Michael Haas > Latham & Watkins > Austin, United States > Lawyer Profile
Latham & Watkins Offices
301 CONGRESS AVENUE
SUITE 900
AUSTIN, TEXAS
TEXAS
United States
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Michael Haas

Position
Michael Haas, Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Practice, represents private equity firms, real estate asset managers, public companies and REITs, and private real estate companies in sophisticated, market-defining transactions.
A widely recognized leader in real estate private equity and finance, Michael helps market-shaping private capital clients successfully navigate their most complex deals in the United States and internationally. He brings broad experience across a range of asset classes, including: single family rental (SFR), multifamily housing, industrial and logistics facilities, senior housing, retail, office, and data centers.
Michael’s work includes:
- Mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions
- Joint ventures
- Financings
- Workouts and restructurings, including in relation to distressed assets
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience, Michael delivers strategic and creative advice to clients. In particular, he leverages his in-depth market knowledge and vast network of connections to help clients achieve their business objectives.
Michael plays an active leadership role in numerous community organizations and nonprofits. He currently serves on the board of the Basser Leadership Council for the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center. Michael is a recipient of the Tree of Life Award, the highest humanitarian award given by the Jewish National Fund, and has been honored by the Basser Center. He is a current member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Real estate > Real estate
(Leading partners)Latham & Watkins LLP’s real estate team specializes in handling highly complex transactions for a range of clients throughout the market. Leveraging the firm’s global platform, the team provides comprehensive coverage of core real estate areas, handling issues relating to real estate private equity, finance, REITs, and high-end owners and developers of real estate. With a varied breadth of experience, the firm possesses a wealth of expertise, assisting clients in a range of asset classes from data centers and industrial logistics to mixed-use projects and office buildings. Based in the New York office are Michael Haas and Michelle Kelban, with extensive experience across a wide range of asset classes. Also in the New York office is Justin Elliott, who advises a broad range of private equity funds and asset managers. In Chicago, Rachel Bates, who is global vice-chair of the real estate practice group, has extensive experience representing REITs, pension funds, and other institutional investors. Further support in the Chicago office comes from Gary Axelrod, focusing his practice on all aspects of real estate investment and development; he represents private equity sponsors and funds, operating companies, and developers in a range of deals.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Insurance > Advice to policyholders
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: global offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- International trade and national security > CFIUS
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Finance > Commercial lending: Advice to bank lenders
- Intellectual property > Copyright
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Energy > Energy transactions: electric power
- Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Environment > Environment: litigation
- Environment > Environment: regulatory
- Environment > Environment: transactional
- Finance > Fintech
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Real estate > Land use/zoning
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Healthcare > Life sciences
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation
- Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional
- Antitrust > Merger control
- International trade and national security > National Security
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: licensing
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage)
- Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort
- Finance > Project finance
- Real estate > Real estate
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Energy > Renewable/alternative power
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism
- Industry focus > Sport
- Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Finance > Structured finance: securitization
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory
- Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Tax > US taxes: contentious
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies
Firm Rankings
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance
- International trade and national security > Customs, export controls and economic sanctions
- Industry focus > Education
- Energy > Energy regulation: electric power
- Energy > Energy regulation: oil and gas
- Government > Government contracts
- Insurance > Insurance: non-contentious
- Dispute resolution > International litigation
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Healthcare > Health insurers
- Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing
- Healthcare > Service providers
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Finance > Financial services regulation
- Finance > Commercial lending > Advice to direct lenders/private credit
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense