Jared E. Oakes

Represented a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in multifamily in the sale of apartments in California for more than $125 million.

Represented one of the largest multifamily owners in the country in its disposition of an apartment complex in San Mateo, California for over $250 million.

Represented a shopping center REIT specializing in retail in its sale of an enclosed mall in West Virginia for $12.5 million.

Represented guarantor and its subsidiary borrowers in connection with a $530,000,000 syndicated mortgage loan secured by a portfolio of 35 shopping center assets located across the nation.

Represented the buyer in its acquisition of a grocery anchored shopping center in a suburb of Chicago, IL for $16,650,000.

Represented a large national shopping center developer in its $58,000,000.00 disposition of a shopping mall located outside of Denver, Colorado.

Represented client in the acquisition and development of two future Popeye’s in Colorado for a total of $5,357,143. Drafted and negotiated all loan documents, joint venture documents, acquisition documents and all other documents required in connection with the acquisition of the properties and loan.

Serving as lead real estate legal counsel to Toys “R” Us Property Company I, LLC (“Propco I”), a subsidiary of Toys “R” Us, Inc., in an effort to maximize the value of Propco I’s portfolio of approximately 284 properties in 46 states totaling 14.5 million square feet as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Toys “R” Us and its affiliates. Benesch is performing comprehensive real estate legal services associated with the operation, lease and sale of these of properties, which include former Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores, distribution centers, the Company’s corporate headquarters in Wayne, NJ, and surplus retail properties ancillary to the former store locations.

Counsel to purchasers and sellers of regional and community shopping centers throughout the United States, including representation of a NYSE-listed REIT in the purchase and sale of numerous shopping center assets throughout the United States, with transactions totaling in excess of $2 billion, many of which involve significant redevelopment and value-add components as well as assumption of debt.

Benesch represented a regional developer in the development of a luxury student housing project in Columbus, Ohio near the campus of Ohio State University. The transaction was structured under a long-term ground lease, and was highly complex due to the preservation of a streetscape of six historic residential structures, in combination with two new mid-rise buildings. Benesch was lead counsel on the ground lease negotiation as well as development and leasing matters. Additionally, we provided strategic co-counsel on finance and construction matters. Our subsidiary, NC3 provides ongoing construction project management services on development as well.

Benesch represents one of the nation’s largest multifamily housing developers in the ground leasing, financing, and development of a 430+ unit multifamily apartment complex within a large scale vertical mixed-use project including ground floor retail, office and hotel uses and subterranean parking facilities in a high profile redevelopment project in downtown San Antonio, Texas. Benesch is handling all aspects of the ground leasing, redevelopment, and debt and equity financing for the project. The project involves a complicated master lease structure with multiple subleases, a leasehold condominium regime and reciprocal easement agreements. Benesch is handling negotiation of the multi-layered sublease structure, which governs the public-private partnership among the city, through a public facilities corporation, the master developer and the client. The development is further complicated by the inclusion of public park facilities, a subterranean garage and other shared infrastructure that is integral to the master plan for the development.

Counsel to private developer of multiple urban mixed-use projects with multi-story apartment projects above street-level retail, including structuring long-term ground lease transactions, providing strategic counsel on development and construction issues and managing leasing program.

Represented the borrower on a $32 million CMBS loan secured by a grocery-anchored shopping center in Pennsylvania.

Represented a large regional property investor and owner in connection with various acquisitions and financings across numerous asset classes.

Represented one of the largest private equity funds in the world as borrower in connection with multiple CMBS loan transactions secured by shopping center assets.

Counsel to a publicly traded company in connection with the master development of a $2 billion, 1000+ acre site in Connecticut, which project includes a new corporate headquarters for a global manufacturing company, and is anticipated to have a significant mix of office, retail, entertainment, hotel and residential elements, adjacent to a large university sports complex and stadium.

Represented a NYSE listed REIT in the $400 million disposition of a 16 property multi-state portfolio of shopping centers.

Representation of landlords in retail leasing transactions with national, regional and local tenants ranging from anchor tenants to restaurants and other retailers, including serving as outside counsel to a NYSE-listed REIT in the negotiation of hundreds of shopping center leases.

Representation of a NYSE-listed REIT in connection with multiple loan transactions, including a $350 million mortgage loan from a national life insurance company, which loan was secured by six shopping centers located in four states and Puerto Rico; and an $85 million mortgage loan from another national life insurance company, which loan was secured by four shopping centers located in Puerto Rico.

Representation of lenders in connection with construction financing for urban redevelopment projects, including multiple transactions supported by historic tax credits.

Representation of a NYSE-listed Mortgage REIT lender in connection with the development of its mortgage and mezzanine lending program and serve as lender’s counsel for construction loans, acquisition loans and refinance transactions throughout the U.S.

Counsel to the developer of an 80-acre, mixed-use retail, entertainment and residential project in Hallandale Beach, Florida, integrated with an existing state-of-the-art thoroughbred horse race track with a Vegas-style clubhouse and casino.

Counsel to developers of new shopping centers, including a 1.6 million square foot open air shopping center in Lee County, Florida, which included multiple phases and a variety of uses, including retail, entertainment, restaurant and hotel.

Represented a publicly traded REIT in its acquisition of three commercial truck repair garages/warehouses in Ohio and Michigan in a $10,250,000.00 sale-leaseback transaction.

Represented a fully-integrated real estate developer, owner and manager of retail properties in the conversion of enterprise-level equity held by an international institutional investor to senior debt held by that investor, which included redemption of the existing equity interests, creation of new debt instruments, modification of existing senior and junior debt documents, and amendment and restatement of the client’s joint venture agreement with the institutional investor.

Negotiated multi-pronged risk transfer and risk management provisions to protect client.

Represented a major North American automobile manufacturer in the disposition of two very large former plants, located in Ohio and Indiana.

Represented a fully-integrated real estate developer, owner and manager of retail properties on the acquisition of a shopping center in the Fort Worth, Texas area valued at over $58 million and on the $30 million loan secured by the shopping center.

Represented a fully-integrated real estate developer, owner and manager of retail properties on the acquisition of a distressed shopping center in the Orlando, Florida area valued at over $38 million and on the $28 million loan secured by the shopping center.

Representing a NYSE-listed REIT in the negotiation of a construction loan and preferred equity financing in connection with a large multi-phased, mixed-use development (with retail, multifamily and other uses) in Illinois.

Represented a private real estate investment firm in the restructuring of a $300 million debt & equity facility, to fund the acquisition of large shopping centers and redeveloping them into mixed use projects.

Represented Canadian developer, owner and manager of multifamily residential property in in the acquisition and financing of 560+ unit multifamily development in Texas valued at $68 million.

Represented a Florida developer, owner and manager of shopping centers in the recapitalization (debt and equity) of ten shopping centers in southern Florida.