John L. Sullivan is the chair of DLA Piper's Boston Real Estate group. He has a broad-ranging practice that encompasses all aspects of commercial real estate, with a particular emphasis representing public and private pension plans, opportunity funds, investment advisors and other sophisticated investors in debt, equity, hybrid and joint venture transactions throughout North America. He is very familiar with UBTI, VCOC and REOC issues faced by tax exempt and benefit plan investors.

Mr. Sullivan has significant experience representing US fund sponsors of US and European real estate funds. He also has substantial experience representing both lenders and borrowers in complex real estate loan workouts and restructurings throughout the US.

Mr. Sullivan was previously a director at one of the country's leading real estate investment advisory firms, where he was responsible for acquisitions, sales and financing. During the early 1990s, he was in charge of all workouts and restructurings for this firm. Mr. Sullivan's combination of business and legal experience is highly valued by his clients.

Examples of Mr. Sullivan's experience include:

• Represented a real estate private equity fund in a US$220 million investment in a portfolio of assets that included 44 office and industrial properties, a 351-mile railroad easement and six parcels of undeveloped land. The fund’s investment was divided into a US$70 million mezzanine loan and a US$150 million unsecured loan and closed simultaneously with a US$835 million recapitalization
• Represented an institutional investment advisor in the formation of a joint venture with a public REIT to acquire a US$326 million portfolio of student housing properties in conjunction with the closing of a US$1.2 billion merger of two public REITs
• Represented a foreign pension fund in the phased acquisition of equity interests in a venture that owns a portfolio of eight regional retail malls in the US with a gross value in excess of US$500 million. The transaction also included the acquisition of a US$26 million unsecured loan to the joint venture. All of the parties were non-US entities and the transaction involved many complex tax, debt and restructuring issues
• Represented an institutional investment advisor in the formation of a joint venture with a public REIT to acquire a US$326 million portfolio of student housing properties in conjunction with the closing of a US$1.2 billion merger of two public REITs
• Acted as fund counsel in the formation of Luxembourg funds to acquire over €600 million of properties throughout Europe. These funds include investors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and The Netherlands. Mr. Sullivan acted as lead counsel for all fund formation work and oversaw all real estate acquisitions, sales and financings for these funds. These funds have acquired over 100 properties
• Acted as fund counsel in the formation of various real estate funds to acquire over US$1 billion of real estate located throughout the United States. Mr. Sullivan acted as lead counsel for all fund formation work and oversaw all real estate acquisitions, sales and financings for these funds
• Represented a real estate opportunity fund in the formation of a joint venture to acquire and develop skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the Southeastern United States
• Represented a real estate opportunity fund in the formation of a joint venture to acquire and develop a large retail project in Houston
• Represented an institutional investment advisor in the US$150 million sale of an office park in Northern California
• Represented a real estate opportunity fund with respect to a mezzanine loan and joint venture investment in the development of a condominium and apartment project in New Jersey
• Represented an institutional investment advisor in a US$138 million portfolio acquisition involving three office buildings in Northern Virginia
• Represented an institutional investment advisor in the acquisition of a US$139.5 million shopping center in Hawaii
• Represented real estate funds and real estate advisors with respect to the acquisition of office, retail, residential, hotel, industrial and multi-family projects located throughout the US
• Represented institutional real estate advisors with respect to participating and non-participating mezzanine loans involving projects throughout the US
• Represented a private REIT in multifamily acquisitions and financings
• Represented borrowers and lenders in multi-state financing transactions
• Represented various institutional investors in workouts and restructurings throughout the US
• Represented opportunity funds in the acquisition, financing and sale of portfolios of performing and non-performing loans
• Represented real estate fund sponsors in subscription and asset based lines of credit

Honors

• Based on peer and client reviews, the respected English research firm Chambers & Partners has repeatedly cited Mr. Sullivan in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, describing him as "a seasoned real estate attorney with exceptional business sense," an "invaluable resource," "a top-tier attorney," "the highlight professional in real estate practice" and "a marvelous lawyer with a wealth of experience."
• In 2007, Lawdragon named Mr. Sullivan among the Lawdragon 500 Dealmakers in America.
• Mr. Sullivan has been cited as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer.. Sullivan is a member of the Real Estate Finance Association, the Pension Real Estate Association and the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center.