Overview

Jo Spear is Senior Counsel in the firm’s Real Estate and Lending Transactions Practice Group.  She is experienced in a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, representing owners, tenants, and lenders in acquisitions, financing, leasing, and dispositions. Matters include sale/leaseback transactions.

Most recently, her transactions have involved data center portfolios, warehouse properties, hospital and medical office buildings, multi-family communities, multi-tenant office buildings, wind and solar energy projects, and real property diligence (including leasing and occupancy reviews) associated with multi-state or cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Jo also consults on the Florida documentary stamp tax and intangible tax statutes and regulations, and Florida counsel opinions.

Representative Matters

  • Represented a global logistics company based in Germany in the sale and leaseback of its 230,000 SF warehouse facility located on a 12-acre site in Miami-Dade County, Florida, with related amendments to the warehousing service agreements and defeasance of the mortgage loan
  • Assisted a data center REIT in the acquisition of a portfolio of U.S. data centers, including the analysis and/or drafting of leases, subleases, licenses, colocation agreements, and telecom access agreements
  • Real estate diligence for a London-based investment group in the acquisition of a U.S. Company operating 170 leased locations
  • Facilitated a private equity fund in its acquisition of 55 leased retail locations throughout the U.S. with associated lease due diligence
  • Represented U.S.-based multi-family developer in the acquisition and financing of a mixed-use commercial development in Miami-Dade County, Florida, structured as a vertical subdivision
  • Analysis of real estate assets for a U.S.-based company in connection with its acquisition of a Canadian rail line
  • Represented lender in the refinancing of a multi-state portfolio of micro-hospitals and medical office buildings comprising 153,000 SF, under construction
  • Represented a developer of wind and solar energy projects in its multi-state parcel assembly, with associated negotiation and drafting of acquisition documents, leases, and transmission line easements

Professional Involvement

  • Florida Bar Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • Florida Bar Business Law Section

Thought Leadership