Federal Transactions and Public-Private Partnerships
Our lawyers represent developers, owners and investors in all aspects of federal real estate. In particular, our attorneys are expert in federal agency leasing, from procurement, award, and financing, to end-of-lease holdover and condemnation issues.
We work on transactions with the US General Services Administration (GSA), as well as other agencies with independent procurement authorities. Our real estate and government contracts practitioners work together seamlessly to efficiently advance our clients' interests both in transactional matters and, where necessary, through litigation. We regularly call on our Tax, Bankruptcy and Restructuring, and Environmental groups as needed.
Our federal practice involves:
- Responding to government solicitations and negotiating lease terms after lease award and during financing;
- Financing government-leased buildings through bond financings and conventional loans, including addressing rating agency requirements and concerns;
- Participating in acquisitions of properties with federal tenancies, including handling due diligence, drafting purchase and sale agreement provisions to address unusual government provisions, and negotiating the unique documents needed to transfer federal leases and assign rents to lenders;
- Selling or transferring property to, and acquiring property from, the government under its various procurement and exchange authorities;
- Implementing creative solutions to government contracting problems such as the federal government's inability, pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, to convey fee title to real estate that contains environmental hazards;
- Addressing federal tenant holdover issues, including threatened condemnation actions;
- Defending or bringing procurement challenges.
We also specialize in public-private partnerships and other transactions between our private sector clients and local government bodies, including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), various agencies of the District of Columbia, and municipalities throughout the country.
