Acquisitions & Sales

Experience

5th Largest Real Estate Law Firm in New York, The Real Deal (October 2019)

We represent Fortune 500 companies, major real estate developers, tax-exempt organizations, and others in the acquisition, development, and sale of real estate and real estate debt in single-property and multiple-property transactions. Often, these transactions involve innovative financing arrangements, complex ownership structures, sophisticated tax-planning strategies, and resolution of zoning and environmental issues.

Representative Matters

• Represented SKB-Carbyne, LLC. in its acquisition and financing with Investcorp of a Class A office building located at 733 10th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., for a purchase price of $180 million.
• Represented the buyer in their $160 million purchase of 546 Broadway (SoHo, New York) from AB & Sons. The 95,500 sf property is the flagship location of UNIQLO, the Japanese clothing retailer, which has operated from the location since 2006.
• Represented PCCP in a joint venture in connection with the $146.6 million acquisition and development of The District at 15fifteen, a mixed-use development in Parsippany, N.J.
• Represented the seller in its $24.3 million sale of a fully occupied 127,771 sf warehouse in Pompano Beach, FL. The warehouse is the headquarters of Spice Lab, a seasoning and cookware company.
• Represented the Metropolitan College of New York ("MCNY") in the acquisition from Phillips International (d/b/a "40 Rector Owner LLC") of a 110,000 square foot commercial condominium and development of a new student campus and executive offices at 40 Rector Street, New York, with the proceeds of $70 million tax-exempt "Build NYC" program bond financing and negotiation with Trinity Real Estate for acquisition and surrender of MCNY's existing lease of MCNY existing campus premises located at Canal and Varick Streets, (Tribeca) New York.
• Represented the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the acquisition of a commercial condominium located at 40 Rector Street in the downtown financial district, the build out of the space for their new corporate and legal services offices and the sale of their prior corporate headquarters at 99 Hudson Street.
• Represented Boyce Technologies, Inc., a New York-based technology and manufacturing company, in the acquisition and financing of new executive offices and manufacturing facilities for the expansion of the company's operations at 47-22 Pearson Place, Long Island City (Queens) for approximately $20 million.
• Represented the National Urban League, Inc. in the sale of 500 East 62nd Street, New York and the acquisition of a long-term leasehold at 120 Wall Street, New York.
• Represented a leading non-profit community development corporation in connection with the sale of a Harlem, New York property to a real estate developer, including negotiations involving the contract of sale, the removal of Deed restrictions and covenants with the Economic Development Corporation and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development of New York City, the existing commercial tenant, and various equity partners with respect to the terms of the sale.
• Represented a not-for-profit corporation in connection with the sale of its office building in New York, NY, to a prominent developer.
• Represented a prominent pharmaceuticals company in the sale of a 62-acre parcel of their U.S. headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey to redevelopers with plans to transform the parcel into two modern distribution center buildings.
• Represented a prominent pharmaceuticals company in the real estate aspects of the acquisition of a 173,000 square foot immunotherapy manufacturing facility in New Jersey. Working with the client's worldwide oncology group based in Europe and its facilities management group in the U.S., we handled fast-track negotiations to obtain landlord consent to the assignment of the lease, and negotiated key amendments to the lease to permit the use of the facility to support clinical and commercial production of potential new products and personalized cell therapies. In addition, we counseled on ISRA compliance and environmental matters.
• Represented a group of regional real estate developers in the acquisition of the former Hahnes department store (Broad Street, Newark, NJ) including the negotiation of purchase and financing agreements, due diligence, property conveyance, and advice on redevelopment issues.
• Represented a major national construction lender in the sale of a majority, managing participation interest in a predevelopment loan for a casino resort in the Northeast.
• Represented a commercial bank in connection with the disposition of portfolios of commercial real estate owned following foreclosure sales, including undertaking related eviction, zoning and title clearance matters to maximize value of the properties at the time of sale.
• Represented a Fortune 50 corporation in the sale of major real estate assets, including office buildings, conference centers, and large parcels of vacant land.
• Represented an investment group on foreclosure litigation, title and municipal issues in connection with its decision to bid on a $47 million loan secured by a mortgage on a condominium building in New York City.
• Represented a religious organization in numerous sales of land and transferable development rights in Manhattan, including the preparation and negotiation of many zoning lot development agreements, declarations of zoning lot restrictions and ancillary agreements.
• Represented a Fortune 50 corporation in the sale of its midtown Manhattan office tower.
• Represented a major New Jersey developer in the purchase of membership interests in LLCs owning 10 office properties worth $51 million.
• Represented a U.S. corporation as real estate, environmental and general corporate counsel in their multi-year sales of a portfolio of European, U.S. and Latin American properties, including: the negotiation and performance of contracts to acquire the assets with environmental remediation and demolition contractors, environmental consultants and real estate brokers; transferring the assets from SNAP to new owners; environmental insurance policies; advice in connection with environmental remediations to achieve "no further action" (or equivalent) determinations in the various jurisdictions; and general counseling and representation regarding entity governance and dispute resolution, including selection of counsel and advisors with specialized or local expertise.
• Represented a Somerset County municipality (New Jersey) in the acquisition from the State of a underutilized mental hospital, various buildings and nearly 300 acres of adjacent land, including counseling the municipality on the technical, environmental, insurance and financial aspects of brownfield remediation and, in five year's time, selling the property to the State's development authority for future parks and open space.
• Represented a cannabis dispensary operator from inception to operation, supporting the license application, structuring the business to minimize the impact of IRC Section 280E, preparing private equity investment documentation and closing on financing for the acquisition of the storefront in a former bank building.
• Represented various real estate companies in the acquisition, financing and leasing of office, industrial, residential and retail properties, including numerous IRC § 1031 like-kind exchanges.
• Represented the seller of 152 acres of improved office/high-tech research facilities, part of a larger unsubdivided 268-acre tract located in Westchester County, New York, pursuant to a 99-year ground lease subject to conversion to fee interest ownership upon completion of various subdivision and site plan approvals.
• Represented an owner of a luxury, residential rental tower in Manhattan, in connection with the sale of the facility financed with bonds issued by a governmental agency, as well as mezzanine debt.
• Represented a major foreign life insurance company in connection with the acquisition of significant real estate assets by deed in lieu of foreclosure, including payment of debt to the client by guarantors.
• Represented a regional real estate development company in connection with the acquisition of a multi-family residential development site in Williamsburg, New York.
• Represented the petitioner in bankruptcy proceedings pertaining to 162-164 East 82nd Street (New York, NY), and their subsequent $17.5 million purchase at auction of the property, including a first mortgage loan for $7.2 million of the total purchase price.