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Cara J. Nelson

Cara J. Nelson

Partner
Location Head, Boston Real Estate Practice
About

Cara Nelson has broad experience providing advice to domestic and foreign commercial real estate investors and developers, pension funds, real estate funds, investment advisors and family offices in a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions throughout the United States. 

Cara’s clients invest in diverse asset classes, including multi-family, office, industrial, senior housing and retail properties, typically through joint venture arrangements.  Her experience includes representing investors, buyers, sellers and borrowers of multi-family and senior housing assets, office towers, development parcels, industrial properties and retail centers.  Cara’s experience ranges from transactions involving single assets as well as large portfolios. 

Areas of FocusReal Estate
Bar admissionsMassachusetts

EXPERIENCE

Examples of Cara's experience include:

  • Represented a Canadian investor in their US$3.5 billion acquisition of a privately-held REIT owning industrial assets and development sites in multiple states as well as a related management platform
  • Represented a real estate fund in various financings of industrial assets throughout the southeastern and east coast of the United States
  • Represented a private REIT in the formation of joint ventures for the acquisition, development and financing of major downtown office buildings, data centers, multi-family residential and student housing located throughout the United States
  • Represented non-US investors in their joint venture and ground lease arrangements for the purpose of acquiring and developing multi-family assets in Manhattan
  • Represented a Canadian investor in multiple joint venture transactions to acquire, develop, own and operate industrial, life science, office and multifamily assets throughout the United States
  • Represented a real estate fund in joint venture transactions with a senior housing operator to acquire and develop senior housing communities in various states throughout the United States
  • Represented a vertically-integrated real estate fund in a US$1.1 billion acquisition of multi-family residential communities throughout the United States and a US $700 million loan facility secured by the multi-family assets
  • Represented a Canadian investor in its US$2.1 billion acquisition of a portfolio of trophy office towers, its related joint venture and financings secured by individual office towers
  • Represented a university in a long-term ground lease and related redevelopment of its campus 
  • Represented a real estate fund in acquisitions of suburban office parks, downtown parcels for redevelopment and related joint ventures
 

Education
  • J.D., Boston University School of Law 2002
  • B.A., Brandeis University 1999

    with honors

Awards

Chambers USA

  • Band 2, Massachusetts Real Estate, (2025)
  • Band 3, Massachusetts Real Estate, (2020 – 2024)
    Clients say, "Cara is a superb lawyer who understands the intricacies of complex real estate transactions." 2024
    "Cara Nelson is nothing short of phenomenal to work with." 
    2023
    "Cara is an incredibly strong capital markets lawyer."
    2023

The Legal 500 United States

  • Leading Partner, Real Estate, (2022 – 2025)
    Clients say, "Cara Nelson [is] efficient, practical, tough when needed but able to cut through the unnecessary aspects to get to a good result." 2023
  • Next Generation Partner, Real Estate, (2021)
  • Recommended, Real Estate, (2018 – 2020)
Additional Recognitions 
  • Named, Massachusetts Rising Star, Super Lawyers

Professional Memberships

  • Cara is a past president of CREW Boston 
  • Cara serves on the Board of Directors of Heading Home, Inc.
  • Cara serves on the Board of Directors of REFA (Real Estate Finance Association)
 

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