John S. Stewart is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Department, Real Estate Special Opportunities Group and Construction Services Group.

Experience

John is a strategic, solutions-oriented senior counsel with nearly 30 years of experience in complex commercial real estate transactions. As a pragmatic and forward-thinking advisor with a well-documented track record of successful execution. John represents a diverse array of clients, including owners, operators, investors, and lenders. He skillfully navigates negotiations involving various commercial real estate assets such as retail shopping centers, multifamily properties, mixed-use developments, and public self-storage facilities. His clients range from home-based entrepreneurs to prominent institutional and non-institutional firms, including private equity funds. John’s practice is national in scope and covers a comprehensive range of commercial real estate transactions, with a focus on acquisitions and dispositions (including debt and equity transactions), financing, and development.

Representative Matters

John has represented clients in an array of real estate transactions, including:

• Ongoing representation of one of the largest private owners and operators of self-storage properties in the United States in connection with the acquisition of more than 250 self-storage assets in over 25 states, one U.S. territory and Canada containing over 25 million rentable square feet
• One of the largest private owners and operators of self-storage properties in the United States in connection with a $479 million mortgage financing covering 40 self-storage properties across 13 states
• One of the largest private owners and operators of self-storage properties in the United States in connection with a contribution transaction valued at over $430 million for 24 self-storage properties in California and Utah
• An investor in the $50 million acquisition of the Ironworks office building in Chelsea, New York, NY
• An investor in the $110 million acquisition of the office condominium unit at 609 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY consisting of the top 11 floors and portions of floors 1 and 2 together with the air development rights
• An owner and operator in connection with the $83 million acquisition and financing of two class-A office portfolios in Huntsville, Alabama, together comprising six properties and 14 buildings and containing over 1 million square feet
• One of the largest private owners and operators of self-storage properties in the United States in connection with a $330 million mortgage and mezzanine financing facility covering 49 self-storage assets in 17 states
• A private investor in connection with a contribution transaction covering a portfolio of multi-family properties valued at approximately $1.9 billion, together comprising over 85 properties in nine states
• An owner and operator in connection with the $32 million acquisition and financing of a mixed-used industrial office portfolio in Maryland containing over 240,000 rentable square feet
• An owner and operator in connection with a partnership buy-out for a multifamily portfolio valued at over $55 million, together comprising over 20 properties in three states
• A developer in the acquisition of property in Newark, New Jersey for development of a 60,000-square-foot medical research facility
• A real estate opportunity fund in the acquisition of debt and financing of two condominium buildings located in Brooklyn, NY
• A real estate opportunity fund in the acquisition of debt and financing of a premier hotel resort and golf course in Aventura, Florida
• A real estate opportunity fund in the acquisition and financing of two office buildings located in Manhattan, New York
• A private developer in the sale of a $29 million residential condominium project located in Yorktown, New York
• A private developer in the acquisition and financing of a ground lease and an 86,000 square foot mixed-use commercial building consisting of ground floor retail and 164 apartments located in Manhattan, New York
• An investment fund in the acquisition of distressed debt and financing for a 40,000-square-foot office building located in Freehold, New Jersey
• An investment fund in the acquisition of distressed debt and financing of a 114-unit residential development in Franklin, New Jersey
• An investment fund in the acquisition of distressed debt and the origination of senior and subordinated debt with respect to property in Manhattan, New York
• A real estate opportunity fund in the acquisition of debt and financing of a partially constructed 63-unit condominium development located in Brooklyn, New York
• A real estate fund in the acquisition of distressed debt and the foreclosure acquisition of industrial building and developable land in Lehigh, Pennsylvania
• A private developer in the acquisition and financing of Kettering Tower, a 485,000-square-foot office building located in Dayton, Ohio

Education

John earned his B.A. from the University of Rochester, a major in Economics with special achievements in Finance & International Relations, and his J.D. from the University of Syracuse School of Law.

Honors & Awards

John is consistently awarded high marks for the quality of his legal work and practical advice and has garnered professional accolades from clients. John has been a speaker and moderator at several public forums on commercial real estate and has written numerous articles on legal matters and developments relevant to commercial real estate.