TONY AIELLO is a partner in, and head of, Sidley’s Chicago Real Estate group. Tony brings a high level of experience and a practical approach to problem solving in his practice where he concentrates in transactional real estate.
Tony represents a wide variety of clients, including financial institutions, REITs, real estate funds, utility companies, banks and developers and has particular experience in real estate acquisition, development, construction, leasing and disposition, as well as joint venture and preferred equity transactions, including transactions involving office buildings, department stores, industrial facilities and hotels.
In the area of real estate finance, Tony represents both borrowers and lenders in connection with structured finance transactions, including single-asset and multi-state/multi-property mortgage loans and mezzanine loan transactions, as well as construction loans and take-out financing. He also represents several lenders in loan workout and restructuring matters.
Tony also has an active leasing practice representing both landlords and tenants in various leasing transactions, including office, retail and industrial leasing, as well as ground leases, build-to-suit leases and leveraged lease transactions.
Notable transactions include:
- Representation of a multi-national accounting and financial services firm in connection with the land acquisition, construction, development and operation of a large corporate learning and leadership development center located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Westlake, Texas, consisting of conference facilities, a restaurant and approximately 800 guest rooms.
- Representation of a national utility company in a project financing of 13 wind-powered generating stations located in six states and the sale and spinoff of several coal and nuclear generation facilities.
- Representation of a multi-national consumer products packaging firm, as seller/tenant, in connection with an approximately $130 million sale-leaseback of six core manufacturing/distribution sites located in Illinois, Georgia, Maryland and Texas.
- Representation of a multi-national accounting and financial services firm in connection with various leasing matters, including the drafting and negotiation of their national headquarters lease in New York, as well as their office leases in Seattle, Cleveland and Milwaukee and the drafting and negotiation of their national real estate contracts for construction management, project management and architecture.
- Representation of several lending institutions in connection with a debt restructuring involving approximately $160 million of recourse obligations owed to various lenders on 13 separate property loans each guaranteed by a common real estate fund.
- Representation of a national bank, as lead lender, in connection with a $200 million loan secured by an office tower in Atlanta, Georgia and a $135 million loan secured by a shopping center in Ohio.
Tony has been ranked as a Leading Individual in the Illinois Real Estate practice section of Chambers USA each year from 2005–2021. He is recommended in The Legal 500 US 2013–2015 for Real Estate and Construction. Tony has also been recognized and listed as one of The Best Lawyers in America each year from 2011–2020, as well as within the Who’s Who Legal: Real Estate editions in 2012–2021.