CHICAGO, Ill. (December 29, 2015) - Perkins Coie’s nationally ranked Hotels & Leisure industry group represented one of the Top Ten real estate deals in Chicago as reported in the Crain’s Chicago Business article, “Biggest Chicago real estate deals of 2015.”

Among the biggest deals recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business, “Billionaire financier Sam Zell in July sold the 189-room Waldorf-Astoria in the Gold Coast to an investment group headed by Chicago hotelier Laurence Geller for $111.9 million, or $592,000 a room, a record for Chicago.” In that deal, Perkins Coie represented a joint venture of Geller Investment Co. and Wanxiang America Real Estate Group in their purchase of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Chicago from Equity Group Investments.

“We were delighted and honored to represent the buyer in this complex deal which has been recognized as one of the most important real estate hotel property sales this year in Chicago,” said Daniel Marre, co-chair of Perkins Coie’s Hotel & Leisure practice. Phillip Gordon, co-chair of Perkins Coie’s Hotel and Leisure practice added, “This transaction is the culmination of many decades of skilled efforts on behalf of lodging clients."

Perkins Coie’s Hotels & Leisure industry group has assisted such leading clients as Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Strategic Hotels & Resorts, ClubCorp, John Q. Hammons Hotels Management and CWCapital Asset Management. Perkins Coie’s Hotels & Leisure industry group has assisted clients with: acquiring, developing and rebranding properties; negotiating management and franchise agreements; financing, restructuring and workouts; and bankruptcy and hotel-related litigation. Our attorneys understand how to work with owners, lenders, and management and franchise companies to get deals done while addressing all parties’ concerns in a timely, cost-effective fashion. We have advised clients on individual property and portfolio transactions involving hundreds of hotels and major brands across North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Australia, with an aggregate value in the tens of billions of dollars.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

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