Real Estate Finance

Chapman's Real Estate Finance Group represents lenders and investors in a wide range of real estate transactions, including acquisition and disposition of real estate assets; construction mortgage finance; permanent mortgage finance; revolving credit facilities secured by real estate assets; credit tenant lease and synthetic lease transactions; securitizations; subscription financings; acquisitions and dispositions of mortgage portfolios; indirect investing in real estate assets through purchases of ownership interests in real estate vehicles such as partnerships, limited liability companies and REITS; and commercial, industrial, and office leasing.

Our clients include banks, insurance companies, other institutional lenders, and the finance arms of major conglomerates in their capacity as both lenders and investors. Representative transaction structures and property types include financing multiple-site and multiple-state properties of entities such as major hotel and motel chains, developers of retirement communities, assisted living communities and hospitals, and large self-storage enterprises. Chapman also regularly represents banks, insurance companies, and funds in various types of mezzanine financings related to real estate assets.

Our representation of buyers and sellers of commercial, industrial, retail and multifamily residential real estate has involved projects of all kinds, including office buildings, warehouse facilities, and apartment projects. Often acquisitions and sales are structured as transfers of the ownership interests in the entities that own the real estate project and we are experienced in structuring and documenting these “indirect” types of acquisition and sales transactions.

We advise on the acquisition and disposition of single mortgage loans and mortgage loan portfolios and have assisted our clients in a variety of asset management and portfolio management projects, including preparation and negotiation of property management and operating agreements. 

Additionally, we represent lenders in "project finance" transactions involving railroad intermodal facilities, hydroelectric plants, and aluminum casting and steel mills.

In matters involving distressed investments or loans, we represent creditors in real estate related workouts, debt restructurings, refinancings, and various stages of non-performing loans. The types of projects involve multifamily housing, single family subdivisions, shopping centers, office buildings, hotel and motel facilities, land developments, industrial parks, as well as investment portfolios.

Lastly, in matters involving environmentally sensitive projects, Chapman advises clients with respect to open space, re-use of materials and “green” building requirements, contract language for “green” building-related activities, and the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated industrial sites.

Representative Transactions

• Represented a national railroad company in the development of a major inter-modal rail facility. Advised on all aspects of the purchase of 780 acres in suburban Chicago, including environmental matters, agreements to allow rail crossing of over twenty pipelines, vacation of public roads, annexation of county property by incorporated municipal entity, reservation of mineral rights, negotiation of access easements, required zoning changes to allow for heavy industrial use, utility connections, declarations, cost reimbursement agreements and numerous easements and other documents.  When complete, the facility will be one of the largest of its kind in the United States
• Represented national retail developer in developing and leasing regional, big-box, strip and urban, vertical retail facilities.  Handled all aspects of the transaction including site acquisition, environmental, project finance, entitlement, construction, reciprocal easement agreements and leasing
• Represented a large multi-state commercial property owner in the acquisition and leasing of four premium office buildings in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area
• Represented retail owners in leasing for high-profile retail centers in the Chicago area as well as other major regional retail facilities in other major markets throughout the United States
• Regularly represent lenders in workout and foreclosure of non-performing loans, including the sale of bank OREO
• Advise various clients in a wide range of real estate-related documentation, including “green” additions to contract language, facilities management agreements, parking agreements, encroachment agreements, listing agreements, form documentation, and property subdivisions, among others
• Represent banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions as lenders in connection with construction loans, terms loans, synthetic leases, credit tenant leases and other forms of financing for commercial real estate projects