Robert Fernandez advises clients on their most complex corporate and real estate transactions across all asset classes.

Robert, a nationally recognized real estate lawyer, develops strategic legal and business solutions for investors, developers, lenders, landlords, and tenants in matters across the US involving:

  • Acquisitions and dispositions
  • Joint ventures
  • Debt and equity financings
  • Real estate development
  • Commercial leasing, particularly large anchor and headquarter leases
  • Restructurings and workouts

He guides clients in complex transactions involving all types of asset classes and property types, including data centers, hotels and resorts, offices, life science and medical research facilities, industrial facilities, shopping center developments, and multi-family developments.

Robert regularly advises institutional lenders, including commercial banks and debt funds, as well as sophisticated owners and developers, on negotiating credit agreements and related security documents. His work spans the credit stack, including senior secured, mezzanine, and preferred equity financings.

A creative and collaborative problem solver, Robert draws on his experience representing both sides in a deal to anticipate and overcome potential obstacles.

He currently serves as Recruiting Partner for the Chicago office.

Beyond his commercial practice, Robert plays a prominent role in various community and professional organizations. He serves as Chairman of the Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation, as well as on the Board of Trustees for The DuPage Foundation and Benet Academy. Robert is also a fellow of both Leadership Greater Chicago, a civic leadership development organization, and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. 

He maintains an active pro bono practice, including advising on asylum matters through the National Immigrant Justice Center.

Robert’s experience includes representing:

Financing

  • A borrower in connection with a US$990 million single-asset, single-borrower (SASB) commercial mortgage-backed securitized loan financing involving two colocation data centers in Northern Virginia
  • A REIT lender in connection with a US$556 million financing of a portfolio of 34 senior living facilities in 16 states
  • A seller in connection with a seller-provided US$150 million financing on a portfolio of 16 senior living facilities in multiple states across the US
  • A lender in connection with a senior construction financing to convert multi-family apartments into luxury condominiums

Data Centers

  • TPG in a joint venture to acquire a 2,100-acre powered land parcel and develop a gigawatt-scale data center campus in Maryland
  • Digital Realty in multiple financing transactions involving over US$8 billion of its data center assets across the US and Europe, including single-asset financings, portfolio financings, balance sheet loans, commercial mortgage-backed securities loan financings, and project finance credit facilities
  • A data center developer in connection with the joint venture of two single-tenant data center developments in Garland and Lewisville, Texas

Acquisitions, Dispositions, and Joint Ventures

  • A real estate investment fund in connection with the acquisition, joint venture, and development of over 4 million square feet of industrial distribution facilities in Arizona, Nevada, and Texas
  • A real estate investment fund in connection with the acquisition, joint venture, development, and construction financing of student housing developments containing over 1,000 units in Raleigh, North Carolina; Tempe, Arizona; and Knoxville, Tennessee
  • A real estate investment fund in connection with acquiring a hotel and casino in Las Vegas
  • A real estate investment fund in connection with the acquisition, joint venture, development, and financing of a 239-unit student housing development in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a 139-unit student housing development in Madison, Wisconsin
  • A developer in connection with the joint venture, development, and financing of a hotel in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood 

Commercial Leasing

  • A global hedge fund and trading firm in connection with a 443,000-square-foot office lease in a newly constructed Class A+ building at 425 Park Avenue in New York
  • Beyond Meat (NASDAQ: BYND), a plant-based meat company, in connection with a brand-new, 280,000-square-foot campus headquarters lease in El Segundo, California
  • A global hedge fund and trading firm in connection with a 540,000-square-foot headquarters office lease at 131 S. Dearborn in Chicago 
  • A developer in connection with construction, construction financing, and anchor leasing of a major consulting firm and global law firm in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood

Bar Qualification

  • Illinois

Education

  • JD, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, 1999
    Harold Washington Scholar
  • BS, DePaul University, 1996
    with high honors

Languages Spoken

  • English
  • Spanish