Sandra Kellman is global co-chair of DLA Piper's Hospitality and Leisure practice, based in Chicago. She concentrates her practice on all aspects of commercial real estate development and finance, with particular focus on acquisition, disposition, development, management and financing of hotels and mixed use projects, representing owners and brands in single property and complex multi-state portfolio transactions. She works on projects throughout the United States and abroad, including projects in the Middle East. She is a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.

Ms. Kellman has been recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, which speaks of her "dynamic practice" and praises her as "a fabulous lawyer" who is "practical, pragmatic and effective." She is also recommended by Legal 500.  Ms Kellman has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer in Real Estate, as the result of research projects conducted jointly by Law & Politics and Chicago magazines. She has also been selected as one of Real Estate Forum's Women of Influence, and the Leading Lawyer Network has named her among the Top 50 Women Real Estate-Related Lawyers in Illinois.

Ms. Kellman writes and speaks frequently on real estate development topics. She co-chairs DLA Piper's Global Real Estate Summit. Ms. Kellman is on the planning committee and regularly speaks at the ALIS Hotel Investment Conference and was on the planning committee and a guest speaker at the 2001 and 2000 UCLA Hotel Industry Investment Conferences. For several years, she has been a guest speaker and panel moderator at the NYU Hotel Conference and the Lodging Conference in Phoenix. She is a guest lecturer at the University of Texas Austin McCombs School of Business.

Ms. Kellman is a member of DLA Piper's firmwide Policy Committee.

Some major transactions include:

• Represented The Wm. Wrigley Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated, in the strategic positioning and disposition of the iconic Wrigley Building in Chicago, along with several other real estate assets
• Representation of The Blackstone Group in the sale of hotels throughout the US
• Representation of LR Development in a Canyon Ranch Hotel and Spa branded mixed use project in Chicago
• Representation of Hilton Hotels in the $240 million sale of the historic Palmer House Hotel in Chicago
• Representation of several hotel developers in the development of major mixed use projects in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Dubai
• Representation of a hotel company in a multi-state portfolio acquisition and related securitized financing
• Representation of hotel owners and developers in negotiation of management agreements with international management companies expanding into the US
• Representation of institutional investor in acquisition of a multi-state four-star hotel portfolio
• Representation of a major hotel REIT in the acquisition, historic qualification, entitlements and vertical subdivision of a landmark hotel on Chicago's Michigan Avenue
• Representation of a private owner and developer in approximately 10 acquisitions and financings over an 18-month period
• Representation of a major national developer in structuring ownership and management issues relating to a 90+ story mixed use tower
• Representation of a joint venture in redevelopment of an office campus in Washington, DC, leasing of the development and credit tenant financing. The transaction was named "DC Lease of the Year"
• Representation of a joint venture purchaser of air rights adjacent to Union Station in Washington, DC, and all necessary easements and other development structuring
• Representation of an independent power producer in multi-property assemblages, entitlement and permits for development of six electrical generation facilities
• Assemblage, development, financing and sale of an 1100-MW electrical generation facility
  Representation of an office building developer in the development, financing and disposition of 15 office buildings
• Representation of the owner of the commercial space in a major mixed use development in the negotiations and restructuring of the governing covenants
• Representation of a developer of two sustainable "new town" developments, each containing single-family and multifamily residential, retail, health care and recreational components
• Representation of several office building owners in leasing for national portfolios
• Representation of an international hotel chain in site acquisition, entitlements and development of a flagship 4-star hotel in Chicago
• Representation of the owner in development and management issues relating to portfolios of golf course resorts and related mixed use projects