REAL ESTATE

Florida's rapid growth, increased industry regulation and the depth of our knowledge have made the Real Estate Practice Group one of the largest practices in the firm. We have over 30 real estate attorneys and legal assistants who regularly handle matters for local, national and international real estate developers, as well as financial institutions, redevelopment authorities and numerous municipalities. We represent clients in the acquisition, development, leasing, construction, financing and sale of office, resort, retail, industrial and residential real estate.

Following our philosophy of providing comprehensive legal representation, we work closely with attorneys in our Corporate, Tax, Securities, Banking, Bankruptcy, Administrative/Governmental, Litigation and Environmental and Land Use practice areas.

ACQUISITION AND DEVELOPMENT

We counsel clients in all types of real estate transactions including sales, acquisitions, sale-leasebacks and ground leases, as well as structuring entities for the purpose of acquiring property. A major focus of our practice is structuring and implementing complex public and private developments.

Our attorneys negotiate acquisitions and sale contracts, construction agreements, tenant leases and financing documents. We place major emphasis on closing each transaction for the client in an expeditious and cost-efficient manner.

When issues arise concerning zoning, land use, environmental and hazardous waste matters, we work closely with the attorneys in our Environmental and Land Use practice who concentrate in this area of law.

REAL PROPERTY LITIGATION

We work closely with the attorneys in our Litigation group when matters arise concerning real estate-related litigation. Some matters we jointly handle include mortgage foreclosure actions, suits against contractors, suits for defaults on the purchase and sale of real property, condemnation actions, inverse condemnation actions, suits to quiet title and lender liability claims. In other cases, transactional lawyers will counsel developers and institutional clients on workouts and debt restructuring that can be resolved without litigation.

REAL ESTATE FINANCE

We work with numerous financial institutions on various stages of the loan process, from discussions with the client and borrower concerning the transaction, to drafting the commitment letter, research of collateral requirements, preparation of loan documentation and the loan closing.

TITLE EXAMINATION

Our attorneys cooperate with title insurance companies in examination and resolution of all types of matters that affect title to real property. We work with many state and national title insurance underwriters to identify and resolve issues as they arise.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAND USE AND ZONING

Although the Firm has a practice group devoted to environmental, land use and zoning law, all real estate attorneys have a thorough understanding of the applicability of each area to real estate transactions. This knowledge enables us to identify potential pitfalls at the inception of a transaction, thereby saving time, expense and avoiding possible liability.

TROUBLED REAL ESTATE

Our Real Estate attorneys represent lenders, borrowers and investors in situations involving loan defaults and threatened defaults, including foreclosures, forbearances, modifications and workouts of troubled credits. Our attorneys also represent lenders and buyers in fractured condominiums, failed condominium conversions, or terminations of such condominiums.

MOBILE HOME PARKS

Our attorneys represent owners and resident-owned communities in all aspects of real estate ownership, development, leasing, lending, and litigation, including conversion to resident ownership and cooperatives.