Rabia P. Chaudhry

Rabia is a seasoned real estate attorney at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, a full-service law firm with a global reach and a reputation for excellence. She is a member of the firm's Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental Practice Group as well as the Corporate, Real Estate and Finance Team (CRAFT), Portfolio Transactions Team, and Multifamily Housing Team. She has over 10 years of experience in advising clients on a full range of real estate transactions. Investors, property owners, developers and landlords rely on her counsel when buying, selling and leasing real property across the United States. She is experienced at handling all asset classes, including retail, office, industrial, storage and multifamily properties. She is adept at leasing, sale-leasebacks, purchases and sales, management agreements, CC&Rs and other real estate matters. She is passionate about delivering solutions that meet the needs and objectives of her clients, keeping their long-term goals in mind. She serves a broad range of clientele, including publicly traded companies, real estate investment firms, retail chains and other real estate investors.

Rabia was the lead attorney on the successful closing of real estate transactions totaling more than $4 Billion in 2023 alone. Adding to that number, she has already closed approximately $500 million in transactions in 2024. Rabia is trusted by clients as their go-to real estate attorney and recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers and a Top Young Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine in Southern California, 2020-2024.

Rabia is an active member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW-OC Programs Committee), NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association), National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Real Estate Committee), National Multi-Family Housing Counsel (NMHC Advisory Committee), South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA-SC Board Member), Muslim Bar Association of Southern California (Board Member), and Orange County Muslim Bar Association (Founding Board Member). While in law school, Rabia served as the Managing Editor of the UC Davis Business Law Journal and President of the Law Students Association. While completing her undergraduate studies, Rabia served as Vice President - Academic Affairs of the Associated Students of the University of California, San Diego and a National Board Member of the United States Students Association.

Experience

• Represented Terreno Realty Corporation (NYSE:TRNO) in its $365 million acquisition of a portfolio of industrial properties located in New York City, Northern New Jersey, San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. The portfolio of 28 buildings containing approximately 1.2 million square feet is 91.6% leased to 70 tenants.

• Represented Realty Income (NYSE: O), a real estate investment trust that invests in free-standing, single-tenant commercial properties subject to NNN Leases, in its $1.5 billion sale-leaseback transaction to acquire 415 single-tenant convenience store and gas station sites located in 13 states along the eastern seaboard. In 2023, the portfolio is expected to represent approximately 14 percent of Realty Income's total portfolio annualized contractual rent.

• Represented Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) in connection with the real estate due diligence for its $2.2 billion acquisition of the Simply Self Storage portfolio from Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“BREIT”).

• Represented Quixote Studios in real estate aspects of its $360M sale to Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc.
• Represented a real estate investor in its sale of an apartment community in Florida for over $95M.

• Represented a real estate investment and management private equity firm through all stages of its real estate transactions, including successful acquisitions of medical office buildings, life science buildings and surgery centers across the United States, various retail and medical office building leasing activities and a $678M portfolio sale, all while navigating novel issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Represented a multi-park recreational vehicle and manufactured home communities group in its financed acquisition of various parks throughout the United States, including successfully closing over $500M in acquisitions with its joint venture institutional investor partners.
• Represented retail chain grocers in all areas of their real estate transactions, including in connection with: acquisitions and dispositions; resolution of title issues; shopping center CC&Rs; leases and subleases; encroachment agreements; easements; license agreements; estoppel certificates; SNDAs; environmental remediation matters; and property management issues, acting as client’s first point of contact to execute transactions and resolve issues.
• Represented a fast-food franchisee with over 30 fast-food franchise locations in all stages of its leasing transactions.
• Represented a concrete products and materials manufacturer in connection with its mining leases.
• Represented high net worth individuals and celebrities in various real estate acquisitions.
• Lead counsel on assisting real estate developer with multi-million-dollar condominium development in Los Angeles, including preparation of CC&Rs, HOA formation and purchase and sale agreements.
• Represented residential developer in resolution of title issues in connection with 25-acre residential development.
• Represented a chain retail pharmacy in a multi-million-dollar sale of its pharmacy inventory and records and subsequent closure from start to finish, including: negotiating the asset purchase agreement with another retail chain pharmacy worth over $153B; preparing all closing documents; analyzing and working directly with C-level executives to effect store closures and negotiate terminations with vendors.

Honors

• Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Southern California, 2020-2024
• Los Angeles Magazine, Top Young Lawyer, Southern California, 2020-2023

Articles

• "Sheppard Mullin Represents Terreno Realty Corp. in $365 Million Portfolio Acquisition Spanning Multiple Markets," May 9, 2024
• "Sheppard Mullin Advises Aditxt, FT Global Capital, Hanwha Foodtech And Others In Recent Deals," March 8, 2024
• "Sheppard Mullin Advised Realty Income in $1.5 billion Sale-leaseback Deal to Acquire 415 Single-tenant Convenience Store Properties," September 27, 2023
• "Sheppard Mullin Real Estate Team Represents Self Storage in $2.2 Billion Acquisition of Simply Self Storage Portfolio," September 26, 2023
• "Sheppard Mullin Advised Prospect Medical Holdings in Recapitalization and Financing Transactions, Including Up to $450 Million in New Financing," June 12, 2023
• "Sheppard Mullin Represents Quixote Studios in $360 Million Sale to Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc.," September 1, 2022

Memberships

• Member, NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association
• Member, National Multifamily Housing Council
• Member, Commercial Real Estate Women
• Former member, The Leo E. Deegan American Inn of Court
• Former board member and secretary, Barristers, Riverside County Bar Association
• Former member, UC Davis School of Law Alumni Board