Brach Eichler's Real Estate Practice Group combines a practical, business-like approach with creative solutions to give our clients a competitive edge. We meet the needs of our clients in matters ranging from the most complex transactions on a national level to smaller, routine transactions. Our personal experience and depth of understanding of the legal issues and business issues that drive real estate transactions allow us to render advice to our clients that is both legally sound and practical on a business level.

Our Real Estate group includes attorneys with extensive experience in sophisticated and complex transactions, complex financial structuring, environmental issues, zoning issues, tax planning and the full range of regulatory and transactional issues, including:

•  Apartment building development, acquisition, sales and financing
•  Retail and commercial leasing, development, sales, acquisition and financing
•  Commercial real estate finance and lending, including mortgage finance,   structured finance, mezzanine and preferred equity finance
•  Real estate joint ventures and equity syndications
•  Zoning, land use, development and planning
•  Regulatory and code compliance
•  Condominium, cooperative and other planned unit development communities

Chambers USA cited Brach Eichler's Real Estate practice for its "business acumen and widely acknowledged strengths in real estate investment."

Multi-Family Properties

Our clients include some of the largest, most well-respected owners of multi-family properties in the region. Our real estate lawyers are well-qualified to assist clients in all aspects of real estate and financing transactions involving multi-tenant buildings, as well as to provide guidance to our clients with respect to the business issues related to the acquisition, sale and day-to-day operation of such properties.

Commercial Real Estate Finance and Lending

As we routinely represent both lenders and borrowers in financing and lending transactions, we approach financing transactions with an in-depth, well-balanced understanding of the needs and concerns of all the parties to the loan transaction. Our extensive experience enables us to guide our clients through the issues that arise during the course of such transactions and to offer practical solutions to such issues that promote the mutual interests of both parties in getting the transaction completed as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Clients value the role we play as facilitators in such lending and financing transactions, identifying critical issues and offering workable solutions to those issues consistent with their legal and business objectives.

1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges

Our Real Estate Practice Group also works closely with clients to facilitate tax deferred exchanges under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, including forward and reverse exchanges, drop and swaps, and other similar transactions. Our Real Estate attorneys have the experience necessary to successfully navigate through Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that our clients are successfully deferring any potential capital gains from the sale of investment real estate.

Joint Ventures and Equity Syndications

We structure relationships and ownership vehicles to maximize the benefits of ownership and development of real estate assets, including representation of parties seeking to raise private equity through private offerings, joint ventures, preferred equity financings, and private and public real estate investment trusts. Our attorneys have substantial experience preparing and negotiating organizational documents, including limited partnership agreements and limited liability agreements, offering documents including private placement memoranda and prospectuses, drafting subscription documents, summaries of principal terms and response to investor inquiries, and blue sky and federal securities filings.

Retail, Commercial and Industrial

We represent owners of office buildings, regional shopping malls, suburban office parks, lifestyle and other smaller retail centers, and general office and industrial properties from the initial stages of development, acquisition and financing through negotiation of leases and lease renewals and sales.

Land Development, Planning and Zoning

Our land use attorneys represent owners and developers of real estate in all phases of the approval and entitlement process, including securing zoning changes; obtaining site plan, subdivision and variance approvals; and resolving land use, code and regulatory compliance issues. We provide counsel on affordable housing and land preservation matters.

Condominiums and Planned Real Unit Developments

We have represented owners and developers in connection with the creation of condominiums and planned unit developments, including drafting master deeds, organizational documents, offering prospectuses and other registration materials. Our extensive representation of multi-family property owners has given our attorneys the opportunity to convert countless multi-family properties into residential condominium communities. Our real estate attorneys have developed and executed strategies to enable a successful conversion, while affording residential tenants all of their rights and entitlements under the law. We have extensive experience in residential homebuilding and developing, including creation of planned unit developments, construction finance, residential construction contracting and representation of associations. In addition, our attorneys create and represent commercial condominiums, mixed-use projects, resort communities and condominium hotels, and recreation facilities.

Recent Matters

	Representing a client in the sale of a portfolio of 18,000 residential apartment units located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware for just under $2 billion.
	Representing the seller in connection with a $22 million sale of commercial shopping center in Bergen County, NJ.
	Representing the purchaser of an 800,000 square foot office building in Chicago in a sale-leaseback deal with a Fortune 100 tenant.
	Representing the purchaser in connection with the $100 million purchase and finance of residential apartment complexes in Dutchess County, NY.
	Representing the purchaser in connection with the $50 million purchase and finance of residential apartment complexes in the Hartford, Connecticut area.
	Representing a lender in connection with a $17.5 million loan secured by a mortgage on a retail shopping center in Philadelphia.
	Representing the purchaser of a 281,000 square foot, 17-story, Class A office tower in Hartford, Connecticut.
	Representing the purchaser of a 183,000 square foot, 6-story, Class A office building in Edison, NJ.
	Representing a borrower in connection with a $17 million HUD refinance of a nursing home facility.
	Representing a client in connection with the purchase of a property and the construction financing to build a four-story 76,000 square foot office building in Parsippany, NJ.
	Representing the landlord in connection with a lease of 55,000 square feet of Class A office space in Florham Park, NJ.