John serves as Counsel in the Real Estate Practice Group where he focuses his practice in the areas of commercial real estate, financial services and various transactions.

Overview

John’s real estate practice includes handling complex commercial transactions pertaining to undeveloped and developed land acquisitions and divestitures across single property and portfolio acquisitions. John has represented clients in transactions involving single and multi-tenant office properties, industrial properties, and healthcare properties, together with retail matters. He also has experience in representing clients in residential community property matters. John has leasing experience across a broad spectrum of properties, including within office, industrial, mixed-use, restaurant, and retail leases. Additionally, as part of such transactions, John will assist clients with due diligence aspects thereof, including title and survey review and other associated analysis.

Clients have included individuals, privately held entities and partnerships and publicly traded entities, including real estate investment trusts (REITs). He also has experience in negotiating asset purchase agreements and other business acquisition and divestiture agreements, as well as sale/leaseback transactions and real estate associated financings.

Experience

  • Currently represents a medical provider client on facility lease transactions from the tenant’s perspective.
  • Represented client as co-counsel on 2015 $23-$24.5 Million payment-in-lieu of taxes equipment / personal property transaction for an industrial distribution warehouse facility.
  • Lead counsel for an SEC registered non-public traded REIT in a 2014 acquisition of two companion office buildings with a purchase price of approximately $33 Million.
  • Handled real estate and loan divestiture aspects in 2011-2013 for a national financial institution secured creditor in one of the largest personal bankruptcy cases ever filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Middle District of Tennessee.
  • Represented landlord client in successful negotiations of long-term 90,000+ rentable square foot commercial office and communications facility lease agreement with tenant.
  • Successfully represented United States real estate subsidiary of international company in acquisition and leasing of new $40 million industrial office and distribution warehouse facility for company's American operations, which transaction also included payment-in-lieu of taxes aspects.
  • Tennessee counsel for private residential apartment holding company and operator, including with respect to acquisition of various multi-family complexes (and undeveloped parcel) at aggregate purchase price of approximately $150 million.
  • Primary outside real estate counsel for publicly traded provider of health care company for approximately 6 years prior to its acquisition by competitor in which representation was provided on clinic facility site acquisition, divestiture and leasehold transactions
  • Has represented a publicly-traded REIT for approximately two decades in medical office buildings and facilities acquisitions, divestitures and leasehold transactions, including purchase/sale transactions amounting to approximately $170 million in purchase price value over the last approximate six years.
  • Served as Tennessee and Kentucky local counsel for 4+ years for a recently sold industrial property REIT in acquisitions and financing transactions regarding various sites.
  • Co-represented lending client as local Tennessee counsel in 2019 $650 Million secured credit facility transaction involving substantial mineral rights and interests pledges, together with associated subsequent 2019 $250 Million bridge loan.
  • Represented tenant client in 2019 34,000+ square foot successfully consummated office relocation and R&D facility lease.
  • Represented client as Tennessee local counsel in 2019 $32 Million acquisition of residential, office and associated mixed-use facility in Nashville, Tennessee that includes anticipated redevelopment activities.
  • Represented Nashville, Tennessee headquartered international client in 2018 donation of in excess of 5,700 acres of undeveloped natural land to non-profit nature conservancy.
  • Represented client in acquisition of recently complete retail in-line center and outparcel.
  • Represented client in two separate 2016 Tennessee raw land acquisitions of approximately 500+ acres and approximately 1050+ acres, respectively.
  • Co-managed and lead a team of approximately 170 attorneys and paralegals, together with support staff, in successfully completing the expedited review, assessment and abstracting of approximately 16,000 contracts as part of a multi-billion dollar purchase and sale transaction. Over 1,000 additional contracts were also reviewed and abstracted to some extent but were removed from the transaction.
  • Tennessee counsel on a 2014-2015 industrial warehouse development and lease transaction for single tenant facility comprising approximately 1 million square feet under roof (together with expansion rights for another 1 million square feet). Transaction also involved economic incentives.
  • Lead counsel in representation of subsidiary of publicly-traded hospitality company in $213 million sale-leaseback transaction involving approximately 65 restaurant sites in 14 states.
  • Member of team that represented owner/operator of fueling stations on project extending from 2007 to 2010 that resulted in the client's acquisition of over 1,000 sites in numerous states. Personally handled responsibilities pertaining to dozens of such sites, including required title, survey and associated diligence issues.
  • Represented tenant client in successful negotiations of multi-year approximate 150,000-square-foot commercial office and call center facility lease agreement with landlord.

Honors & Recognitions

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®️, Real Estate Law since 2013, Banking and Finance Law since 2018
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent© Peer Review Rating

Newsroom

Events

Professional & Community

Civic Activities

  • Dismas Inc., House Committee (2015 - early 2016), Board President (2013 - 2014) and Board Vice-President (2012)

Professional Activities

  • American Bar Association; Real Property, Probate and Trust Sections
  • Tennessee Bar Association
  • Nashville Bar Association
  • Kentucky Bar Association
  • Nashville Area Chamber's Partnership 2020 Initiative (2014, 2015)
  • Nashville Chamber of Commerce Partnership 2020 Economic Development Committee
  • Nashville Chamber of Commerce/Partnership 2010 Policy and Incentives Taskforce (2007)
  • Tennessee Economic Development Council
  • Urban Land Institute

Paralegal/Assistant

Legal Practice Assistant

Ti Neely
(615) 724-3292
tneely@burr.com

Burr
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