
- the complexities of development joint ventures
- real estate operating companies,
- pooled investment funds,
- private placements and public offerings,
- ground lease financing,
- incentive-based strategic alliances,
- mortgage loans,
- mezzanine debt,
- hybrid debt-equity transactions,
- securitised assets,
- energy project finance
- and virtually every other variation on the theme of real estate investment
Acquisitions and Dispositions
Our lawyers have extensive experience in the management of large-scale and issue-intensive construction and real estate transactions globally. It also involves high-volume portfolio programs of acquisition or sale, single-transaction portfolio or operating company deals, and single-asset, structurally complex deals.Venture Formation
We handle ventures and operating company investments for all types of clients and deals. Scaling from large, single-asset projects to resort development properties, multi-property portfolios, energy projects, and residential land development deals. Our lawyers have wide-ranging expertise with the business, tax, and legal subtleties of “promote” or “incentive” structures in both single-asset and portfolio ventures. We also understand the importance of effective exit vehicles and the interplay between equity rights and management responsibilities.Real Estate Financing
A core component of our practice is real estate finance broadly defined to embrace traditional real estate-secured commercial lending and mortgage-backed public debt financings. It also includes all manner of subordinated or mezzanine debt, letter of credit-supported and other credit-enhanced bond financings, major project financings, and a wide variety of contingent interest/equity “kicker” financings.Hotels & Resorts
We represent companies in the hospitality industry, including operators, owners, investors, and lenders. Our balanced practice allows us to bring a unique perspective to the issues confronting each of the various actors in the industry. Our lawyers have documented the development and operation of the full range of project types – from high-rise urban hotels to luxury resort properties to serviced residential properties (both traditional “whole” ownership and fractional ownership) to peer-to-peer property rental companies. We address, where applicable, the complex issues of access to management of recreational facilities. Critically, it is not only the legal landscape that we understand but also the norms and customs of the industry and the state of the ever-evolving market.Real Estate Fund Formation
Our fund formation work covers a wide range of industries but with Wood & Lee, our lawyers have particular experience in forming real estate funds. Funds are not one-size-fits-all. They have their respective conventions and sensitivities which must reflect the character of the underlying investments and the expectations of both fund sponsors and real estate investors. Our real estate, securities, tax, and employee retirement income lawyers work together to bring value to the fund structuring process and to address the legal and business issues facing sponsors and investors.Leasing
We represent clients in retail, office, and mixed-use leasing matters. We also handle both “stand-alone” transactions and in connection with large-scale leasing programs across the country.Sale and Acquisition of Secured Loan Portfolio Transactions
We work with financial institutions and institutional investors in purchases and sales of secured loan portfolios and participating interests in portfolios. Loan-pool transactions now play a major role in the capital formation and deployment activities of many of our institutional clients, as these are important contributors to the efficiency of the real estate market generally. Our experienced lawyers can deal with the conventions and expectations of buyers and sellers, and the organisational challenges of these transactions.Distressed Real Estate
We handle all manner and aspects of workouts—from space leases to secured loans, management contracts, and partnership relationships in distress. Our lawyers have particular experience in the representation of institutional clients in their acquisition, management, and liquidation of portfolios of distressed real property-secured loans.International Condominiums, Stratas, HOAs and Co-ops
Wood & Lee lawyers represent developers, owners’ corporations, stratas, co-operatives and co-ownerships. Our lawyers provide advice concerning the following:- Developers – bringing projects to market, assisting with the registration process, facilitating post-registration and turnover, and handle occupancy and final closings.
- Owners’ corporations, stratas, co-operatives, and co-ownerships regarding
- Participation in board meetings and owners meetings;
- Drafting of by-laws, rules, amendments to declarations, shared facilities agreements, alteration agreements, and other documentation;
- Advice on employment and labour matters, human rights matters, insurance claims, repairs, and maintenance;
- Collection of arrears of common expenses, liens, power of sale, tenant attornment, and rent; and
- Condominium litigation, mediation, and arbitration services for enforcement matters, construction deficiencies, and other declarant-related issues.
International Retail
Wood & Lee’s Wood & Lee’s retail team defends its clients in all aspects of litigation and offers practical advice for how retailers can comply with the law while also meeting their business objectives. Our lawyers have a deep understanding of the legal and business concerns affecting retailers. Additionally, we work with our clients’ management, marketing teams, finance teams and IT departments to develop tailored, creative solutions that do not interfere with business goals. Our retail team constantly monitors issues that affect retailers. As a result, we are often the first to learn of significant developments in retail law and regularly notify our clients of such developments. We reach out to our clients and help them respond proactively so that they can protect themselves from emerging risks. Our lawyers regularly advise on retail-related issues. Wood & Lee’s retail team regularly defend and advise retailers with:- Business and commercial litigation
- Advertising compliance
- Cybersecurity and privacy
- Intellectual property
- Labour and employment
- Creditors’ rights
- Review their practices for collecting customers’ information at the POS (point-of-sale) to make sure they are not vulnerable to privacy suits
- Evaluate their pricing practices to assess the risk of deceptive pricing litigation
- Assess whether they are categorising their employees appropriately to avoid costly wage and hour class actions.
Maritime, Aviation and Logistics
We represent vessel and aircraft, yacht, ship and logistics company owners, operators, charterers, Non Vessel Owning Common Carriers (NVOCCs) and their insurers. This covers all types of casualty work, including crew, collisions, groundings, charter party disputes, salvage and cargo claims. Furthermore, we also assist clients with vessel and aircraft finance, stowaways, employment actions, marine insurance issues, customs work, drafting of bills of lading and charter parties, and a variety of transactional work. Our lawyers have obtained security for clients through arrest and attachment of vessels, aircraft, cargo, bunkers, and funds.Representative Experience
Lawyers of Wood & Lee have extensive experience on:- drafting charter parties and bills of lading for vessel and aircraft interests
- representing craft and engine manufacturers in design defect lawsuits
- defending claims for damage to various types of cargo, including food-grade cargoes and industrial equipment
- obtaining recovery for the total loss of a yacht
- representing vessel interests in a claim for damage caused by an allision of a vessel
- representing vessel interests in a claim for damage caused by surge from a passing vessell
- obtaining garnishments on behalf of a vessel owner for failure to pay freight
- providing 24/7 emergency response and investigation of marine casualties, including collisions and allisions, groundings, stowaways, vessel arrests, cargo damage and seizures, government detentions, and hull and machinery incidents