Stephen M. Sharkey's practice concentrates on the federal and state tax aspects of business transactions and investments. He regularly represents clients in structuring and negotiating the acquisition and disposition of real estate and other investments, with a particular emphasis on both the tax and non-tax aspects of real estate joint venture and financing transactions.

His practice includes structuring and negotiating complex partnership and joint venture arrangements; advising clients in evaluating and implementing sale-leaseback transactions of commercial real estate properties (including credit-tenant-lease financing arrangements); assisting clients with structuring like-kind exchange transactions; organizing special purpose entities for securitized financing transactions; and generally advising clients on federal and state tax aspects of real estate projects.

Mr. Sharkey also has significant experience in assisting clients with sophisticated private equity and investment transactions, including the business and tax aspects of private investment partnerships.

In 2008, he was named a Maryland Super Lawyer.

Recent Matters

• Assisting a publicly traded REIT in negotiating and closing two joint venture transactions with Wall Street advised pension funds for the joint ownership and operation of regional mall properties.
• Representation of a private real estate investor in disposing of 27 retail store properties with over $80 million of gross value in a series of like-kind exchange transactions.
• Representation of a private real estate investor in acquiring the midtown Manhattan headquarters of a public company in an $80 million sale-leaseback transaction.
• Assisting a foreign real estate investor in completing the disposition of a Washington, D.C., office building and the acquisition of a New York City office building as a tax-deferred like-kind exchange transaction.
• Representation of a private real estate company in the syndication of state and federal tax credits for a $30 million historic rehabilitation of a mixed-use project in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Representation of a real estate subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company in acquiring a 50 percent interest in a joint venture with a regional homebuilder to develop residential lots in Northern Virginia.
• Representation of an exclusive private golf club owner in restructuring a $50 million take-back loan facility with the proceeds of a private equity offering and securitized financing.
• Representation of a private trust company in organizing a $30 million "feeder fund" to invest in a nationally-recognized venture capital fund.
• Assisting a publicly-traded REIT in structuring and implementing a joint venture arrangement with a pension-fund investor permitting the REIT to extract, on a tax-advantaged basis, a substantial portion of its equity in an $185 million pool of commercial office buildings.
• Ongoing representation of a top-ten mortgage loan originator in its private placement of REMIC securities.