"Jeffrey has exceptional legal skills and has equally strong business judgment." - Benesch client, Chambers USA
"[Jeffrey is] a very strong lawyer and a good communicator."- Benesch client, Chambers USA
Jeff focuses his practice on commercial real estate matters, with an emphasis on development, acquisitions, dispositions, financings and joint venture work. He represents some of the country’s largest publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), private equity funds, institutional investors, lenders, borrowers and family offices in all facets of commercial real estate transactions throughout the country.
Jeff’s extensive experience extends to large-scale development and redevelopment projects, as well as the handling of a high volume of complex real estate acquisitions, dispositions and financings of retail, office, industrial and multifamily properties. His representation includes drafting and negotiating purchase agreements, joint venture agreements, loan documents, easements and other related real estate documentation, as well as coordinating all real estate due diligence. Regularly handling high-stake deals, Jeff has successfully closed transactions ranging from $10 million to in excess of $1 billion.
Jeff also has deep experience in multi-site portfolio acquisitions and dispositions, complex joint venture structuring, sale-leaseback transactions, mixed-use developments, loan workouts and distressed real estate matters. Additionally, Jeff serves as business counsel to many of his clients, advising them broadly on a range of corporate and business matters, including corporate formation and governance, corporate credit facilities and asset management matters.
Jeff has been named a Leading Lawyer in Real Estate Law by Chambers USA since 2011 and a Best Lawyer in Real Estate Law honoree by The Best Lawyers in America® since 2008. Additionally, he was recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer in 2024.
Outside of the office, Jeff is civically involved as the immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors of Cleveland Development Advisors (an affiliate of the Greater Cleveland Partnership), a Trustee of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, President of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, Vice Chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and a member of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel, to name a few. Additionally, he is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the Urban Land Institute, and is a graduate of Leadership Cleveland, the Wexner Heritage Leadership Institute and the National Young Leadership Cabinet of United Jewish Communities.
Representative Experience
- Represented one of the largest private equity funds in the world in connection with the real estate and loan-related matters of its acquisition of a portfolio of 43 mortgage loans from a publicly-traded superregional bank for over $920 million.
- Represented a prominent national developer on the ground leasing, joint venture structuring, financing, development, and construction of a 350+ unit luxury apartment development valued at more than $100 million as part of a larger master planned mixed-used project in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Represented a leading international investment and management firm by performing all diligence and related needs for their purchase of loans in default for a total of over $600 million and subsequent foreclosures, involving over 70 properties in California.
- Represented one of the nation’s largest multifamily owners in connection with numerous dispositions of apartment complexes throughout Michigan, having an aggregate transaction value in excess of $600 million. The sale transactions each included the defeasance of existing debt.
- Represented a national multifamily investment firm in its sale and recapitalization of a $160+ million multifamily property in New England encumbered by Agency debt.
- Represented a private developer in connection with the $43 million construction financing of a student housing development in Gainesville, Florida, as well as all aspects of a complicated joint venture structure with the main equity partner, a national leader in student housing management. Due to certain requirements of certain equity investors/owners undergoing tax deferred 1031 exchanges, it was necessary to setup the transaction as a tenancy in common structure, which involved a more complicated overall structure due to various considerations that had to be taken into account to comply with IRS rules and regulations, along with a tenancy in common agreement to document the foregoing, all of which complicated matters with our construction financing.
- Represented the seller of a seven property market rate apartment portfolio in Florida for a sales price in excess of $103 million.
- Represented a large, NYC-based private equity fund in the portfolio acquisition of numerous apartment communities located in Colorado. The transactions involved roughly 1,350 units spread across multiple properties and was valued at approximately $225 million. Our representation included a complex restructuring and recapitalization of multiple joint ventures, navigating complex tax matters, and negotiating and documenting several existing loan assumptions.
- Represented a multi-faceted redevelopment of an existing shopping center located in the Chicago, IL area that encompasses nearly 700,000 square feet. The project includes a land sale to a prominent national retailer that owns an adjacent parcel to allow for a store expansion by that retailer, as well as significant related site work. Benesch is coordinating all aspects of the redevelopment and transaction for the client.
- 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.
