A thriving real estate practice with an excellent and responsive team. - Chambers USA

Real Estate

Return to Practice Description

From the financing of trophy buildings like Water Tower Place, to the documentation for a multi-disciplinary team bidding to design and build the next expansion of McCormick Place, to negotiating the intricacies of the air rights easements and long-term leases for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Goldberg Kohn’s Real Estate Group has handled sophisticated and fascinating projects that are part of the fabric of the city of Chicago.

But the firm doesn’t stop at Chicago's borders. Goldberg Kohn real estate attorneys have represented owners, developers, lenders and investors in connection with commercial, industrial, retail and residential projects all over the country, including senior debt, mezzanine and sale-leaseback financings, and sales and exchanges. The firm’s national capabilities are enhanced by a longstanding membership in Meritas, an affiliation of nearly 200 carefully selected independent business law firms across the world. This connection allows Goldberg Kohn to serve its clients' needs wherever they arise.

Goldberg Kohn’s Real Estate Group is respected as one of the best real estate departments in Chicago and is experienced in virtually every aspect of real estate transactions. The depth of the firm’s practice encompasses every aspect of commercial property transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, developments, financings, hotel, retail, office, senior housing, industrial and specialty leasing, construction, sale and leasebacks, synthetic leasing, workouts and bankruptcies and environmental issues.

The transactions on which Goldberg Kohn's real estate lawyers work are often large and particularly complex, many involving multiple jurisdictions. However, as the firm’s real estate client base runs the gamut, from small entrepreneurs to large banks and multinational corporations, the transactions they work on also include many “middle market” deals. Goldberg Kohn’s real estate experience includes CMBS and balance sheet lending and syndications, involving all types of real estate collateral including retail, office, industrial and apartments, as well as specialty assets such as hotels and senior housing, both licensed and independent. The firm also has extensive experience representing institutional lenders in workouts, restructurings and bankruptcies, including REO disposition, foreclosures and receiverships.

Goldberg Kohn represents a range of owners of and investors in commercial real estate. For these clients the firm will advise on matters of: entity structuring, including preferred equity, pari passu joint ventures and limited liability company organization, capital formation, including equity syndication; development, including entitlement, covenants conditions, easements and restrictions; leasing; debt financing; purchase and sale; and reorganization.

Noteworthy

"Goldberg Kohn is a commercial law boutique with a strong finance practice, and in real estate terms this translates into a well-reputed transactional practice. The group typically advises lenders and recent mandates have revolved around restructurings and foreclosures." - As reported in Chambers USA

"A top-quality, midmarket firm with some extremely smart attorneys." - As reported in Chambers USA

"A heavy focus on finance and considered one of the best for local and regional work." - As reported in Chambers USA

Representative Matters

Debt Financing
Represent lenders and borrowers in connection with commercial mortgage financing, including structuring, negotiating, drafting and closing loans on all types of property. Represented lenders in connection with mortgage and mezzanine lending in specialized industries such as hotels, senior living facilities and franchised restaurants.
Construction
Represented lenders, developers, owners, contractors and tenants in connection with construction financing. The firm also represents contractors, developers and others in negotiating construction contracts, architect agreements, and other professional services contracts and have represented developers and public authorities in connection with substantial public works projects.
Workouts and Bankruptcies
Represented numerous institutional creditors in dealing with distressed investments - in negotiated restructures, and in bankruptcies and foreclosures.
Acquisitions and Dispositions
Represented buyers, sellers and lenders in the purchase and sale of real property of all types, including office, industrial, retail and residential.
Development
Represented owners, users, tenants and lenders in developing real estate projects of all kinds, including shopping centers, office buildings, industrial facilities, and multi-family and public buildings and developments.
Capital Structuring/Syndication
Created a wide variety of real estate investment structures for domestic and foreign clients, including negotiating joint venture, partnership, limited liability company, other organizational and development agreements and private placement syndications for both debt and equity, preferred equity, pari passu and incentivized management/development partnership interests.
Environmental
Consulted with clients regarding environmental site assessments, voluntary remediation programs, status liability for environmental cleanup, and other property-related environmental concerns.
Litigation
Represented clients in litigation matters arising out of real estate transactions, including construction, environmental, partnership, lease, broker's liens, casualty losses, taxation and bankruptcy issues.
Commercial Leasing
Represented tenants and landlords in negotiating office, retail, industrial and specialized leases and subleases. The firm has represented lenders, owners and lessees in ground lease transactions and also negotiates property management and brokerage agreements on behalf of owners and managerial companies.
Sale-leaseback
Regularly represented either buyers or sellers in sale-leaseback transactions and have represented clients in bond lease financings aggregating over one billion dollars.