Hall Estill

Jeffrey C. Friedman | Colorado Commercial Real Estate Attorney

Jeffrey C. ("Jeff") Friedman is a commercial real estate attorney and shareholder in Hall Estill's Real Estate Group. He represents institutional investors, entrepreneurial investors, and developers in commercial real estate transactions in Colorado and across the United States. His practice covers:

  • Acquisitions and dispositions of office, retail, multifamily, and mixed-use properties
  • Real estate finance, including debt and equity financing
  • Commercial leasing for landlords and tenants, including headquarters and mixed-use leasing
  • Real estate development, from site acquisition through leasing
  • Real estate joint ventures and corporate transactions involving real estate
  • 1031 like-kind exchanges for single-asset and multi-state portfolio sales
  • Distressed real estate, including troubled assets and property workouts
  • Cannabis real estate, including development, leasing, financing, and ownership

Local Colorado Counsel for Out-of-State Investors

Jeff often serves as local Colorado real estate counsel for out-of-state investors, lenders, and sponsors buying, financing, or leasing property in Colorado. Clients use him to handle Colorado-specific issues while their national deal teams run the overall transaction.

Real Estate Joint Venture and 1031 Exchange Counsel

Jeff advises on real estate joint ventures and on the corporate side of property transactions, including diligence for large joint ventures. As 1031 exchange counsel, he structures like-kind exchanges for portfolio sales involving many properties in multiple states.

Cannabis Real Estate Attorney

Jeff represents clients in the cannabis industry on real estate development, leasing, financing, and ownership. This includes leasing for cannabis company headquarters in major mixed-use developments.

Approach

Jeff is known for working hands-on and for staying closely involved with clients. He helps owners, investors and tenants work through complex commercial real estate problems and reach their business goals.

Firm Leadership

Jeff serves on Hall Estill's Shareholder Selection Committee and Technology Committee, where he contributes to the firm's strategic growth and innovation.

Representative Experience

  • Air rights office acquisition (Chicago): Advised on the purchase of a historic downtown Chicago office tower built on air rights. It was the first air rights ownership structure of its kind in the United States.
  • $344 million office tower sale (Chicago): Advised on the $344 million sale of a downtown Chicago office tower designed by Helmut Jahn.
  • $250 million multi-state 1031 exchange: Structured a 1031 like-kind exchange for the combined sale of $250 million of real property across the United States, all occupied by a nationwide fast food franchise.
  • Headquarters and mixed-use leasing: Advised landlords in headquarters leases for fintech, healthcare, cannabis, and retail tenants in major mixed-use developments across the United States.
  • $164 million multifamily portfolio acquisition (Tampa): Guided the $164 million purchase of a multifamily portfolio near Tampa, Florida.
  • $330 million retail joint venture: Served as lead on legal due diligence for a $330 million retail real estate joint venture.

Education

  • Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology (J.D., 1999)
  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (B.A. in English, 1995) Edmund James Scholar

Admissions

  • Colorado
  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • 2024-Present Hall Estill 
  • 2021-2024 Saul Ewing
  • 2016-2021 Hall Estill
  • 2002-2016 Levenfeld Pearlstein
  • 2001-2002 Schoenberg, Fisher, Newman & Rosenberg
  • 1999-2001 Shaheen Novoselsky Staat & Filipowski
  • 1997-1999 Syndicated Equities Corporation
  • Recognized as a Best Lawyer in America for Real Estate Law
  • Recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Illinois for Real Estate (2009 to 2012)

 

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