Real Estate

The Firm has background and experience in practically every aspect of real estate, including acquisition, development, financing, operation, and sale of office, industrial, commercial and residential buildings, shopping centers, hotels and resort properties, mixed-use facilities, and other types of projects. Firm clients include a broad array of developers, lenders, investors, landlords, tenants, and various local, national, and international businesses. The Firm’s Real Estate Section works with other lawyers of the Firm with expertise in bankruptcy, workouts, corporate finance, environmental law, franchising, partnerships, litigation, and tax to respond to any situation that may arise.

The Real Estate Section provides a complete range of services to assist clients from basic day-to-day legal matters to the most complex and sophisticated transactions. The Section’s significant experience includes:

• Acquisition/Sale -- negotiation and drafting of the contract and closing documents and closing the transaction, including exchange transactions.
• Construction -- negotiation and drafting of contracts with architects, consultants, engineers, homebuilders, and contractors.
• Due Diligence -- review of title commitments and underlying title documents, surveys, agreements, leases, environmental inspections, and reports.
• Land Use -- representation of developers and homebuilders in all aspects of land use issues, including condominium, planned unit developments, and subdivisions.
• Leasing -- representation of landlords and tenants in negotiating leases and resolving lease disputes.
• Lending -- negotiation and drafting of loan documents for lenders and borrowers ranging from small commercial loans to large real estate and asset-based loans.
• Miscellaneous Agreements -- negotiation and drafting of various types of easement agreements, restrictive covenants, and licenses.
• Real Estate Taxes -- representation of owners in protesting ad valorem tax assessments.
• Ownership Planning -- counseling clients on formation and structuring of various types of ownership entities for tax planning and liability concerns, including corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies.