The Legal 500 > United States > United States > Real estate

‘Very commercial in its approach, with a unique understanding of the real estate business’, DLA Piper LLP (US) handles the full range of real estate matters, including permitting, development, capital markets and joint venture transactions. Other areas of expertise include mixed-use development projects, cross-border transactions, acquisitions and sales, financing on the lender and borrower side, sports development projects, leasing, construction and design, and corporate matters. Clients include private and public companies, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, developers, lenders and government entities. Boston-based US real estate chair John Sullivan, who is ‘smart and commercial, and a great person to deal with’, recently advised Cottonwood Management on its $900m development of Echelon Seaport. Atlanta-based Maxine Hicks acted for Texas Rangers Baseball Express on advising, drafting and negotiating the documents for a $1bn mixed-use project, which includes the team’s new ballpark in Arlington, Texas. The firm continues to act as national real estate counsel for Blackstone on the acquisition, sale and financing of hotels across the country. Another key highlight included advising the Walt Disney Company on the real estate aspects of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Other clients include Uber, Prudential Real Estate Investors, InterContinental Hotels Group, Greystar Capital Partners and AIG Global Real Estate. Also recommended are Washington DC-based Jay Epstien, who co-chairs the global real estate sector, and Boston-based Cara Nelson. Chris Smith joined from Shearman & Sterling LLP; Antonio Calabrese joined from Cooley LLP, Scott Kapp joined from Dentons; and Bruce Saber joined from Arnold & Porter; they are based in New York, North Virginia, Chicago and New York respectively. Frederick Klein in Washington DC and Michael Hamilton in Los Angeles are also recommended.

‘Best in class’ Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP is adept at handling acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, joint ventures, REIT matters, litigation, and land use and development issues, as well as mortgage, mezzanine and construction financing for borrowers and lenders. A recent highlight saw Robert Sorin advise Google on its $2.4bn acquisition of the Chelsea Market building in New York City. Practice chair Jonathan Mechanic, who is ‘a great intermediary when negotiating complex transactions’, advised JP Morgan on its headquarters redevelopment at 270 Park Avenue in New York, while Tal Golomb and Sorin advised Related Companies and Vornado Realty Trust on the $1.6bn redevelopment of the James A Farley post office building as part of the redevelopment of New York's Penn Station. Joshua Mermelstein led in representing Trinity Church Wall Street on Disney's $650m purchase of a 99-year lease at 4 Hudson Square, where the company will build its new New York headquarters. The firm continues to represent Related Companies and Oxford Properties on the $20bn development project at Hudson Yards, and this year it secured the sale of leases to Third Point, Arosa Capital Management and HealthCor Management, Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners and Mount Sinai. Of counsel Stephen Lefkowitz and Washington DC-based Valerie Kelly are also recommended, as is associate Alex Sutherland and Nathaniel Lifschitz, who was promoted to partner in March 2018. Other clients include Maefield Development, Brookfield, The Children’s Investment Fund Management and Blackstone. All named attorneys are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP , which combines ‘intellectual capacity, commercialism, professionalism and technical legal expertise', handles a broad range of legal issues, including M&A, joint ventures, debt restructurings, private equity fund formations, financing and REIT matters. The firm's client roster includes sponsors, sovereign wealth funds, pensions organizations and other institutional investors. Christopher Hartmann advised Starwood Capital Group on its $835m sale of 16 multifamily assets and interests in REIT entities to CapitaLand International. Jonathan Schechter acted for GAW Capital Partners on a $225m loan as part of a $650m syndicated leasehold financing for the acquisition and redevelopment of a multi-use hotel property in New York. Scott Berger specializes in the private equity aspects of domestic and international real estate and real estate-related transactions. Another recent highlight included representing Marriott Vacations Worldwide on its $4.6bn acquisition of ILG. Chicago-based Joshua Hanna acted for First State Super on its investment in a $1bn joint venture with Lendlease to develop and operate multifamily residential rental properties in various US cities. Rachel Brown, who is also based in Chicago, advised Värde Partners on the $605m sale of its interest in the Utah ski mountains. Chicago-based Andrew Small is also recommended. Justin Elliott joined as partner from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and John Goldman joined as partner from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Other clients include Atrium Hotels, Oak Street Real Estate Capital, Gramercy Property Trust and The Blackstone Group. All named attorneys are based in New York unless otherwise stated.

Paul Hastings LLP handles acquisitions and dispositions, finance and joint venture transactions, land use and zoning, energy litigation work and data center-related matters, advising clients including borrowers and lenders, developers, investors, purchasers, sellers, landlords and tenants. Chicago-based Gregory Spitzer continues to represent IBM and its subsidiary SoftLayer Technologies on leasing and developing data center facilities in multiple locations around the world. Los Angeles-based Philip Feder and Jeff Haber advised the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association on the $500m acquisition and development of a new headquarters building for its Youth Orchestra Los Angeles program. David Hamsher, who is based in San-Francisco, advised Five Point Holdings on the $8bn development of Candlestick Point and Phase 2 of the Hunters Point Shipyard in San Francisco. New York-based Rick Allendorf acted for Barclays Capital on its $550m loan for the financing of Christiana Mall in Newark, Delaware. San Francisco-based Stephen Berkman, who is an ‘exceptional strategist, negotiator and lawyer and knows how to get deals done’, counts Facebook, Linkedin and Salesforce.com amongst his clients. Eric Landau, who also works from the New York office, was the key partner advising Millennium Partners on its development of a vacant site in Downtown Boston into a luxury mixed-use project which included the provision of $450m of preferred equity financing. Also recommended are New York-based Bruce DePaola, John Cahill, Peter Olsen and Chicago-based Brad Ritter.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, which has ‘unparalleled experience in working on complex transactions’, advises public and private real estate companies on M&A, sales, development, leasing, structured financing, joint ventures and partnerships. Gregory Ressa heads the team, which is ‘always available, incredibly thoughtful and diligent with a focus on representing the client well and also being incredibly commercial’. Ressa recently advised the special committee of the board of GGP on the mall owner's $27.7bn sale to Brookfield Property Partners. Sasan Mehrara represented Blackstone Real Estate Partners VIII on its acquisition of Gramercy Property Trust for $7.6bn. Krista Miniutti advised BioMed Realty and affiliates on the $3.7bn refinancing of various portfolios of office and research facilities, while Scott Kobak acted for KKR on its $401.9m acquisition of 22 senior housing facilities from Cascade Living Group. Newly promoted partner Davis Coen advised Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust on its $1.8bn acquisition of an industrial portfolio from Cabot Industrial Properties. Another highlight included representing Northwood Investors on its acquisition of two office buildings in New York and San Francisco for a combined total of $595m. Other clients include The Carlyle Group, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Centerbridge, Invitation Homes and KSL Capital Partners. Whitney Salinas was promoted to partner. All named partners are based in New York.

Goodwin handles acquisitions and dispositions, development, design, construction and leasing matters, with a particular focus on the leisure and hospitality industry. Other areas of expertise include joint ventures, alternative capitalization strategies, and fund structuring and formation for sponsors and managers. Andrew Sucoff recently advised Brookfield Financial Properties on its $15.3bn acquisition of the remaining 66% of GGP not already owned by Brookfield and its affiliates. Another highlight included acting for Boston Properties on a joint venture with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board which included the acquisition of a leasehold of an office campus in Santa Monica with an aggregate value of $661m. Team head Minta Kay advised GreenOak Real Estate Advisors on the formation of a joint venture with a subsidiary of The Glick Family Office to to acquire 1200 New Hampshire in Washington DC; this involved mortgage and mezzanine financing of $150m. A further recent highlight included the representation of Cabot Industrial Value Fund IV, a closed private equity fund, on the sale of a $1.8bn industrial portfolio to Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust. Samuel Richardson specializes in financing, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and also deals with restructuring debt and equity investments. Gilbert Menna is also recommended. Diana Brummer joined as partner in New York from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP. All named attorneys are based in Boston unless otherwise stated.

Katten has particular experience in advising providers of real estate capital, such as lenders, borrowers and investors, on financing transactions including mortgage and mezzanine loan transactions, construction, acquisition and pickup refinancing. Other areas of expertise include affordable housing transactions, CMBS and cross-border transactions. Washington DC-based affordable housing expert Kenneth Lore represented a Washington DC-area developer on the creation of a $260m immigration and customs enforcement headquarters in Prince George’s County, Maryland. New York-based Martin Siroka, who is ‘calm, thoughtful and knowledgeable’ advised Starrett City Associates on its $905m sale of Spring Creek Towers to Brooksville Company and Rockpoint Group. New York real estate co-head Andrew Jagoda acted as lead counsel to AIG on around 30 transactions in the past year, while Timothy Little, David Dlugie, Daniel Huffenus and Bruce Kosub are also key practitioners in New York, Chicago, Charlotte and Dallas respectively. The firm continues to represent Callahan Capital Properties, Sacramento Kings, The Blackstone Group, Bank of America, The Barack Obama Foundation and The Carlyle Group.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP’s team of ‘creative problem solvers’ advises on investment, acquisitions, divestment, debt offerings, development, financing, leasing and REIT maters. Other areas of expertise include loan workouts, restructurings, joint ventures, and capital markets offerings in the debt and equity space. Philip Rosen and David Herman recently advised Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) and Brookfield Property Partners (BPY) on the $14.4bn acquisition of around 66% of common stock of GGP. The firm also advised BAM on its $11.4bn acquisition of Forest City Realty Trust. Another highlight included representing The Kroger Company on its $2.2bn sale of a multi-state convenience store portfolio which included 762 stores to EG Group. Samuel Zylberberg acted for Atalaya Capital Management on a preferred equity investment and $250m construction loan for the development of a 40-story Ritz-Carlton hotel with residences in New York. Michael Bond, who provides ‘the best advice available in complicated and difficult situations’, advised Sears Holdings on the real estate aspects of its high-profile Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Other clients include AIG, Blackstone, Madison International, MGM Resorts International, Tishman Speyer and TPG Real Estate. All named attorneys are based in New York.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP is particularly focused on the finance side of real estate transactions, including a wide range of loan types, while it also advises on development, investment and acquisitions relating to office buildings, malls, retail shopping centers, hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, multifamily buildings and condominiums. Bonnie Neuman advised JPMorgan on its $1bn mortgage loan for Wyndham Worldwide Corporation’s $1.95bn acquisition of La Quinta Holdings. Holly Chamberlain acted for Morgan Stanley on a $710m mortgage loan to refinance existing debt, secured by fee interest and leasehold interests in a 1.5m square foot portfolio of retail and office properties, for Millennium Partners. Newly promoted partner Matthew Robertson, who is ‘incredibly responsive and very user-friendly’, advised Bank of America on two cross-collateralized and cross-defaulted mortgage loans aggregating $447m, as well as a $180m mezzanine loan to the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort and the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. Another highlight included advising HSBC on a $285m mortgage loan secured by cross-state student housing and owned by a joint venture between Landmark Properties and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Finance group co-chair William McInerney is also recommended for his expertise in the sale of performing and non-performing commercial mortgage and mezzanine loans in the secondary market. Alan Lawrence joined as partner from Arnold & Porter. All listed attorneys are based in New York.

Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP advises on financing, leasing, joint ventures and the development of residential, office, hotel, retail and mixed-use projects across the US. In early 2019 the firm saw a large New York team including real estate transactions head Wallace Schwartz and fellow partners Julia Sanabria and  Adam Endick depart for Vinson & Elkins LLP. Recent highlights for the team included advising Joy Construction on the $250m leasing of a build-to-suit office building in New York City as well as an $86m construction loan for the building. In another matter, the team acted for Rockpoint Group on its $465m acquisition of an office building at 1700 Broadway in Manhattan. Miami-based Manuel Fernandez advised GreenOak Real Estate on the negotiation and preparation of its joint venture with East End Capital alongside the joint venture’s $38m purchase of 555 Washington Avenue in Miami. Albert Delgado in Miami is also recommended. All named attorneys are based in New York unless otherwise stated.

King & Spalding LLP, which advises on a range of real estate transactional matters, has a client base which includes financial institutions, alternative capital and debt funds, private equity funds and family offices. In 2018 the firm added a seven-attorney real estate finance group in New York from Riemer & Braunstein. Jennifer Morgan and John Wilson, who are based in New York, recently advised Greystar Real Estate Partners on the formation of Greystar Student Housing Growth and Income Fund, a $4.6bn open-end student housing fund formed to acquire EdR. Charlotte-based Mark Thigpen represented real estate investment compnay Asana Partners on more than $1.5bn-worth of deals involving properties across the US. Atlanta-based Joshua Kamin acts for Jamestown and recently advised on the acquisitions and financing of properties in Miami, Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh with an aggregate value of $930m. Charlotte-based Davis Powell, Atlanta-based Sarah Borders and Kamin acted for Cerberus Real Estate Capital Management on various joint venture acquisitions and the refinancing of a hotel with an aggregate value of more than $1.5bn. Other clients include Brookfield Infrastructure Group, Prologis, Transwestern Investment Management and Clarion Partners.

Mayer Brown's real estate team acts for public and private companies, joint ventures, private equity firms, individuals and institutional investors on acquisitions, dispositions, developments, asset management, financing and leasing of all types of real estate asset classes. On the financial side the firm advises on senior secured, syndicated acquisition financing, mezzanine financing, refinancing and recapitalizations. Chicago-based Paul Meyer represented Allianz Real Estate of America and affiliated companies on the acquisition of a 43% stake in 1515 Broadway, a mixed-use building in New York City, from SL Green Realty, while Los Angeles-based Scott Cooper and Daniel Liffmann acted for Windsor Capital Group and affiliates on a series of coordinated transactions for the strategic restructuring and recapitalization of ten hotels. Another highlight included advising Principal Real Estate Investors on the $269m sale of a new office building in Seattle. Jeffrey Usow and Brian Aronson head the team from Chicago and Los Angeles respectively. Heather Adkerson, also based in Chicago, advises US and foreign REITs, insurance companies, opportunity funds and developers on various transactional matters. Washington DC-based Keith Willner specializes in acquisitions, financing, leasing, workouts and dispositions. Robert Bressman in New York and Brian Davis in Chicago are also recommended.

Ropes & Gray LLP, which is ‘hands-on, pragmatic and truly committed to client service’, advises on a range of real estate investment and transactional matters including private equity, finance, tax, environmental, joint ventures and loan acquisitions. New York-based Daniel Stanco advised Colony Capital on the multiple repurchase and secured credit facilities to finance more than $3bn of assets following the Colony Capital merger with NorthStar. Jack Creedon in Boston acted for TPG Capital on the $1.8bn sale of IASIS Healthcare to Steward Health Care; this included a $1.4bn sale and leaseback and mortgage financing package with Medical Properties Trust. Stanco also represented Oaktree Capital Management on various repurchase facilities with multiple banks totaling around $750m. New York-based David Djaha - who leads the firm's global real estate investments and transactions group and will become global managing partner in 2020 - specialises in core and distressed acquisitions and dispositions and mortgage-backed finance. ‘Deeply-experienced and client focused’ Richard Gordet and Walter McCabe in Boston are also recommended. Boston-based Alison George recently joined the partnership. Other clients include Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Morgan Stanley, ACORE Capital, The Related Companies and PIMCO.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP is ‘excellent at solving deal issues from start to finish’ and provides ‘diligent efforts with common sense solutions’, advising on a range of matters including M&A, construction, finance, environmental issues, joint ventures, fund formation, development, leasing, land use and zoning and real estate litigation. The firm acts for commercial and investment banks, public and private pension funds, life insurance companies, developers, big-box retailers and institutional landlords. Los Angeles-based Richard Mendelson advised John Hancock Life Insurance Company on various matters including a $500m loan and acquisition of four properties, while New York-based John Napoli advised Workspace Property Trust on a $1.28bn loan from JP Morgan Chase. Peter Korda co-chairs the firm’s national structured and real estate finance practice group and the New York real estate department. Boston-based Andrew Shure and Eric Greenberg are also recommended, alongside Washington DC-based Thomas Galli and Cynthia Mitchell in New York. Robin Freeman and Mitchell co-lead the firm’s healthcare real estate and finance practice, Freeman is also chair of the San Francisco real estate department. In March 2018 Michael Rechtin joined the Chicago office from Baker McKenzie LLP and now chairs the firm's data center services practice group.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP's real estate bench deals with financing and refinancing, single-asset and multi-property portfolio acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, leasing and development transactions. Practice chair Thomas Henry recently advised Jiaming Investment on its joint venture with Tishman Speyer for the construction of The Spiral tower at Hudson Bay in New York. Henry and Carly Glover Saviano advised Paramount Group, a REIT, on the raising of $600m for investment in properties in New York and San Francisco. Henry and newly promoted partner Daniel Backer acted for IO Data Centers on its $1.3bn sale to Iron Mountain, while another highlight included advising Colony Cobalt on multiple mortgage loans totaling $125.1m which were secured by 17 properties. David Drewes acted for a joint venture between Meadow Partners and Slate Property Group on the acquisition of a $125m loan from an affiliate of Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies for the refinancing of a mixed-use development project in Brooklyn. Counsel Janice Levine handles residential closings, financing, leases and construction agreements. All named attorneys are based in New York.

The ‘very client-friendly, knowledgeable, personable and expert in its field’ Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is particularly adept at handling transactional and land-use matters. The firm advises on large build-to-suit office development projects, mixed-use projects, joint ventures as well as the financing of large private real estate developments, and is known for its strong presence in California but also deals with matters in New York, Washington DC and Chicago. San Francisco-based Keith Garner and San Diego-based Nancy Scull, who is ‘careful, pragmatic and an expert in community governance matters’, head the team. Los-Angeles-based James Pugh advised Lightstone Group on obtaining approval for the $700m Fig + Pico Conference Center Hotels project. Thomas Masenga, who is also based in Los Angeles, advised the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System on a $1.1bn loan to a Blackstone fund. Another highlight included acting as lead land-use counsel to The Peebles Corporation, MacFarlane Partners and Claridge Properties in relation to the $1.5bn mixed-use Angels Landing project in Los Angeles. Other key practitioners include Los Angeles-based Pamela Westhoff, Alfred Fraijo and Orange County-based Scott Morehouse. Peter Koffler joined the New York office in late 2018 from Venable LLP.

Thompson Hine LLP handles a wide array of real estate matters including planning, development, leasing, financing, dispute resolution and government incentive programs. The multi-disciplinary team also deals with corporate expansion, construction, development, acquisition, sales, and headquarters and plant development projects. Cleveland-based James Aronoff and Robyn Minter Smyers recently advised Forest City Enterprises on its $11bn merger with Brookfield Asset Management, while Stephen King in the Cincinnati office advised Ackermann Group on a $40m multi-family, office and retail redevelopment project. The firm also continues to represent Dutch multinational AkzoNobel on its leasing, legacy asset dispositions and asset sales matters. A further highlight saw the firm act for Brookfield Asset Management on a number of portfolio transactions including the acquisition of a 50% joint venture interest in a $2bn portfolio of multifamily projects across several states. New York-based Karen Kozlowski advises on financing, leasing, loan restructuring and workouts, acquisitions and dispositions, and distressed debt transactions. Cleveland-based Linda Striefsky and Columbus-based Darrel Davison are also recommended. Other clients include Bank of China, United Technologies Corporation, Pratt & Whitney and Rouse Properties.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP advises clients on finance, acquisitions, dispositions, development and workout matters. Its client base includes investment funds, investors, pension funds, REITs, developers, government agencies and lenders. A recent highlight included representing 7-Eleven on its $3.3bn acquisition of around 1,110 convenience stores from Sunoco, while the firm also acted for HCA on the divestiture of its hospital operations in Oklahoma. The firm took a lead role for Commercial Metals Company on the $600m acquisition of 33 rebar steel mill and fabrication assets from Gerdau. Los Angeles-based Hushmand Sohaili recently advised Colony Capital on the upsizing of an existing mezzanine loan and preferred equity for the redevelopment of a luxury hotel in Los Angeles. Other key partners include Dallas-based John Bain, Marc Epstein, and Los-Angeles based David Phelps.

Baker & Hostetler LLP advises on acquisitions, development, construction, and the leasing and management of all property types. Key client sectors include healthcare, hospitality, homebuilding, energy, student housing and sports. Cleveland-based Amy Kellogg and M&A specialist Albert Adams continue to advise Big River Steel on the construction and operation of its $1.7bn steel mill manufacturing facility in Osceola, Arkansas. Orlando-based John Melicharek acted for Acron on a $200m joint venture with First Hospitality Group for the ground leasing and development of a Hilton Curio hotel in Chicago. Robert Gebaide, who is also based in Orlando, advised SCG Hotel on its $185m acquisition of the Renaissance Vinoy St Petersburg Resort & Golf Club from affiliates of RLJ Lodging Trust. Atlanta-based Joann Gallagher Jones advised Northside Hospital on the lease of more than 180,000 square feet of office space for its new headquarters in Brookhaven, Georgia, in a deal valued at around $100m. Other clients include Hyatt Corporation, Hard Rock Café, Pulte Home Company and The Milestone Companies. Jacquline Best joined as counsel in Orlando from Broad and Cassel. Sameer Mohan left the firm for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

'Trusted advisor' Baker Botts L.L.P. advises domestic and international clients on commercial real estate developments, joint ventures, acquisitions and sales, financings and leasing transactions. Dallas-based Jeremy Gott recently took a lead role for Hunt Realty on the purchase of more than 2,500 acres of land in Texas for a mixed-use development. Paul Landen, who is based in Houston, advised key client Hines on the redevelopment of The Parks at Walter Reed, a 66-acre land development on the site of a former army medical base. Houston-based Kimberly Schlanger acted for Pinto Realty Partners on the negotiation of a joint venture with Pinpoint Commercial for the development of three multifamily projects in Houston, while San Francisco-based Patricia Stanton advised Hines on a multi-tier joint venture involving the $1.9bn development of a 200-acre site in San Diego, California. New York-based special counsel Brayton Dresser and Dallas-based Stephen Marcus are also recommended.

Baker McKenzie LLP's real estate team advises on development, planning, land use, acquisitions and sales and tax matters. On the finance side the firm deals with cross-border property and portfolio financing transactions, loan portfolios, refinancing, workouts, loan syndications and participations. Its client base includes multinationals, banks, hotels, retail corporations, healthcare providers, construction firms and REITs. Matt Alshouse advised AIP Asset Management on the creation of a $100m pre-development mezzanine loan relating to The Drew Las Vegas resort and casino, while the firm continues to act for high-profile luxury goods retailers on store leases and real estate matters, including Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss and Prada. Another key client is Koch Industries, which the firm advises on a range of real estate issues. Michael Smith heads the practice with support from Kathryn Johnstone, who specialises in commercial leasing and real estate financing. Michael Rechtin left for Seyfarth Shaw LLP. All named attorneys are based in Chicago.

Eversheds Sutherland has ‘a wide and deep experience set within real estate’, advising domestic and international clients on a range of transactional and finance matters. Its client base includes pension fund advisers, REITs, developers and investors. The firm recently advised Preferred Office Properties on its $66.5m acquisition of the Armour Yards office development in Atlanta, Georgia. Clayton Howell acted for Hines on its $90m development of T3 West Midtown in Atlanta; a deal which involved a joint venture, debt financing and tax incentives. Another highlight included acting for New City on its $164m development of 725 Ponce, an office-over-retail development in Atlanta. James Jordan advises on purchases and sales, lending, development, leasing and joint venture matters, while Robinson Plowden specializes in data center leasing developments. Trent Myers was promoted to partner and Brooke Parris was promoted to counsel. All named attorneys are based in Atlanta.

Jones Walker LLP handles acquisitions, dispositions, sale‐leasebacks, leases, developments, planning, management and licensing. Key client sectors include oil, gas, energy, retail, hotel and hospitality, manufacturing, mixed-use and affordable housing. The practice was bolstered in November 2018 by a merger with housing boutique Liles & Rushin, LLC, a deal which saw two partners - Kelly Rushin Lewis and Brandon Hughey - and their team join the firm's new office in Birmingham. New Orleans-based Susan Tyler and Keith Colvin served as co-counsel to Carpenter and Company and Woodward Design + Build on the $500m redevelopment of the World Trade Center Building in New Orleans, which will be converted into a Four Seasons Hotel. Another recent highlight saw the firm advise Bank of China on $1.85bn of financing for the construction of a methanol plan in St James Parish, Louisiana. Other clients include Bank of the Ozarks, Lamar Life Master Tenant, Landbridge Development and Mississippi Baptist Health Systems.