and practices in the areas of education, local government and land use, and state advocacy. In the education sector, Mr. Furr focuses on preventative law, helping both public and private sector clients structure programs and transactions that best serve their educational goals and also meet state and federal legal requirements. Mr. Furr is experienced in the representation of public bodies in multiple areas of legal services, including general corporate counseling, environmental matters, zoning, development, and contracts. Mr. Furr counsels private sector clients on zoning and land use matters (with an emphasis on green building and urban redevelopment), state agency approvals and advocacy, and other transactional issues.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Furr served as the General Counsel for two major State of Illinois agencies. As General Counsel for the Illinois State Board of Education, he was responsible for the development of legislation, regulations and policy impacting public schools, including the agency's approach to the oversight of private tutoring companies and school district sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. As General Counsel for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Mr. Furr provided legal and policy advice on the state's conservation and outdoor recreation programs. He negotiated a major economic development agreement to attract an international event to Illinois, and structured the project agreements for the 1,500-acre event site. He also worked on a variety of natural resources matters involving wetlands protection, natural resources damages, endangered species and natural areas consultation, and water use and conservation.
Mr. Furr has lectured on the regulation of private tutoring companies, school district reorganization, reducing educational "red tape," natural resources damages, and green building and development. He has written on a variety of topics, including green building and state education policy.