Real estate clients, facing diverse circumstances and with a variety of needs, have one common goal: to get their projects and deals done. Real estate investors and owners need a law firm with sufficient depth and scope so that whatever their situation, their lawyers will have directly relevant experience and be well-equipped to help them succeed.
Our team features very experienced lawyers who get projects approved and deals done quickly and efficiently and find creative solutions when projects encounter significant roadblocks. We commit to being user-friendly—timely, responsive, organized and accessible—and to preserving important relationships with all parties that are necessary to get deals done. We develop long-term relationships with our clients, which enables us to master their specific goals and business objectives and leads them to trust us with their most complex work. With those relationships, we stand by our work and the long-term consequences for our clients.
We have decades of experience handling complex real estate transactions nationwide for clients in a wide variety of industries. Our lawyers have strong relationships with local and government officials, which are extremely helpful in moving a project quickly and successfully through the approval and, if necessary, appeals processes. We also have a deep understanding of the economic, policy and procedural environments facing real estate development and transactions.
Our real estate team includes strong land use, environmental, construction, finance, tax, bankruptcy/workout and litigation attorneys to provide clients a unified, one-stop solution.
Our clients bring with them a diverse set of skills, and we customize our service model to their individual needs and budgets. For clients already skilled in real estate development, or who have skilled in-house counsel, we can guide their staff through the local laws and customs. Clients building their real estate portfolio come to us for a broader range of services, and we can help them learn the industry and achieve their real estate goals.
Our attorneys handle a wide variety of projects, including:
- Hotels, resorts and golf courses
- Restaurants
- Office buildings
- Health care facilities
- Condominiums, multi-family dwellings, and subdivisions
- Infrastructure projects
- Condemnation; sales to public agencies in lieu of condemnation, and other real estate transactions with—or on behalf—of government agencies
- Pension funds and sovereign government funds (tax-exempt investors)
- Master planned developments
- Historic landmarks
- Industrial buildings
- Public/private partnerships
- Conservation easements
- Alternative energy projects, such as solar and wind
- Agricultural/timberland properties
- High-technology facilities
- Brownfield development
- Cell tower siting
- International transactions
Transactions and financing
- Entity formation (corporations, partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies)
- Formation of investment vehicles
- Purchase, sale and like-in-kind exchange of commercial, industrial and residential real estate
- Leasing (including retail, office, mixed use, ground, build-to-suit, and industrial leases) and property management
- Purchase and sale of real estate portfolios
- Finance, including due diligence, commercial and construction loans, equity investments, REIT investments, real estate security private placements, sale-leasebacks, complex industry-specific leases, ground leases and standard commercial leases
- Negotiation of construction, interim, permanent, wrap-around and equity-shared financing from commitment through post-closing
- Design, engineering and construction service agreements
- Section 1031 like-kind exchanges and tenants-in-common (TIC) deals
- Distressed real estate transactions
Development and land use
- Complex planning
- Site identification, evaluation, acquisition and property development
- Permitting and approvals
- Zoning
- Growth Management Act planning and compliance
- Public acquisition and disposition
- Environmental reviews
- Land-sales registration
- SEPA/NEPA compliance
- Development agreements and other multiple-party agreements
Environmental and natural resources
- Hazardous waste management and substance cleanups (including major Superfund sites)
- Toxic substances control
- Defense of citizen's suits
- Brownfield site development
- Issues associated with the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Act
- Appeals of environmental permits
- Permitting and regulatory compliance
Sustainable/green development
Davis Wright Tremaine is a leader in the emerging field of sustainable real estate practices, including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification of new and existing commercial real estate projects (as well as other national and local green building rating and certification systems), green leasing, and sustainable maintenance and operation of commercial properties. We have two attorneys designated as LEED Accredited Professionals by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Local counsel
Because real estate deals benefit from strong local knowledge about market conditions, regulatory issues and relationships, we frequently serve as local counsel for out-of-state firms that need a sophisticated partner.
California
Our lawyers have in-depth experience with California’s myriad development and land use laws and have processed thousands of development permits with local governments, State Land Commission, Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), California Fish and Wildlife, California Coastal Commission and other state agencies. Additionally, our lawyers have a thorough understanding of the California Environmental Quality Act and other applicable California environmental rules and regulations.
We have litigated development denials and defended development approvals at all levels of California state courts. Our commercial expertise extends to negotiation and documentation of leases, acquisitions and financing for major headquarters office operations, large hotel complexes, medical facilities and other commercial properties. Our expertise concerning the rules of the Department of Alcohol, Beverage Control and the unique California real property tax landscape (i.e., Proposition 13) gives our lawyers an edge in bringing real value to our California real estate clients.
Oregon
Oregon’s unique hybrid system of interconnected local, regional and state oversight of land use matters makes the state an especially challenging one in which to develop land and conduct other real estate transactions and projects. The state’s urban growth boundary (UGB) laws, which provide for boundaries separating urban land from rural property in cities, make new land scarce and add substantial regulatory complexity.
Our Oregon real estate attorneys offer a deep understanding of policy and procedure specific to the state, as well as very strong relationships with local government officials. We represent clients in the residential, commercial, institutional and agricultural spaces, each of which has different needs, requirements and challenges.
Washington state
We have in-depth knowledge of Washington state’s density and growth management restrictions, shoreline management and endangered species matters, tribal interests, green building, sustainability and conservation issues. We have particular expertise in working with Washington public agencies and the special challenges presented by Washington’s constitutional and statutory restrictions on gifts of public funds and lending public credit.
Our affiliate
CenturyPacific, L.P. is a real estate affiliate of Davis Wright Tremaine that provides real estate investment banking, consulting and development management services to our clients and others. The principals of CenturyPacific have structured and negotiated more than $3 billion worth of acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, development agreements and leases. They have also developed a wide range of commercial and residential projects. This experience gives CenturyPacific a perspective of real estate and the real estate process that is readily transferable to its clients. |