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Multifamily Housing

Helping bring projects to life nationwide.

Our multifamily team brings a solutions-based approach to transactions and disputes in the multifamily and affordable housing industry. We work closely with developers, investors, lenders, and other key stakeholders to close deals across the country and to quickly and efficiently resolve disputes as they arise. Our multifamily team has substantial experience in a variety of disciplines, including, but not limited to, real estate, commercial finance, corporate law, tax law, litigation, bankruptcy and securities law. We have represented parties in billions of dollars of multifamily housing transactions across nearly all 50 states. This coupling of depth and breadth allows us to provide clients with clear and practical advice on complex issues.

Team Leads

Amy F. Curry Profile Image
Amy F. Curry

Member

Louisville, KY

S. Bradford Butler Profile Image
S. Bradford Butler

Managing Associate

Louisville, KY

How We Help Clients

Affordable Housing

Our affordable housing team represents developers, tax credit investors, and lenders in multifamily housing transactions across the country. We understand how our clients utilize tax credit programs to achieve their social and financial objectives.

Developers 

From initial conception of the project through stabilization, our team routinely advises our developer clients on structuring issues, assists with the preparation of tax credit and other financing applications, and helps obtain zoning changes and/or other land use approvals. We have significant experience negotiating site control documents with ground lessors and sellers, equity documents with tax credit investors, and financing documents with lenders and governmental authorities. We also have substantial experience negotiating payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements with local taxing authorities and structuring transactions to obtain property tax exemptions in accordance with statutory requirements.

Tax Credit Investors 

From negotiating term sheets with developers through Year 15 issues, we help our tax credit investor clients navigate the complexities of the Internal Revenue Code while creating simple solutions to tough problems that make projects work. In particular, our team has significant experience reviewing due diligence materials, drafting and negotiating partnership agreements with developers, and preparing tax opinions. We also routinely represent both direct investors and syndicators, and through these transactions, we’ve gained substantial and valuable experience in creating funds and working with fund investors.

Lenders 

From the drafting and negotiating of the loan commitment and loan documents through closing, our team advises lender clients regarding the rights, remedies and market practices arising from the origination and servicing of loans in the affordable housing space. We have significant and direct experience with a wide range of structures, including conduit financings, direct loans, construction to permanent loans, and both hard and soft payment obligations.

Market Rate Housing

Our team works closely with developers, investors, borrowers, lenders, joint venture partners, and other key stakeholders on market rate housing transactions across the country, including financing for traditional projects, mixed-use projects, and student housing projects. We understand the challenges that our clients face in a rapidly changing and extremely competitive market, and we work hard to enable our clients to accomplish their objectives in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

Development Experience

From the initial purchase through the development, stabilization, refinancing and ultimate disposition of a multifamily asset, our market rate housing team routinely advises and assists clients on complex legal issues. We have significant experience negotiating, preparing, and reviewing purchase and sale agreements, project infrastructure agreements, conveyance documents, construction financing documents, mezzanine financing structures, equity offerings, joint venture documents, operating agreements and other related formation documents, as well as declarations and restrictive covenants, easements, short- and long-term leases, tax incentive agreements, and construction management agreements. We also assist with completing due diligence reviews and advise on development plans.

Project Financing Experience 

Multifamily projects often entail complex financing structures. Because our firm is involved at all levels of the capital stack, we have significant experience with a wide range of financing structures and the current market trends impacting the industry. Our multifamily team advises our developer clients on all facets of acquisition loans, construction loans, mezzanine loans, tax incentive grants and loans, and interest rate swap transactions. These loans are oftentimes utilizing agency lender platforms, but also include CMBS, CLO, debt fund, private capital, and more traditional balance sheet loan programs.

On the equity side, we have extensive expertise in negotiating and documenting equity arrangements, ranging from friends and family investors to large institutional investors, and can reliably guide our clients through the syndication process (including Rule 506(b) and 506(c) offerings). Also, having represented scores of lenders on complex project financings, we bring a unique lender-side perspective that many developer firms lack. Our lending experience enables us to advise clients at an early stage of development on whether a particular deal structure will be financeable and what common pitfalls to structure around at different stages of a deal.

Senior Housing

Our team represents developers, investors, and lenders in senior housing transactions across the country. We have proven depth and experience representing developers and investors in connection with the development and financing of independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, and memory care facilities, often by leveraging low-income housing tax credits when feasible. Additionally, we assist our clients in connection with the development of skilled nursing facilities and help them navigate the complex regulatory environment affecting senior care facilities.

Developers 

From a project’s initial conception through stabilization, our team routinely advises our developer clients on structuring issues, assists with the preparation of tax credit and other financing applications, and helps obtain zoning changes and/or other land use approvals. We also negotiate site control documents with ground lessors and sellers, negotiate equity documents with tax credit investors, negotiate loan documents with lenders and governmental authorities, and secure Medicaid waivers from state agencies when applicable.

Tax Credit Investors 

From negotiating term sheets with developers through Year 15 issues, our team helps tax credit investors navigate the complexities of the Internal Revenue Code while creating simple solutions to tough problems that make projects work. Our experience and capabilities include reviewing due diligence materials, drafting and negotiating partnership agreements with developers, and preparing tax opinions. We also represent both direct investors and syndicators, with significant experience in creating funds and working with fund investors.

Lenders 

From the drafting and negotiating of the loan commitment and loan documents through closing, our multifamily team advises our lender clients regarding the rights, remedies and market practices arising from the origination and servicing of loans in the affordable housing space. We have substantive experience with a wide range of structures, including conduit financings, direct loans, construction-to-permanent loans, and both hard and soft payment obligations.

Multifamily Matters Blog

Providing relevant legal perspectives to keep developers, investors, and lenders at the forefront of the multifamily industry in our footprint.

New Operational Guidelines for Affordable Housing Projects

February 19, 2022 | Blogs

This article was originally published on February 18, 2022 in Westlaw Today, an imprint of Thomson R...

Continued Support for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Congress

October 8, 2021 | Blogs

In the multifamily industry, 4% low-income housing tax credits (“4% LIHTCs”) have long served as...

Multifamily Housing Units
Zoning Rules Create Affordability and Economic Benefits

August 28, 2021 | Blogs

This article was originally published on August 27, 2021 in Westlaw Today, an imprint of Thomson Re...

Tools for Multifamily HUD Insured Loans in Light of COVID-19

April 20, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team

Like other areas of commercial lending, loans insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Develop...

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Projects

May 29, 2020 | Blogs

What is PACE financing? Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, also called EPAD (Energy Pr...

Avoiding Landmines Under Non-Recourse Loan Carveouts in a Down Economy: Don’t Let Covid-19 Make a ...

March 27, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team

Many larger commercial real estate loans, including those financing logistics, distribution, manufac...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to Grant Forbearance to Multifamily Owners in Exchange for Suspension of ...

March 26, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team

In addition to the actions taken by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the Department of Housin...

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