About Derek

Customized and thoughtful real estate counsel for institutional investors

Derek Neathery is a real estate attorney who advises real estate investment trusts (REIT), insurance companies, pension funds, private equity investors and others in the areas of:

  • Acquisitions and dispositions, including portfolio and multi-state transactions
  • Joint ventures
  • Development
  • Leasing
  • Asset management

Derek excels at problem solving for transactions, bringing an even-tempered, strategic mindset to negotiations with opposing parties and providing practical, results-oriented advice to clients. Clients appreciate Derek’s full-service approach, tailoring legal solutions to both their current needs and their long-term business goals.

Experience in Action

  • Representing clients in a variety of transactions involving senior housing, office, retail, industrial, hotel and multifamily assets throughout the U.S., including portfolios of properties.
  • Extensive experience in transactions involving senior housing, including representing owners in negotiation of joint venture and management agreements with major operators.
  • Advising on the development and sale of mixed-use projects, including negotiation of declarations of covenants, conditions and restrictions and similar agreements.
  • Representing landlords and tenants in scores of office and industrial leasing transactions, including preparing form leases for landlords of multi-tenant office properties and negotiating pre-construction leases for new office developments.

Successes

  • Sale of 180-acre retail center outside Dallas containing over 800,000 square feet of retail space, on behalf of a major institutional investor sponsored REIT, for $170 million.
  • Representation of a landlord in all leases for a 240,000-square-foot office project developed in Raleigh, N.C., including all pre-construction leasing required to commence development.
  • Representation of landlord in all leases for a 750,000-square-foot office building in Chicago owned by major institutional investor.
  • Represented a high-quality senior housing operator and developer in connection with the formation of a joint venture to develop a 161-unit senior housing project in the suburbs of Milwaukee, containing licensed assisted living and memory care units as well as independent living units, including all development, easement and management agreements.
  • Represented a high-quality senior housing operator and developer in connection with acquisition of a $326 million seven-property portfolio of high-end, private pay senior housing assets in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Florida from a joint venture between a major senior housing developer and an international private equity firm.
  • Represented a high-quality senior housing operator and developer in connection with the acquisition of a $72.5 million newly-constructed, high-end senior housing community in Westchester County, N.Y., from a joint venture between a major senior housing developer and an international private equity firm, including resolving significant regulatory, corporate control and liability issues.

Professional Recognitions

  • Best Lawyers in America® (2022, 2023, 2024: Real Estate Law)
  • Illinois Super Lawyers® "Rising Stars" (2014-present: Real Estate)

Professional & Civic Activities

  • Chicago Loop Alliance, Planning and Advocacy Committee, member

News & Insights

Education

Bar Admissions

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