Joel T. Cooper

Joel T. Cooper focuses his practice on transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, development and partnership and joint venture formation, with a special emphasis on private equity fund formation and private equity investment. As a partner in Hahn Loeser’s Chicago office, Joel is a part of the Business Practice Area, focusing in corporate and real estate law.

Joel represents institutional sponsors of private equity funds, major money center banks, life insurance companies and other lenders and investors in connection with direct investment (including portfolio and fund-to-fund investment) and/or lending transactions. Joel represents full service real estate organizations, commercial owners and developers, local and national construction companies as well as individual owners, developers and property managers and counsels clients in connection with strategic initiatives and governance matters.

Experience

• Represented institutional real estate company in the formation of two real estate private equity funds totaling $1 billion formed for the purpose of making investment in general real estate asset classes, including timber and energy-related real estate assets.

• Represented a series of affiliated real estate private equity funds sponsored by an institutional life insurance company (with each fund having committed capital in excess of $500 million) in fund-to-fund investments in third-party real estate private equity funds. Aggregate investment by the client exceeds $650 million in various third-party funds ranging in size from $200 million to more than $1 billion.

• Represented institutional real estate company in the formation and on-going governance of multiple complex joint ventures with institutional equity partners (with each such joint venture partner contributing capital in excess of $200 million) for the acquisition of retail properties located throughout the United States.

• Represented institutional real estate company in acquisition, disposition, financing, leasing and management (for its own account and third parties) of retail properties (both on an individual and on a portfolio basis), throughout the United States, including regional malls, power centers, community centers and big box centers.

• Represented institutional client in acquisition, development, leasing and financing of a 1,600-acre air-industrial park (including development and leasing of an overnight air cargo sortation facility) and related Foreign Trade Zone matters located at a decommissioned United States Air Force base.

• Represented market leader bakeware manufacturer in the acquisition and leasing of manufacturing, warehouse and distribution industrial facilities aggregating in excess of 1 million square feet, and related land use entitlements and economic incentives.

• Represented institutional sponsor of a $1 billion(+) equity fund in connection with acquisitions, sales and financings of numerous portfolio investments comprised of niche manufacturing and/or financial services companies having an aggregate enterprise value exceeding $1 billion.

• Represented an institutional real estate developer in connection with the acquisition, development, financing, leasing and sale of suburban office buildings aggregating in excess of 3.5 million square feet located throughout the United States.

• Represented prime exhibit and show-element contractor with respect to various high-profile construction matters, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, the observation decks and visitor centers of the Empire State Building and Willis Tower, and "Battle Stations 21" simulator located at United States Navy Great Lakes Training Center.

• Represented multinational packaging company in connection with general real estate matters, including $900 million Real Estate component of a $3 billion credit facility and sale of $200 million short line railroad.

• Represented an institutional finance company in connection with a $60 million participating first mortgage loan to refinance a commercial and recreational development in San Francisco.

• Represented an owner in connection with the acquisition and financing of an 850,000-square-foot office/retail component of a downtown Chicago mixed-use building.

Publications & Speaking Engagements

Congress Reopens the Paycheck Protection Program

January 21, 2021

Coronavirus and Commercial Leases

March 31, 2020

Awards & Distinctions

Illinois Super Lawyers, Real Estate, 2020-21

The Best Lawyers in America®, Real Estate Law, 2013-21

AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell

Illinois Leading Lawyers, 2017