Matthew J. Gardner

Matthew J. Gardner

Matthew J. Gardner is a partner at Robbins Schwartz, where he specializes in construction, commercial transactions, real estate, public finance, and board governance. Matt represents public and private project owners, contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers over the course of construction projects. He regularly counsels clients through the public bid and procurement process, including drafting bid packets to comply with the assortment of laws impacting public project owners. He also drafts and negotiates a variety of construction contracts involving project owners, architects and design professionals, contractors and construction managers, and project general conditions. Additionally, Matt works with project owners throughout the project to quickly resolve any problems or conflicts that often arise on construction projects to help the project continue smoothly without delays or cost overruns. If a project does go wrong, Matt regularly represents clients on mechanics lien matters, construct defect cases, and other construction-related litigation.

Matt’s commercial real estate practice involves representing public and private clients in a wide variety of real estate and land use matters. He represents clients throughout the purchase or sale of property, from drafting and negotiating a purchase and sale agreement, due diligence review of lease, environmental, and title matters, zoning, and ultimately through closing. Throughout the process, Matt seeks to ensure a smooth closing to fulfill the parties’ desired goals, while at the same time keeping his client fully informed of any nuances and risks, and making sure his client’s interests are protected. Matt also represents clients on commercial and education-related leases, large and small, and other land use issues such as licenses and easements, zoning, impact fees, or title disputes.

In addition to construction and real estate, Matt represents school districts, colleges, and private companies on a wide assortment of commercial transactions, including drafting and negotiating data privacy agreements, software license agreements, and service agreements. As educational technology and artificial technology tools and products become more prevalent, Matt frequently presents on student privacy-related issues and compliance with the litany of laws and regulations impacting the same. He also counsels and helps clients navigate and respond to data breaches or ransomware attacks if they occur.

Beyond his practice, Matt is actively involved in the legal community. He has served as the past Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Construction Law and Mechanics lien Subcommittee, is an active member of the Chicago Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee, and a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Awards

• Illinois “Rising Star”, by Super Lawyers Magazine, in the area of Construction Litigation (2021-2022)

Education

• J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School
• B.S., University of Utah

Admitted to Practice

• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• Supreme Court of Illinois
• Supreme Court of Utah
• Supreme Court of Wisconsin

Organizations

• Chicago Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Illinois Association of School Business Officials
• Illinois Council of School Attorneys

Recent Publications

• Contributing author, “Environmental Issues” Construction Law: Transactional Considerations, IICLE (2021)
• Contributing author, “School Property and Environmental Issues” School Law: Organization, Finance, and Property, IICLE (2017, 2021)
• Contributing author, “Turner on Illinois Mechanics Liens,” Chapter III – Making a Lien Against Private Property Enforceable (2019)

 Recent Presentations

• Ed Tech Contracts in 2025: Industry-Wide Acceptance of the NDPA, Evolving AI Technologies, and Risks and Best Practices that School Attorneys Should Consider, ICSA In-House Counsel Networking Meeting (May 2025)
• Bridging SOPPA and NDPA: Key Changes to Student Data Agreements in Illinois, SecurED Schools K-12 Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Conference (January 2025)
• Construction Project Delivery Methods, IASB/IASA/IASBO 2024 Joint Annual Conference (November 2024)
• Sustainable Design: Procurement and Other Considerations for a Successful Project,
• Illinois ASBO 2024 Annual Conference (April 2024)
• Data Breaches and Ransomware Attacks: Strategies for Preventing and Responding to Cybersecurity Incident, LUDA 2024 March Conference (March 2024)
• Bidding and Managing a Successful Construction Project, 2024 IADP/IPRA Soaring to New Heights Conference (January 2024)
• Best Practices When Responding to a Data Breach or Cyber Incident, Secured Schools: K-12 Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Conference (January 2024)
• Legal Requirements Schools Must Consider for Data Privacy and an Update on the Evolution of Lawsuits Against Schools Arising From Data Breaches, Secured Schools: K-12 Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Conference (January 2024)