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Jesse Criz

Jesse A. Criz

Partner
Head, Investment Management and RECM practice
Co-Managing Partner, Chicago office
Member, Executive Committee
Clients recommend New York M&A partner Christopher Giordano and capital markets lawyer Jesse Criz in Chicago, who together advised Harrison Street Real Estate Capital on its $1.9 billion acquisition of Campus Crest Communities.
The Legal 500
About

Jesse Criz heads DLA Piper's Investment Management and Real Estate Capital Markets practice. He has for over 20 years guided his clients though their most critical transactions and advised clients on strategic decisions in all aspects of their businesses, creating true partnerships with his clients.

He has deep experience in taxation, corporate law and vehicle formation, focusing on advising investment management firms in all aspects of their businesses, especially the structuring and formation of private investment vehicles and their subsequent investment activities in the United States and globally.

Jesse regularly advises firms on structuring all types of funds, co-investments, and separate accounts, and he has experience in mergers and acquisitions transactions for the investment management sector. While leading many highly complicated domestic and international real estate, corporate, and partnership transactions, Jesse has also advised global investment management firms on cross-border real estate investments and the formation of foreign real estate funds, most recently in Europe and Canada.

He is formally trained as a tax attorney and has an extensive background representing real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Jesse is a member of the US Executive Committee for DLA Piper and also is the co-manager of the firm's Chicago office.
Bar admissionsIllinois
Education
  • J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law 1998
    Recipient, Hugh L. Dick Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance in Taxation
    cum laude
  • B.S., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1995
    with honors
  • B.S., Certified Public Accountant
    Illinois

Awards

  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Recommended, Private Equity Funds (including Venture Capital) (2021, 2023)
      The Legal 500 comments, "… Jesse Criz leads the investment management practice."
    • Recommended, REITs (2017, 2019-2020)
    • Recommended, Real Estate (2016-2017)
  • Based on peer reviews, Jesse is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the category of real estate law (2020)

Bylines

Seminars

  • Speaker, "Fundraising Best Practices for Small-Medium Sized Funds," 19th Annual Winter Forum On Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing, January 2023

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