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Real Estate
As the modern law firm, Taft’s 150+ real estate attorneys are at the forefront of emerging trends and issues impacting the real estate industry. From technological advancements to economic shifts, we have the understanding and informed perspective about the challenges and opportunities clients face and deliver timely, thoughtful counsel to navigate the complexities of an evolving industry.
Leveraging our size, skills, breadth, and depth of knowledge, we help our clients mitigate risks and avoid obstacles while delivering results in a timely, cost-effective manner. We represent a wide variety of national and regional developers, property owners, institutional and private investors, buyers and sellers, landlords and tenants, banks, insurance companies, pension funds, construction contractors, and brokers.
We Provide Comprehensive Legal Advice and Support
Each real estate transaction and situation is unique and many are complex. We listen to our clients to understand their objectives and challenges to provide tailored solutions to help them achieve their goals. Taft brings a wide range of real-world practical experience coupled with an extensive network of real estate and financial industry contacts throughout the United States. Our full range of real estate-related services include:
- Acquisition and development of real estate for manufacturing, industrial, warehouse, commercial, retail, residential, hospitality, and other uses.
- Sales, exchanges, and other dispositions of real estate assets.
- Leases for industrial, manufacturing, warehouse, commercial, retail, and office uses.
- Annexation, land use, zoning (including obtaining re-zonings, variances, and conditional use permits), entitlements, and building, fire, wetlands and other permitting matters.
- State and federal land sales regulations.
- Preparation of governing documents for condominium and other common interest communities for mixed use, commercial and residential projects, including strategizing with developers regarding phasing and annexation matters, formulating project mapping and control provisions responsive to the needs of mixed-use projects, and formulating and implementing plans for the revitalization, improvement, and redevelopment of projects approaching obsolescence.
- Middle income and affordable housing including satisfaction of related inclusionary zoning requirements, development cost reduction, and multi-source financing.
- Financing of real estate assets, including mortgage loans, sale/leasebacks, participating mortgages, leasehold financing, as well as construction and permanent financing for a wide variety of lenders and borrowers.
- Public and private construction contracts, construction management agreements, design/build agreements, and architect and engineer contracts for owners, construction companies, and design professionals.
- Tax counsel regarding the structure of ownership entities and transactions, and tax disputes and appeals.
- Title insurance, survey, and environmental review.
- Section 1031 exchange matters.
- Implementing projects involving New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), Historic Tax Credits, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Public Improvement Fee (PIF), and Opportunity Zone Financing.
- Litigation, arbitration, and mediation regarding purchase contracts, leases, mortgages, mechanics’ liens, construction contracts, and other disputes and claims relating to real estate.
- Eminent domain.
- Conservation easements for the preservation of land, water, and historic structures.
- Siting of cellular facilities and related assets.
- Joint ventures and strategic alliances.
- Real estate bankruptcies, workouts, and foreclosures.
- Wind and solar project leasing and financing.
- Property management and operations issues.
- Legal services regarding Community Development Entities (CDEs).
We Service Every Asset Class
- Manufactured housing communities.
- Condominiums and planned communities.
- Assisted-living facilities.
- High-rise office buildings and mixed-use facilities.
- Hotels, luxury resorts, golf courses, and other hospitality projects.
- Retail centers.
- Hospitals and medical facilities.
- Corporate and industrial campuses.
- Warehouse facilities.
- Restaurants, theaters, and special-use facilities.
- Farms, ranches, and vacant land.
- Luxury estates and trophy properties.
- Urban brownfields.
- Redevelopment of former federal enclaves and military bases.
- Resource exploration and mining sites.
- Telecommunications sites.
- Waste disposal facilities.
Related Practices
Related Industries
Awards
Ranked National Tier 1 by Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” for Real Estate Law (2020 – present)
“Leading Law Firm” by Chambers USA for Real Estate Law in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio
(2021 – present)
Ranked National Tier 1 by Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” for Real Estate: Land Use & Zoning Law
(2021 – present)
Ranked #1 Top Law Firm by Midwest Real Estate News in its “Best of the Best” Issue (2019 – 2023)
Notable Matters
- Represented the purchaser in Chicago’s biggest suburban office deal two consecutive years.
- Represented an industrial manufacturer in the acquisition, financing and disposition of numerous facilities.
- Represented the purchaser in a multi-tenant industrial warehouse building in Illinois.
- Obtained public way approvals for a flagship retailer and oversaw the construction of its innovative, state-of-the-art addition to an existing office building, which included zoning, utility and public right-of-way elements.
- Obtained zoning approval and entitlements for a mixed-use student housing and retail project serving a higher education institution.
News
Taft’s Real Estate Group Ranked #1 by Midwest Real Estate News News
Taft Leaders Discuss New AI-powered Technology Partnership with Lexis® Create+ News
Grady Guest Lecturer at The University of Wisconsin-Madison News
Bray Receives 2024 Distinguished Service Award News
Grady and Thompson Selected to Crain's Chicago Business 2024 Notable Black Leaders News
Colorado Bar Association Real Estate Webinar: Who Owns the Right of Way & How Can My Client Get a Piece of It?
Past Events
All Real Estate Professionals
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