Real Estate

With experience, expertise and depth, the real estate attorneys at Pierce Atwood LLP will guide you through every phase of your real estate projects, from complex multi-use developments and defeasance financings to land use, environmental and title due diligence. Our attorneys represent clients for projects along the east coast from Florida to Maine and New Hampshire and across the country to Illinois, Colorado, Utah and California. Among the firm's real estate clients are multi-national corporations, regional and national development companies, and individual property owners.

On the asset management side, we represent numerous businesses in lease negotiations, disputes and refinancing. Reflective of the current economic condition, several of our attorneys have also become very active in foreclosures and restructurings of loans, representing local and national lenders.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTER

 

Hannaford Bros. Co.

 

Representation in all transactional aspects for the acquisition and development of new stores and properties in Maine and New York.

 

MORE>>

REPRESENTATIVE MATTER

Cianbro Companies

Acquisition, due diligence, cleanup, revitalization and complete redevelopment of the former Eastern Fine Paper mill site.

MORE>>

SUCCESS

Sale of 15.4 Megawatt Dam

Represented Myllykoski North America and the domestic general partnership in the multi-million dollar sale of a dam on the Kennebec River.

MORE>>

SUCCESS

Real Estate Expansion

Represented client with real estate expansion and development in connection with the expansion of existing facilities and new development of medical condominiums.

MORE>>

SUCCESS

Central Maine Power Land Acquisition

Acquisition of more than six hundred parcels of land in connection with the Maine Power Reliability Program.

MORE>>

REPRESENTATIVE MATTER

Dead River Company

Representation of acquisitions, development financings and loan refinancings in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine

MORE>> 


REPRESENTATIVE MATTER

$26M Construction Loan

Completed a $26 million loan for People’s United Bank for the construction of 121 residential units in Chelsea, MA, which was secured by not only the real estate but by state and federal rehabilitation tax credits.


$40M New Markets Tax Credit Financing

Represented a paper company in a $40 million new markets tax credit financing, which included $40 million of allocation under Maine's new markets program, and $10 million of allocation under the federal new markets program; to date, this is the only transaction to successfully close under Maine's new markets program. 

260 Loan Portfolio Purchase

We recently closed a transaction representing a financial institution in the purchase of a loan portfolio in excess of 260 loans secured by real estate in more than 15 states. We handled all aspects of the transaction, including loan due diligence, negotiating the Loan Sale Agreement and closing the deal.

Areas of Expertise

Associations & Franchisees
We are involved in many different industry trade areas: industrial real estate, office and warehouse construction and expansion, condominium, planned unit and resort and hospitality development. We represent multiple franchisees of national and regional food franchises with stores in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states.
Commercial Leases
The Real Estate Practice Group provides expert advice to both landlords and tenants, regionally and nationally, on commercial leases, including ground, retail, office, warehouse and industrial leases.
Condominiums & Planned Community Developments
The Real Estate Practice Group provides expert advice to our clients on condominium developments, including permits, structure and financing.
Purchase & Sale Transactions

The Real Estate Practice Group provides expert advice to our clients on the acquisition and sale of real property, including undeveloped, residential and commercial real estate.

Working efficiently and effectively with other attorneys in all offices of the firm, our services include: project feasibility analyses, environmental assessment analyses (Phase I & Phase II), wetland and vernal pool analyses, structure and formation of the ownership entities, tax analyses (income tax as well as state and local taxes), tax increment financings, brokerage agreements, AIA agreements with architects and contractors, and easements.

On the development side, our attorneys guide clients through every phase of their project, including land use and permitting, purchasing and selling land, wetland and environmental due diligence, title and conveyancing and financing.

Real Estate Financings

The Real Estate Practice Group provides expert advice to our clients on all types of real estate financings, including construction, permanent, public finance, economic development and tax increment financing.

Pierce Atwood's real estate attorneys also act as local counsel in large multi-state financings, providing assistance with title, local law and the provision of local opinions.

Resort & Hospitality Developments
The Real Estate Practice Group provides expert advice to our clients on resort and hospitality developments, including acquisition, permits, financing, registration and subsequent sales.
Tax Credit Financing & Syndication

In today’s tight credit market tax credits are often an important piece of financing a project.  Pierce Atwood’s attorneys have experience with tax credit financing and syndication, including new markets tax credits, historic rehabilitation tax credits, low-income housing tax credits, and renewable energy tax credits.  At times, these credits can be combined to reduce the net cost of a project.  For example, a mill renovation may qualify for historic rehabilitation tax credits, new markets tax credits, and even renewable energy tax credits if the project includes a rooftop solar installation.  

Title & Conveyancing

The Real Estate Attorneys at Pierce Atwood provide expert advice to our clients on title and conveyancing issues, including title insurance, boundary line disputes, quiet title actions, partitions, easements and deeds. As part of our service we are title insurance commitment- and policy-writing agents and approved attorneys for all of the major title insurance underwriters.

We have assisted independent power plant owners and developers in virtually all aspects of the purchase and sale of power plants and transmission line corridors, including financing and due diligence. Attorneys in the Real Estate Practice Group have managed the real estate aspects of significant, complex, multi-site projects in New England and along the eastern seaboard. We have also represented parties in both the acquisition and sale of projects for which separation of functions is required, involving complex property divisions with reciprocal easements and agreements and interpretation of survey plans (e.g., separation of hydroelectric generation assets from a paper mill after more than a century of integration, allowing the distinct businesses to function successfully, including meeting requirements of lenders).