Real Estate
Real estate transactions can be mission-critical operations for businesses. FMJ has the depth and breadth of experience necessary to help navigate, negotiate, and manage the nuanced elements of real estate transactions, whether you are a business that has ongoing commercial purchase and sale or lease transactions, you are an experienced investor, or you are investing in real estate for the first time.
While real estate law spans an array of sub-categories, FMJ brings particular strength and unique experience to commercial real estate transactions, telecommunications/cell tower leasing and licensing, portfolios of retail or industrial office sites, and advising those engaged in the business of real estate (including owner-occupied investors, property management companies, landlords, construction companies, developers, land use and commercial property tax appeals).
Real estate transactions are complex and often demand experience in areas beyond the core real estate transaction, including finance, corporate and mergers and acquisitions. Having an attorney who is engaged in the process of identifying, understanding, and advocating for your needs and goals helps reduce the risk that is inherent in a real estate transaction. When your matter involves the purchase, sale, or lease of multi-million dollar retail, office, or industrial commercial property, your team of advisors should include counsel with whom you have comfort and confidence. In addition, we have extensive experience with real estate sales involving receivers and trustees, especially in transactions dealing with bankruptcy assets and distress asset receivership. At FMJ, we seek to understand the needs of our clients, recognizing that every client and transaction is different.
FMJ also has a real estate litigation team that represents property management companies, and lessees in real estate disputes, such as property tax appeals, boundary line disputes, landlord/tenant disputes, breach of contract, and trespass and nuisance claims. We represent clients in district court and arbitration forums. We also represent lenders in commercial foreclosure and receivership proceedings and receivers in receivership proceedings.
Individuals and businesses of all kinds rely upon FMJ to deliver sound, pragmatic, and value-oriented counsel in transactions ranging from assisting with ongoing advice and counsel in managing a national real estate portfolio for retail or other business operations, to providing outside counsel to organizations that are engaged in the business of real estate (brokerages, property management companies, and investors).
Representative Transactions
- Represented a nonprofit in the purchase of vacant real estate for the expansion of operations and construction of a new facility, including the formation of a wholly-owned subsidiary, environmental review, and the anticipated negotiation of a ground lease with a city for adjacent land. The transaction was valued at approximately: $22,600,000 for estimated future development and $600,000,000 for the land acquisition.
- Represented an investor Seller in a 1031 exchange that involved the sale of an industrial office/warehouse complex and the acquisition of two multi-family properties.
- Represented a lender in a loan documentation for the acquisition and construction of a new hotel in a Twin Cities suburb, with the transaction valued at approximately $15,000,000.
- Represented an investor Purchaser in a reverse 1031 exchange that involved the purchase of an industrial office/warehouse complex and sale of four industrial warehouse properties.
- Represented automobile dealerships in acquisition of real estate and dealerships and in the sale of real estate and dealerships.
- Represented a developer in the purchase of real estate and the construction of a manufacturing facility, which included the negotiation of tax- increment financing, SBA financing, and the annexation of the real estate to a city, with the transaction valued at approximately $12,000,000.
- Represented an industrial office/warehouse investor in leasing and acquisition/sale matters.
- Represented a medical professional investor in lease and acquisition/sale matters.
- Represented a bankruptcy liquidating agent in the sale of an office/warehouse property to a developer building a 300-unit apartment building complex.
- Represented a ground lease commercial tenant in the leasing and development of a parcel on airport property.
- Served as corporate counsel in the purchase and redevelopment of a commercial real estate facility for an agriculture company, with the transaction value estimated at $9,000,000 for acquisition, renovation, and equipping of facility.
- Represented landowners in the leasing or licensing of telecommunications’ equipment or sale of the interest of a telecommunications lease or license.
- Represented a landowner in a multi-million dollar sale of property for redevelopment which covered temporary leasing, construction, and redevelopment lease-back.
