Real Estate

Practice Contacts

Real Estate

Enlightened legal counsel is a critical component of commercial real estate transactions. Taft’s 140+ real estate attorneys deliver timely, thoughtful counsel to navigate the complexities brought upon by the fluidity of current conditions.

We leverage our size, skills, breadth, and depth of industry knowledge to help our clients mitigate risk and avoid obstacles. We deliver results to our clients in a timely, cost-effective manner and help them negotiate the right terms in an uncertain environment. We also actively assist investors who are driving capital throughout the industry.

Our clients represent a wide variety of national and regional developers, manufacturers, and industrial companies, banks, insurance companies, pension funds, institutional and private investors, and construction contractors. We also regularly collaborate with special servicers to maximize the timely recovery of principal and interest, or to assist with actions related to credit issues.

Our Services

Our real estate attorneys deliver the full range of services related to the acquisition, disposition, financing, leasing, management, use, and taxation of land and property. We bring a wide range of real-world practical experience coupled with an extensive network of real estate and financial industry contacts to create successful outcomes for our clients. Our Real Estate team’s work involves representing our clients in transactions throughout the United States properties with key services including:

Acquisition and development of real estate for manufacturing, industrial, warehouse, commercial, retail, residential, hospitality, and other uses.
Tax counsel regarding the structure of ownership entities and transactions.
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.
Leases for industrial, manufacturing, warehouse, commercial, retail, and office uses.
Public and private construction contracts, construction management agreements, design/build agreements, and architect and engineer contracts for owners, construction companies, and design professionals.
Sales, exchanges, and other dispositions of real estate assets.
Title insurance and survey review.
Zoning and environmental review.
Real estate tax disputes and appeals.
Section 1031 exchange matters.
Implementing projects involving New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC), Historic Tax Credits, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), 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.
Annexation, eminent domain, and land use issues, including obtaining re-zonings, variances, and conditional use permits.
Legal services regarding Community Development Entities (CDEs).

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.