DENNIS COGHLAN is the head of Sidley’s Real Estate group in Chicago. He has focused his practice on commercial real estate and structured finance transactions for more than 25 years. He represents a wide variety of clients, including commercial banks, investment banks, REITs, insurance companies, corporations, servicers, and institutional and other real estate investors, in a broad range of commercial real estate and secured lending transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, construction and permanent loans, mezzanine loans, mortgage loans originated for commercial mortgage-backed securitization programs, sale-leaseback transactions, leases, restructurings, work-outs, loan assumptions, and remedies enforcement.
Dennis’ non-finance real estate work includes the representation of corporations, REITs, and other real estate investors in connection with acquisitions and dispositions of vacant land, office buildings, apartment buildings, hotels, senior housing properties, industrial properties, and warehouse and distribution facilities. He has represented both landlords and tenants in office, commercial, industrial, and retail lease negotiations, including build-to-suit leases. He has also represented commercial property owners in connection with construction project agreements with contractors, architects, and construction managers.
Dennis’ finance work includes the representation of both lenders and borrowers in traditional mortgage loan transactions, as well as the origination, syndication, and servicing of syndicated term and revolving corporate credit facilities. His work has also included representation of portfolio lenders, agent banks, and CMBS special servicers in connection with loan defaults, workouts, restructurings, forbearances, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, and the exercise of remedies. In connection with these matters, he works closely with the firm’s litigation and bankruptcy lawyers and, where applicable, local counsel.
Notable transactions include:
- Representation of a major healthcare REIT in the acquisition of a portfolio of 29 medical office buildings located in 10 states for approximately $786 million.
- Representation of a major healthcare REIT in the acquisition of a portfolio of 14 assisted living, independent living, memory care and skilled nursing, and continuing care and retirement facilities located in 10 states for approximately $580 million.
- Representation of a major national bank, as a lender and administrative agent for a bank group, in connection with the realization upon a defaulted mortgage loan secured by a prominent office building in Chicago, Illinois structured to including a loan sale and deed in lieu of foreclosure for total consideration of approximately $118 million.
- Representation of major national bank in the acquisition, by deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, of a regional shopping mall located in the Chicago area, and subsequent sale of such property for approximately $70 million.
- Representation of major investment bank as lender in connection with an approximately $72 million mortgage loan to a major real estate investor secured by a portfolio of 11 office and industrial properties located across 8 states and structured to comply with Shariah law.
- Representation of life insurance company in connection with a $100 million mortgage loan secured by a portfolio of 30 warehouse properties located in New Jersey.
- Representation of a life insurance company in connection with an approximately $148 million mortgage loan secured by a residential and retail project located in California.
- Representation of a hotel investor, as borrower, in connection with an approximately $75 million mortgage loan secured by a portfolio of 11 hotel properties located in the state of Wisconsin.
Dennis was Editor-in-Chief of the University of Illinois Law Review.