Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP has an extensive and diverse commercial and residential real estate practice that includes real property transactions and disputes.  We represent individual and institutional clients in all aspects of purchasing, selling, leasing, financing, developing, and managing real property.  We employ a proactive, problem-solving approach to resolving all of our real estate clients’ matters.

Enhanced by our strong corporate and finance departments, we are able to advise clients on myriad business considerations, regulatory constraints, and tax implications of their real estate transactions.  Our extensive real estate and business experience includes:

• Drafting, Negotiation, and Review of Real Property Purchase and Sales Agreements
• Drafting, Negotiation, and Review of Construction and Design Contracts
• Drafting, Negotiation, and Review of all aspects of real estate finance
• Advice Concerning Title and Escrow-Related Matters
• Advice and Documentation Regarding Entity Formation, including entity governing documents, investor disclosures, and private placement memoranda
• Advice Concerning Mechanic’s Lien Issues
• Drafting, Negotiating and Review of Industrial, Office, Retail, Residential and Mixed Use Leases
• Advice Concerning 1031 Exchanges

We represent clients involved in a wide variety of local, state, national, and international real estate transactions, including individual, institutional, domestic and international investors. We represent clients both as general partners and limited partners, providing strategic legal advice on both operations and investment issues relating to a variety of real estate transaction.

Members of the Real Estate Department have substantial experience in substantial and complex real property acquisitions, sales, exchanges, and development, including planning and zoning, environmental quality, special district and local property taxes, construction contracts, space, and land leasing, and professional real estate service contracts for architects, engineers, brokers and related real estate industry services.

Further areas of specialty real estate expertise include complex mortgage financing transactions, debt and equity syndications, joint ventures, mortgage foreclosure, and real estate “workout” projects.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Representation of a real estate investment company in the acquisition and disposition of more than 5,000 units across the United States and a total transaction value in excess of $400,000,000, including all aspects of mortgage financing, equity syndications, and joint ventures
• Advised a real estate investment company on the structuring of various acquisitions and dispositions to allow for the investment of 1031 exchange proceeds, including forward and reverse-exchange structures
• Representation of a commercial developer in all aspects of construction, development, and operation of a large mixed-use development in the greater Los Angeles area.
• Representation of a family office in a variety of real estate-related investments across the united states, including shopping center repositioning, debtor-in-possession financings, and other workout transactions
• Represented real estate syndicator to negotiate acquisition financing for a multifamily portfolio consisting of multiple properties, including complex security cross-collateralization and financial covenant provisions
• Represented a family office in the creation and build-out of a Debtor-in-Possession financing platform
• Represented real estate investment clients in a variety of finance transactions, including acquisition, construction, and bridge loan financings, and subsequent refinancing transactions to shift from temporary to permanent financing upon the successful execution of “value-add” business plans.
• Negotiated swaps, collars, and other interest-hedging transactions on behalf of clients in connection with variable rate loan transactions.
• Assisted clients in navigating the expiration and phase-out of LIBOR-based loans and shift to SOFR-based loans, including negotiation of amendments to existing loan documents and preparation of new loan documents accounting for the future shift to SOFR-based interest rate calculations.
• Represented an insurance company as local counsel on a $120,000,000 real estate loan with condominium and affordable housing components.