DLA Piper LLP (US) is recognized for its strong REITs practice, advising public listed and non-traded REITs on corporate, capital markets, and tax matters throughout their lifecycle, including formations, roll-ups, IPOs, secondary equity and debt offerings, OP unit and DownREIT transactions, and complex M&A, financing, and restructuring matters. The team also represents investment banks in public and private REIT securities offerings and is particularly active in the non-traded REIT space, supported by a dedicated national REIT tax practice. Raleigh-based Robert Bergdolt leads the US REIT subgroup and advises on REIT offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic transactions. New York-based Shiukay Hung heads the US REIT tax subgroup and is regularly instructed on complex REIT tax structuring matters. Also in Raleigh, Laura Sirianni focuses on securities offerings, SEC reporting, and corporate governance matters involving REITs. Chicago-based Katie Philippart LaKoma advises REITs and underwriters on REIT tax aspects of IPOs and public and private equity and debt offerings, as well as ongoing tax matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'DLA has a long history of advising REITs and working on transactions and investment structures utilizing REITs and has deep expertise in this area. The REIT tax practitioners have a deep understanding of the highly technical legal framework and informal market practice that applies to REITs and are able to advise clients based on this expertise in a thoughtful but practical manner.'
'In my opinion, Shiukay Hung is a real star. He is one of the leading experts on REITs generally and has deep knowledge about nuanced technical rules applicable to the activities of REITs as well as the structures applicable to making investments in REITs as efficient as possible from a tax perspective.'
'Laura Sirianni represents her clients extremely well, constantly advocating for them without seeming needy or pushy. How she accomplishes some of the things she accomplishes, I'll never know. But she does so as well or better than almost any other attorney in this space.'
'Laura Sirianni is very knowledgeable in the area of REITs, very smart, very personable and able to effectively advocate for her clients in a way that few are able to. She knows the laws (which are complicated) and she is able to communicate them in a way that makes sense.'
Key clients
- Blackstone Real Estate Advisors LP
- Goldman Sachs
- Getty Realty Corporation
- Ares Management
- Inland Real Estate Corporation
- City Office REIT, Inc.
- EQT Exeter Real Estate Income Trust, Inc.
- Independence Realty Trust, Inc.
- KBS Real Estate Investment Trust
- Cottonwood Residential, Inc. [Cottonwood Communities]
Work highlights
Advising Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc, as co-securities counsel for an ongoing public offering, an ongoing private offering, and related public company reporting matters. The registered offering is currently $60 billion.
Advising Ares Real Estate Income Trust Inc. as securities counsel for ongoing private offering and related public company reporting matters, corporate counsel for ongoing governance matters, and REIT tax counsel for ongoing REIT tax matters. The registered offering is currently $10 billion.
Representing EQT Exeter Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (EQRT) in the initial public offering of its first non-traded real estate investment trust, which offering is ongoing. EQRT offering is up to $5 billion in shares of its common stock.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Laura Sirianni
Practice head
Robert Hill Bergdolt; Shiukay Hung
Other key lawyers
Laura Sirianni; Katie Philippart LaKoma