Developing and financing complex projects requires deep knowledge in a variety of legal areas and industries. Michael Best’s Real Estate lawyers work as part of a project team alongside clients, consultants, capital providers, and end users, drawing on the skills and experience of lawyers across our firm to help bring these projects to fruition.
We collaborate with clients to develop single- and mixed-use projects across the United States in virtually every industry sector, including hospitality, sports and entertainment, retail, residential, office, industrial, education, agribusiness, medical, energy, and infrastructure. We understand the unique aspects of each type of development, and we can guide clients through the entire process, from land acquisition and zoning through financing, design and construction, build-out, and leasing or sale.
Our clients include owners, tenants, developers, contractors, brokers, and lenders. We also advise institutional investors, such as pension funds, private equity investors, and insurance companies, on an array of financing strategies including fund formation, REITs, loan syndications, and bond financing.
We have experience with a broad range of financing tools, such as:
- Construction lending and permanent financing
- Public-private partnerships
- Tax increment financing, tax credits, and tax credit syndications
- Tax-deferred exchanges
- Leasing (ground leases, build-to-suit leases, space leases, subleases, sale/leaseback agreements, and synthetic leases)
- Purchase options and rights of first refusal
- Forward commitment contracts