J.C. Chenault, V

Clients from a myriad of industries, including the warehousing and distribution, commercial lending, retail, including restaurants and supermarkets, energy, mining and natural resources, data center, health care and manufacturing industries, turn to J.C. to handle a diverse range of commercial real estate transactions.

Such transactions include assisting clients with the acquisition, disposition, leasing and development of real estate assets, managing real estate portfolios and advising commercial lenders and borrowers in the financing of real estate collateral. J.C. is also recognized for his extensive experience with sale/leaseback transactions and regularly advises publicly and privately held companies, including private equity funds, REITs and other real estate developers, in connection with their real estate assets.

Energy, Mining and Natural Resources

• Represented power generators in the development, acquisition, disposition and financing of power generation projects, including natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal and bio-gas.
• Represented independent power generator in the development of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
• Represented developer of 700-megawatt natural gas power plant in Northern Virginia.
• Represented public company in the acquisition, leasing and development of frac sand mines with reserves valued in the billions of dollars in Texas and Wisconsin, including the negotiation of royalty leases, supply agreements and the development of transloading facilities in the United States and Canada.
• Represented power plant developer/operator in the acquisition and development of a 53-megawatt biomass power plant in Georgia.
• Represented private equity fund in the acquisition and financing of fuel processing and distribution providers in Alabama and Texas.
• Represented leading construction aggregates producer in numerous transactions, including the acquisition of a sand mine in Virginia.
• Represented private equity fund in the acquisition, development, finance and sale/leaseback of a plant nursery business with locations in Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tennessee.
• Represented client in the development of several biogas generation and conversion facilities in Arizona, California and Utah.

Data Center Development, Acquisition and Finance

• Represented international lender in the financing of numerous data centers and associated infrastructure.
• Represented hyperscaler in the development of data center in Virginia.

Warehousing and Distribution

• Negotiated warehousing services agreement and lease for a built-to-suit, fully automated cold storage warehouse and distribution center located in Iowa.
• Represented client in the financing of over 100 warehousing and distribution facilities throughout the Country.
• Negotiated storage and warehousing agreements for numerous clients, including consumer and perishable goods manufacturers and restaurants.

Commercial Lending

• Represented borrower in connection with a $225 million revolving credit facility secured by coal mines and related assets in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
• Represented lender in a $365 million term loan financing of frac sand mines in Louisiana and Texas.
• Represented Administrative Agent and Joint Lead Arrangers in connection with $160 million senior secured credit facilities to a publicly traded gaming company in connection with leveraged buyout, which included securing properties in Nevada and Maryland.
• Represented Administrative Agent and Joint Lead Arrangers in connection with $310 million senior secured credit facilities to a publicly traded cemetery and mortuary company, which included securing almost 300 properties in 24 different states.
• Represented Administrative Agent in connection with $53 million senior secured credit facilities to a publicly traded health club franchise, which included securing 60 leased properties in California, Massachusetts and New York.
• Represented national lender in $22.5 million secured credit facilities to a national convenience store operator, which included securing 18 properties in Florida.

Deeds-In-Lieu

• Represented lender in the foreclosure by deed-in-lieu and subsequent redevelopment and sale of a commercial office complex in Northern Virginia.
• Represented leading institutional lender in the foreclosure by deed-in-lieu and subsequent redevelopment and sale of a shopping mall in Manassas, Virginia, which included the acquisition of an outparcel from an anchor tenant that had ceased operations.

Retail

• Represented international food services company in numerous matters, including the acquisition and development of a shopping mall and supermarket in North Carolina.
• Represented national fast food franchisor in the acquisition, leasing, development and sale to franchisees of fast food restaurants in numerous states.

Commercial Office

• Represented international real estate owner and developer in the sale of two commercial office towers in Washington, DC for approximately $156 million and $163 million, respectively.
• Represented Fortune 500 global packaging company in the relocation of its international headquarters to Richmond, Virginia.
• Negotiated commercial office lease for a leading satellite communications and content provider in Seattle, Washington.
• Negotiated commercial office lease for the headquarters of a major online retailer in Massachusetts.

Health Care

• Represented health system in numerous matters, including the leasing and development of an approximately 60,000-square-foot built-to-suit medical office building and outpatient surgery center in Richmond, Virginia.

Manufacturing

• Represented private equity fund in the acquisition and financing of an air filtration manufacturer in North Carolina.
• Represented private equity fund in the acquisition and financing of a structural steel fabricator for the building, bridge and wind energy sectors located in Alabama, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

Sale/Leaseback

• Represented restaurant owner in the approximately $100 million sale/leaseback of sixteen restaurants in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
• Represented private equity fund in the $25 million sale/leaseback of heat treatment and brazing plants in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada.
• Represented private equity fund in the $37 million sale/leaseback of numerous plant nursery properties in Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon and Tennessee.
• Represented flooring retailer in the $11.75 million sale/leaseback of eight properties in Illinois.
• Represented private equity fund in the $10.5 million sale/leaseback of an electronic products/computer/chip office, manufacturing and distribution property in California.

• Named among the Legal Elite for Real Estate/Land Use Law, Virginia Business Magazine, 2021, 2022 and 2024
• Named Best Lawyer in Real Estate Law, The Best Lawyers in America, 2024
• Recognized on the Pro Bono Honor Roll, Virginia State Bar, 2023
• Selected as a Rising Star for Real Estate, Virginia Super Lawyers, 2014 and 2015
• E. Randolph Williams Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service, Hunton Andrews Kurth, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2020.

• Member, Hunton Andrews Kurth Recruiting Committee and Opinions Committee
• Member, Virginia Bar Association