Real Estate

Reinhart Staff Groups 176

Our Real Estate Practice is the largest in Wisconsin, among the most influential regionally and well-respected across the country. In partnership with clients, our attorneys have a long history of impacting major developments throughout the state of Wisconsin and continue to help shape the skylines of its metropolitan areas. With the depth of our combined experience and far-reaching real estate skills, our team is poised to help you capitalize on opportunities no matter where you do business.

We see potential and understand how real estate developments, acquisitions, sales, foreclosures, partnerships and financing fit into your overall personal and business goals. You need a partner who's nimble, creative and efficient; one who prioritizes your bottom line and deadlines. We keep developments moving by understanding the intricacies of each project and by anticipating and avoiding obstacles that could otherwise delay or derail a project.

Our attorneys' long-standing, well-established connections allow us to effectively navigate market, political, municipal and regulatory landscapes on your behalf, helping you make informed decisions about your real estate interests and achieve successful outcomes.

Among our many strengths, we are especially adept at:

Real Estate Tax Credits

We work extensively with both for-profit and nonprofit developers, counseling owners, developers, lenders and investors in sophisticated low-income housing tax credit and historic rehabilitation tax credit projects throughout the United States. We also represent clients under the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program, including Community Development Entities, Qualified Active Low-Income Community Businesses and leveraged lenders. Read more

Leasing

Our Real Estate Leasing Group is experienced in a variety of specialized lease arrangements, including ground leases, bondable leases, built-to-suit leases and leases involving tax credits and incentives. National corporate clients regularly call on us for tenant representation in leasing transactions across the country, and we can work efficiently on their behalf at cost-effective rates. Read more

Construction Law

We specialize in preparing, negotiating and enforcing architect and engineering agreements, construction contracts, design/build contacts and subcontractor agreements that protect your interests. Expanding opportunities for all is a priority, and we help construction companies and owners pursue government procurement and bidding opportunities, as well as counsel minority clients on certification requirements. Read more

Entitlements

Our attorneys have deep roots in the State of Wisconsin and extensive experience in all aspects of land use law, including annexation, zoning, eminent domain, licensing, permitting, negotiating incentives with local and state governments, tax incremental financing and other special financing districts. We represent local, regional and national developers, as well as businesses, municipalities, taxing jurisdictions and individual owners in all types of industrial, retail, office and mixed-use projects. Our attorneys work conscientiously with municipal staff and state and local officials on efficiently obtaining entitlement approvals for our clients and ensuring successful developments. Read more

In addition, we regularly assist clients with:

We combine our extensive experience in real estate and finance to optimize your real estate investment, analyze risk and uncover opportunities. You need a dedicated partner who's familiar with local markets and energetically pursues your goals, and our team delivers results.

We represent owners and investors in the acquisition and sale of real estate projects, including the structuring of tax-free exchanges where appropriate. Through their contacts in the local real estate community, our attorneys often assist clients in finding buyers and sellers, as well as financing and investment partners. We also represent both mining companies and land owners on matters related to the sale and purchase of frac sand mining sites.

We represent for-profit and nonprofit developers in virtually every type of real estate project, including health care facilities, office buildings, hotels, multifamily apartment buildings, shopping centers, subdivisions, condominiums (residential and nonresidential), office and business parks, mixed-use developments, hotels, golf courses, resorts, industrial property and marinas. Our clients include both national, institutional developers and smaller, closely held development firms.

We provide a complete range of services typically needed by developers, including land acquisition, governmental approvals, financing and leasing. We represent developers in all aspects of the development process, including obtaining tax incremental financing, other governmental incentives and credits, securing zoning and subdivision approvals, negotiating development agreements with municipalities and preparing comprehensive covenants, easements and other documents necessary to create new developments.

Leveraging a multidisciplinary approach with attorneys from our Business Reorganization and Banking and Finance practices, we help clients navigate the complex issues surrounding commercial foreclosure actions. Whether a client is interested in foreclosing on a property, purchasing a foreclosed property or has a property facing foreclosure, we provide representation at all stages of the process.

We assist banks, lending institutions and other creditors in the recovery of collateral by means of commencing and pursuing mortgage foreclosure lawsuits, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, forbearance agreements and voluntary collateral surrender agreements. We also assist creditors in enforcing money judgments through supplemental receivers and forced sales/auctions.

As counsel in foreclosure actions, we provide effective guidance and, if needed, litigation counsel. Our attorneys have substantial experience representing lenders in foreclosure actions of all sizes, including multiuse projects, commercial properties, residential developments and retail centers.

We have a long history of representing clients involved in the development, construction, syndication and management of government-assisted housing. We regularly work with HUD financing programs, including:

  • Section 236
  • Section 8
  • Section 221(d)(4)
  • ELIHPA
  • LIHPRHA
  • Section 232

We also have extensive experience with WHEDA financing programs and City of Milwaukee financing incentives, and have served as borrowers counsel and bond counsel in transactions financed with housing bonds.

Our attorneys provide comprehensive services to land title industry members. This includes representing insurers in defending or clearing title, as well as representation of insurers and agents in all types of issues, including:

  • Policy coverage issues
  • Escrow and closing litigation
  • Regulatory matters

Our team regularly issues opinions regarding the authorization, execution and enforceability of real estate loan documents. We serve as lead counsel or local counsel on transactions for both borrowers and lenders. Our attorneys issue up-to-date real estate opinions in connection with loans and other transactions are current, allowing us to provide you with the most effective and efficient real estate services possible.

Our team represent numerous financial institutions in structuring and closing construction and permanent loans and loan participations. We also represent lenders in forming joint ventures with developers and in negotiating and documenting shared appreciation and equity participation mortgages. Our attorneys represent lenders in workouts and foreclosures, often in conjunction with the firms Business Reorganization and Litigation practices.

We represent clients in structuring investment entities designed to attract equity capital for development and acquisition. These entities include limited liability companies, limited partnerships, joint ventures, REITs and corporations. Our attorneys regularly assist clients with securities compliance, both in registered offerings and private placements, tax analysis and with finding equity capital.

Real Estate News & Insights

Resources

Downtown Madison Development Tracker

Downtown Madison, WI Development Tracker

As part of a long-standing relationship with Downtown Madison, Inc., Reinhart is the Presenting Sponsor of this interactive tool to keep you abreast of current, recently completed, and planned development projects across the area. Click here to view latest information.