About John
John Thomas leads the Real Estate Practice, comprising more than 150 lawyers globally. He has a diverse practice representing developers, lenders, institutional investors and tenants in all varieties of real estate transactions. His practice includes real estate lending, the acquisition and sale of real estate, leasing, development and the negotiation of joint venture agreements.
John is a leader in the senior living industry, having represented lenders, investors, developers and operator in transactions for more than 250 senior living communities, including acquisitions and sales, construction, construction and acquisition financings, tax-exempt bond financings, mezzanine loans, private placements of debt and equity and institutional equity investments. His finance experience includes significant loan restructuring work as both debtor and creditor counsel.
John also has an active practice representing government entities and developers in the negotiation of public-private partnerships for the development of real estate assets, usually under a long-term ground lease, master lease or concession agreement.
John’s clients include a number of offshore investors in US real estate, representing them in acquisitions, sales, financing and acting as investor partners in the development of a variety of real estate assets, including senior housing, office buildings, multifamily, student housing and data centers.
Prior to joining the firm, John acted as general counsel for Artery Properties, Inc., and has worked in a non-legal capacity for Washington DC-area developers and managers of commercial real estate.
Experience
- Representing an offshore investor in the acquisition of a large data center and office complex leased solely by a credit tenant.
- Representing a senior housing developer in the negotiation of a joint venture agreement with an institutional investor for the development of a series of communities.
- Representing a regional transit authority in the RFP process, negotiation of ground leases and development agreements with private developers for transit-oriented development.
- Representing a developer in negotiations with the District of Columbia for the development rights to City owned land.
- Representing an offshore investor in the negotiation of the joint venture agreement and development agreement for the construction of a multifamily high-rise development.
Credentials
Education
- Georgetown University, J.D., 1986
- Georgetown University, M.B.A., 1986
- Georgetown University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1982
Admissions
- District of Columbia, 1992
- Virginia, 1991
- Florida, 1986
Recognitions
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2027 for Real Estate Law
Recognized in ConnectCRE 2022 Lawyers in Real Estate Awards – National
Recognized in Connect 2021’s Lawyers in Real Estate Awards for Washington DC
Recognized as one of Washington DC’s Best Lawyers: Real Estate, The Washingtonian, January 2021
Expertise
Services
- Financial Services
- Restructuring & Insolvency
- Real Estate
Publications & Speaking Engagements
- Co-author, “Renewed Purpose,” AFIRE’s Summit Journal – Summer/Fall 2022, August 25, 2022.
- Presenter, “Build-to-Rent Boom,” AFIRE’s Podcast #79, October 5, 2021.
- Co-author, “Build-to-Rent Boom,” AFIRE’s Summit Journal, August 3, 2021.
- Co-author, “Prepare for Fading Cooperation Between Lenders, Borrowers,” Bloomberg Law, May 6, 2020.
- Co-author, “‘Death of Retail’ Rumors Overblown,” Commercial Property Executive, April 18, 2018.
- Co-author, “Lessons Learned from the Natural Disasters of 2017,” Commercial Property Executive, January 3, 2018.
- Author, “Real Estate’s Role in the Rise of iCities,” Commercial Property Executive, September 2017.