Harry E. Wigner, Jr.

Harry Wigner has extensive experience in all aspects of real estate development. In recent years he has had primary responsibility for obtaining zoning and other permits and for negotiating financing, construction, leasing and sale agreements and deed restrictions, for many prominent projects in Kansas and elsewhere. Among those developments were: a 100+ acre high-end multi-building office park; a medical center campus; a 100+ acre “mega” church campus financed with bonds; a multi-building warehouse complex; a factory financed with industrial revenue bonds; high end residential developments in Kansas and the mountains of Colorado; and a 600+ acre mixed use development consisting of commercial, industrial and office components. He has successfully negotiated state and local government incentive packages. His four years on the Kansas Development Finance Authority and 12 years on a suburban planning commission have enhanced his skills in securing bond financing and zoning for his clients. He has represented landlords (including several Kansas City area landlords with local multi building office and warehouse developments) and tenants in numerous real estate lease negotiations for office, retail and warehouse spaces in excess of 2.5 million square feet total.

Harry has represented banks, other commercial lenders and many commercial borrowers during his career. He has documented, worked out or foreclosed numerous loan facilities including equipment leases, letters of credit, asset based lines of credit, construction loans and other real estate loans.

Harry maintains an active corporate practice. Besides negotiating particular contracts for his clients (e.g., the purchase or sale of businesses or assets), he brings his years of experience to bear in advising them on day-to-day matters and in coordinating the input of other firm attorneys when appropriate. His clients are engaged in diverse activities including international software installations, newspaper publishing, retailing, resort operations and manufacturing.

• Guest speaker, Commercial Real Estate Leasing in Kansas
• Basic Corporate Law in Kansas
• Dealing with Locally Unwanted Land Uses
• Risk Allocation in Mortgages

• Co-author, Real Estate Finance: Kansas Q&A, Thomson Reuters, November 26, 2019
• Co-author, Foreign Investment in Real Estate: Kansas Q&A, Thomson Reuters, November 26, 2019

• American Bar Association, Antitrust Section
• Johnson County Bar Association
• Kansas Bar Association, Business Law Committee
• The Missouri Bar

• Overland Park Economic Development Council, Chair
• National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Board of Governors and Board of Directors, 1995-2002
• Kansas Development Finance Authority, Director, 1987-91; Vice Chair, 1990-91
• The City of Prairie Village, Kansas, Planning Commission, Member, 1986-98; Chair, 1992-98; Vice Chair, 1987-92
• YMCA of Greater Kansas City, Southwest District, Board of Managers, 1993-96; Kansas Public Policy Committee, 1993-95; Division Manager, 1987-89; Invest in Youth Campaign, Team Captain, 1982-87
• Kansas Teacher of the Year, Regional Steering Committee, 1992-95
• Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City, Board of Directors, 1989-95; President, 1992-95
• Old Mission United Methodist Church, Administrative Board, 1985-89
• Economic Lifelines, Coordinating Committee, Johnson County Co-Chair, 1988-89
• The Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Kansas, Class of 1989
• Shawnee Mission School District, Committee for Excellence, 1986-87
• Johnson County Civic/Cultural Center Task Force, 1984-85

• Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, 2010-2024
  • "Lawyer of the Year," 2015, 2016, 2021, 2024
• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Kansas Real Estate, 2008-2014; Recognized Practitioner, 2017; 2022-2023
• Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, 2005-2008, 2012-2015
• Martindale-Hubbell® “AV” rating 
• Rating Who’s Who in American Law