Bio

John Slagter chairs the Tucker Ellis Business Department. Passionate about real estate and development, John has dedicated his 30-year career to protecting clients’ property rights and achieving their goals. Practicing in all facets of real estate – including acquisition, disposition, leasing, finance, construction, eminent domain, and real property tax – John represents national and regional clients in industry sectors including commercial, office, retail, industrial, and residential. Notably, John devotes a significant part of his practice to land use and zoning, where he delivers unparalleled solutions in protecting and advancing property rights. He represents clients on a daily basis in matters involving applications for site approvals, variances, conditional use approvals, rezonings, economic development incentives, and litigation related to these issues. He develops and implements strategies to overcome objections by governmental authorities and community activists to secure approvals for clients in some of the most controversial and difficult cases. John is actively involved in the real estate community on a local and national level, including his engagement as a frequent speaker, writer, and contributor on real estate and land use issues. John also provides valuable insight to public companies, middle market businesses, and private equity and venture capital clients. He draws on his years of experience as a successful business manager and leader in providing strategic business advisory counsel. He skillfully identifies solutions to clients’ most difficult business issues and guides them through their toughest decisions. He takes the time to understand clients’ business objectives, as well as anticipate unforeseen issues that may negatively affect the health of a business. John is ranked in Chambers USA in the area of Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Ohio), where one client remarks that he is “a superlative lawyer in every respect.” Another client notes that “John is an excellent attorney. He’s extremely intelligent and always aims to resolve disputes effectively for his clients.” Another source comments that “John is one of the leading zoning and entitlement lawyers in Ohio. He is a fantastic litigator who possesses a strong sense of commercial and practical awareness.”