Christopher Engel

Christopher represents and advises developers, landlords, tenants, municipalities, health care providers, and a variety of private sector businesses in the acquisition, disposition, financing, operation, and management of commercial real estate. He also counsels clients in renewable energy projects, joint venture agreements, and public-private partnerships for real estate development and redevelopment.

Christopher earned his law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and his undergraduate degrees in finance and political science from Indiana University.

Representative Experience

• Serve as outside general counsel to three real estate development companies.
• Lead real estate counsel for a body corporate and politic of the State of Indiana in the development of the State’s first Innovation Development District.
• Counsel to an educational research foundation in the co-development of research and testing facilities with an international aerospace company.
• Counsel to a developer in the land acquisition, development, and financing of two market rate senior housing communities in the greater Indianapolis, Ind. area.
• Counsel to a real estate company in the sale of a multifamily property utilizing a partnership division and IRC § 1031 exchange and subsequent acquisition of a replacement multifamily property.
• Counsel to multiple developers in the land acquisition, development, and financing of residential neighborhood developments.
• Lead local real estate counsel to an international financial institution in a tax equity financing transaction for alternative energy investment in Indiana.
• Counsel to a healthcare provider in the land acquisition, development, financing, and reverse IRC § 1031 exchange planning of a medical office building in Fishers, Ind.
• Counsel to a developer in the negotiation of a public-private partnership for the redevelopment of real estate in Carmel, Ind.
• Counsel to a real estate company in the sale of three industrial buildings in the Indianapolis, Ind. area.
• Counsel to numerous multifamily property owners in the sale of multifamily properties in an aggregate transaction value in excess of $400 million.
• Counsel to a developer in the land acquisition, development, and financing of an office building in Carmel, Ind.
• Counsel to numerous landowners in the sale of farmland for development.
• Drafted and negotiated numerous commercial, industrial, and office leases on behalf of landlords and tenants.
• Drafted and negotiated leases, amendments, easements, and other industry-specific legal agreements as outside real estate counsel for a Fortune 20 wireless communications company.

Speeches

• Panelist, “2020 Vision Going Forward: How to See Yourself Through This,” Indiana State Bar Association Webinar (May 2020).
• Presenter, “Top-10 Contract Drafting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,” Downtown Indianapolis CLE (November 2018).
• Presenter, “Top-10 Contract Drafting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,” Indianapolis Bar Association (October 2017).
• Presenter, “Brewery & Distillery Business Entity Selection & Formation,” National Business Institute (June 2017).
• Presenter, “What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About LLC Operating Agreements,” Indianapolis Bar Association (October 2016).

Publications

• Author, “Planning Considerations for IRC Section 1031 Exchanges,” The Indiana Lawyer (March 2021).
• Author, “Revisiting the Value Added Tax: A Clear Solution to the Murky United States Corporate Tax Structure,” 22 Ind. Int’l & Corp. L. Rev. 347 (2012).