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Biography

Geoff represents borrowers, developers, owners, investors, lenders, loan servicers, and managers in the financing, workout, servicing, purchase, sale, development and management of commercial real estate properties. He previously served as the Real Estate Service Team Leader at Frost Brown Todd and currently serves as the Member-in-Charge of the firm’s Louisville office. In addition, he is an active member of the firm’s Multifamily Industry Team focusing on market rate and work force housing.

Geoff has represented life insurance companies, CMBS loan originators, national banks and FHA-insured (HUD) lenders in closing billions of dollars in loans in forty-one states. He has also represented publicly traded REITs, national real estate investors and developers, and regional and local developers in closing billions of dollars of CMBS, mortgage REIT, mezzanine, life insurance company, national bank, FHA-insured (HUD), Fannie Mae DUS, and Freddie Mac loans in over twenty states. These loans have been for the new construction, purchase or refinancing of multifamily housing, hotels, offices, retail centers, medical offices, industrial properties, senior housing, nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Geoff has also represented borrowers, special servicers, life insurance companies and FHA-insured lenders in connection with a multitude of servicing related matters for both distressed and performing assets.

Geoff is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America® 2014-2020, Kentucky Super Lawyers® 2013-2020 and is AV® Rated, Martindale-Hubbell®.  He is also listed in Chambers USA® America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2011-2020, where he was noted for his particular expertise in real estate finance with sources stating, “He provides sophisticated counsel in real estate issues…and has a varied practice, acting for investment trusts and developers in financing, servicing and land purchasing.”

Other Info About Geoff

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Serves as the Senior Real Estate Counsel for The Champion Companies where he has led a team of over 20 lawyers and paralegals in approximately 25 transactions involving thousands of market rate multifamily apartment units in the past five years.

Represented a publicly traded hotel REIT client in closing nearly $500 million in loans and approximately $150 million in acquisitions from a variety of lenders on properties located in, Arlington, Virginia, Atlanta, Georgia, Houston, Texas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Miami, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, Tampa, Florida, Raleigh, North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, and Jeffersonville, Indiana (Louisville, Kentucky market).

Managed a team of 17 attorneys and paralegals representing a national developer in closing the financing of a luxury hotel in the Mid-South with a complicated combination of equity and debt financing exceeding $150 million.

Led a team of over a dozen attorneys and paralegals in closing a 24 property self-storage CMBS loan transaction for a lender client approximately six weeks after the term sheet was executed.

Managed a team of five attorneys closing 17 FHA-insured loans totaling approximately $100 million for a nursing home REIT client in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky utilizing Section 232 LEAN processing.

Led a team of 15 attorneys in closing on the refinancing of debt on Westport Village, a retail center in Louisville, Kentucky, with a CMBS and mezzanine loan that collectively totaled $25.3 million two weeks after securing the engagement and within the client’s strict budget.

Represented life insurance company lender closing a two-tiered $150 million portfolio of cross-collateralized loans secured by seven properties located in six different states, including one single tenant property that achieved LEED Gold certification for commercial interiors.

Represented CMBS special servicer client in closing (a) a deed in lieu of foreclosure of a full-service hotel property in Louisville, Kentucky that included a de-flagging and re-flagging of the hotel at the closing and (b) the subsequent sale of the hotel that included the de-flagging, closing and re-flagging of the hotel.

Assisted life insurance company lender in multi-tiered loan modification for a retail property with mortgage and mezzanine loans totaling $25.7 million following bankruptcy of two national tenants in order to introduce two replacement national tenants to anchor the project.

Represented CMBS lender closing a $69.5 million loan secured by a full-service hotel featuring historic tax credits.

Education

Law School

University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 2003, cum laude

Undergraduate School

Mary Washington College, B.A., 2000, magna cum laude

Geoff graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 2003 and magna cum laude from Mary Washington College in 2000 where he double majored in history and political science.

Bar Memberships

Geoff is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Ohio, 2003

Kentucky, 2006

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

Chambers USA, Real Estate, 2011-2021

Selected for inclusion in Kentucky Super Lawyers®, 2013-2022

The Best Lawyers in America® 2015-2022; Louisville Real Estate Law, “Lawyer of the Year,” 2020

AV® Rated, Martindale-Hubbell®

Frost Brown Todd Mentor of the Year, 2010, 2012

Kentucky Board of Housing, Buildings and Construction, 2015-2016 (appointed by Governor Beshear)

Leadership Louisville Center, 2010 “Connector”

Louisville Business First 2009 Forty Under 40 Award Winner

LEED Green Associate™ accreditation received, 2009

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Bar Association, Member

American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Member

Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), the Metro Chamber of Commerce, Member

International Council of Shopping Centers, Member

Kentucky Bar Association, Member

Louisville Bar Association, Member, Real Estate Section Chair, 2014

Mortgage Bankers Association, Originations Council and Servicers Council, Member

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

American Red Cross – Louisville Chapter, founding members of the Crossing Generations Society

Farmington Historic House, Board of Regents, 2008-2009

Focus Louisville, Class of 2008 (Leadership Louisville Center)

Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), Board of Directors, 2010-2011

Ignite Louisville, Class of 2010 (Leadership Louisville Center)

Kentucky Board of Housing, Building and Construction, 2015-2016

March of Dimes, Greater Kentucky Chapter, REACH Award Committee 2014-2015

Leadership Louisville Center, Board of Directors, 2010-2011

Louisville Energy Alliance (LEA), Board of Directors, 2011-2014

University of Michigan Alumni Association, Louisville Chapter, Board of Directors, 2007-2011

Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL), Board of Directors, 2008-2012

Firm Committees

Geoff serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Former Member-in-Charge, Louisville office

Sustainability Committee, Member and former Chair

Presentations

Geoff was invited to speak at the following events:

Geoff frequently presents on legal issues impacting the real estate industry at local, regional and national seminars. He has made continuing education presentations for lawyers, real estate professionals, engineers, architects and accountants for the following organizations: the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Kentucky Chapter of CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member), Louisville Bar Association (LBA), the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), Health Enterprises Network, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), the American Concrete Institute (ACI), Lorman Education Services and the National Business Institute. He has recently discussed real estate finance, sustainability issues for retail properties, lender liability, green leasing and ethics in real estate transactions. He also regularly writes articles on a variety of commercial real estate issues in business journals and legal periodicals.

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