James “J.R.” England

J.R.’s practice involves joint ventures, preferred equity structures, senior and mezzanine financing, as well as acquisitions and dispositions. His practice covers all asset classes and he has significant experience in hospitality, multi-family, office, industrial, student housing and senior living transactions. He advises individuals, corporations, investment funds, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and foreign governments on a wide variety of real estate related transactions both domestically and internationally.

Relevant Experience

• Represented the City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority in connection with the sale of “Turner Field” the former home of the Atlanta Braves major league baseball team.
• Represented a leading private equity firm in connection with a $400 million programmatic joint venture to acquire triple-net leased real estate assets throughout the United States.
• Represented Cove Property Group in connection with acquisition, development and joint venture negotiations with respect to 441 Ninth Avenue in NYC adjacent to Hudson Yards.
• Represented Castlelake, L.P. in connection with a $230 million joint venture and acquisition of a residential tower in Center City Philadelphia.
• Represented a leading private equity firm in connection with a preferred equity investment and joint venture regarding a condominium development outside San Francisco.
• Represented leading private equity firms and mortgage REITs in connection with several “loan on loan,” “repo” and warehouse line credit facilities.
• Represented several banks in connection with the development of a Main Street Lending platform and the origination of over 10% of all such Main Street Loans issued across the country over the life of the program.
• Represented LSTAR Management LLC, in connection with the acquisition of all the membership interests in the owner of 1,400 acres of land formerly consisting of the Weymouth Naval Air Station outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
• Counseled family offices and private equity funds in various real estate transactions, including REIT Stock Sales and the acquisition and disposition of resorts, golf courses, office buildings and residential properties.
• Represented a major hotel chain in connection with the purchase, sale and operation of hotel properties throughout the United States.
• Counseled a sovereign wealth fund and a US-based investment fund in connection with the formation and structuring of a joint venture for the acquisition of commercial properties in the UAE.
• Counseled a UAE government entity in the corporate structuring, construction, leasing and ongoing development of Masdar City, a carbon neutral city of 40,000 being constructed in the UAE.
• Represented multiple investment funds in various real estate heavy M&A transactions, including (i) the purchase of substantially all of the assets of a convenience store chain with operations across the United States; (ii) the acquisition of substantially all the assets of a leading restaurant chain; and (iii) the acquisition of a leading concrete and caliche producer in the Permian Basin.
• Represented a large private equity fund and five of its principals through the gaming license process in 15 states, a pivotal gaming event that opened the door to the leverage buyout of a major casino company.

• Recommended for Real Estate, Legal 500 United States (2016, 2021)

• Fellow, Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way