Real Estate Lending

Our nationally ranked real estate lending attorneys represent lenders and borrowers nationwide across the full spectrum of real estate secured lending transactions, including multi-state transactions and loans secured by shopping centers, office buildings, multifamily dwellings, industrial facilities, residential communities, mobile home parks, mini-storage facilities, ski resorts, water parks, vineyards and wineries, hotels, golf courses and agribusinesses. 

We bring extensive knowledge of real estate finance to structure, negotiate and close all types of equity and debt transactions. Our attorneys serve as local counsel in multistate loan transactions and as regional counsel for lender clients. The firm has offices throughout the Midwest and can assist clients in many states, including Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas. Banks, insurance companies and other institutional lenders, mortgage brokers and mortgage bankers, as well as borrowers, rely on our deep understanding of real estate lending and our successful track record with countless multimillion-dollar loan transactions to accomplish market-leading projects that optimize risks and rewards for all parties concerned. 

We help lenders establish consumer loan programs and represent borrowers and lenders in low-incoming housing transactions, including HUD-insured loans, and in transactions involving the issuance of GNMA securities and low-incoming housing tax credits. We are also experienced in lender liability, environmental hazards, and other challenging issues that arise in the context of sophisticated real estate lending transactions. 

Firm attorneys can also assist clients in transactions involving bond financing and development incentives such as tax increment financing. 

EXPERIENCE

Our notable real estate lending experience includes:

• Secured a $36 million loan for the John Hancock Tower Observatory vertical subdivision parcel in Chicago.
• Structured a $165 million construction loan and permanent financing for multiple water parks in Texas and Kansas.
• Negotiated $100 million-plus loan to Peak Resorts' multi-property ski resorts.
• Handled complex real estate loans for conduit lenders across the U.S., including Bank of America, N.A., Barclays PLC and Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp.
• Represented lender in a $25 million project involving low-income housing tax credits, federal historic tax credits, state historic tax credits, municipal bonds, public agency grants and conventional loan financing.
• Won favorable judgment reforming national lender's deeds of trust upheld on appeal, appellate court adopting arguments and authorities of respondent's brief.
• Represented construction lender on over 20 low-income housing tax credit properties in 15 states in the last three years.
• Represented construction lenders on projects such as regional shopping malls, mixed-use developments, high-rise office buildings, nursing homes, senior housing and apartment complexes involving numerous public development incentives.
• One of only a handful of firms nationally that represents the community development lending branch of a large national bank in its state and federal low-income tax credit construction and permanent finance program.
• Counsel to some of the country's largest financial institutions, as well as local community banks and REITs, in complex real estate and construction loans.
• Represent lenders and borrowers in connection with HUD insured loans (including sale of participation interests), Fannie Mae loan transactions, the issuance of GNMA mortgage backed securities and transactions involving the Missouri Housing Development Commission.
• Assisted non-profit client with refinancing involving a combination of tax-exempt bond financing and bank financing.