Real Estate

Our Business Real Estate group provides sophisticated and general business, tax and real property advice relating to alternative methods of owning, financing and operating the various components of a real estate project for corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts, financial institutions, and individuals. Representation of our client usually continues throughout the project's life, from acquisition to development equity infusion, construction, construction financing, leasing and management, permanent financing, refinancing and disposition.

Specific areas of practice include:

Business Real Estate & Tax Planning

The Real Estate group, often in conjunction with the Tax and Corporate groups, counsels clients on the formation of entities for participation in transactions and on other business and tax-related issues. We possess significant experience in partnership, LLC, and corporate issues. Our group works with clients to obtain maximum tax benefits relating to transactions, including planning and closing deferred like-kind exchanges of real property, structuring tenant improvement allowances, and structuring acquisitions and dispositions of real properties.

Real Estate Development & Land Use

We are active in the acquisition, development, and disposition of significant real estate projects on behalf of developers, owners, and investors. We are regularly involved in assemblages of properties, as well as construction of new projects and renovation and rehabilitation of existing projects. These projects represent the full range of real estate development, including office buildings, land development, single-family and multi-family residential projects, medical office buildings, warehouses, retail centers, and mixed-use projects.

Economic Development Incentives

We provide advice to our clients in obtaining economic development incentives from the local, county, and state authorities in order to purchase, construct, or renovate real estate projects. The economic development incentives have been in the form of tax increment financing, real estate tax abatements, community development incentives, and job creation tax credits.

Business Real Estate Financing

We have extensive experience representing lenders and borrowers in financing transactions of all types. We act as regular counsel to numerous financial institutions on loans secured by all types of real estate, including office, industrial, retail, and residential. Our representation includes the initial structuring, documenting, and negotiating of transactions, as well as due diligence with respect to underlying real estate issues. The financing transactions include conventional mortgage financing, industrial revenue and development bonds, and sale leasebacks.

Land & Project Acquisitions & Sales

We advise buyers and sellers in transactions involving sales and acquisitions of real estate of every asset class on both a portfolio and individual property basis. We are experienced in the specialized requirements of transactions involving office buildings, shopping centers, hospitals, nursing homes, residential buildings, and air rights and development sites. We have also represented clients in tax-free exchanges and other investment structures.

Business Leasing Transactions

The real estate group has extensive experience in leasing transactions, both on behalf of landlords and tenants. Our practice extends to all types of leasing, including ground lease, retail, office, industrial and residential lease transactions.

Zoning & Land Use

We provide land use advice and counsel to developers and users of commercial, retail, industrial, and residential facilities. Such land use representation includes zoning, environmental, historic preservation, legislative, and litigation services. We have experience in obtaining rezonings, variances, approval of planned unit developments, and transfers of development rights. We also represent governmental authorities in regard to the interpretation and enforcement of local zoning regulations.