Commercial Real Estate
Acquisitions, dispositions, development, joint ventures and leasing across multifamily, hospitality, retail and mixed-use assets.
Atlanta, Georgia
Counsel for complex transactions, investments and disputes.
Robinson Franzman LLP advises the owners, sponsors, funds, lenders and operators who acquire, capitalize and manage commercial real estate and closely held enterprise.
- Real Estate
- Capital
- Finance
- Enterprise
- Disputes
The Firm
We represent the people who put capital to work — investors, developers, sponsors, lenders, borrowers and business owners — in the transactions and disputes that define their positions.
Robinson Franzman LLP is a business law firm in Atlanta. Our practice is built around commercial real estate and the capital that moves it: acquisitions and developments, the debt and equity that finance them, the entities and offerings that hold them, and the enforcement and litigation that follow when something does not go as underwritten.
Our clients are decision-makers. They are generally not looking for an exhaustive memorandum; they are looking for a clear read on the risk, a recommendation, and documents that hold up. We work that way.
- Focus
- Commercial real estate, finance, private capital and the disputes arising from them.
- Position
- Both sides of the table — lender and borrower, sponsor and investor, buyer and seller.
- Approach
- Commercial judgment first, documentation second. The paper follows the deal.
- Market
- Based in Atlanta, working on matters throughout Georgia and the Southeast.
Practices
Six practices, built around how our clients actually transact.
Each group stands on its own. Together they cover the full arc of a commercial matter — from the entity that holds an asset to the enforcement of the loan secured by it.
Lending & Finance
Lender-side and borrower-side representation in commercial real estate finance, construction, bridge, agency, CMBS, mezzanine and preferred equity transactions.
Securities & Private Capital
Private offerings, real estate syndications, fund formation and sponsor structuring under Regulation D and related exemptions.
Corporate & Business Transactions
Entity formation and governance, LLC and partnership agreements, joint ventures, M&A and the commercial agreements that run a business.
Commercial Litigation
Business, real estate, partnership and investor disputes — including emergency relief and matters that require immediate action.
Creditors' Rights & Special Situations
Loan enforcement, foreclosure, receiverships, workouts, restructurings and distressed real estate.
Full Lifecycle
One firm across the life of an asset or enterprise.
Most transactions do not fail at a single point; they fail where two disciplines meet. We keep the entity, the financing, the offering and the enforcement strategy in the same set of hands.
- 01
Formation
Entity structuring, operating and partnership agreements, governance.
- 02
Capitalization
Private offerings, syndications, fund formation, sponsor structuring.
- 03
Acquisition
Purchase agreements, diligence, title and survey, closing.
- 04
Financing
Senior debt, construction, bridge, agency, CMBS, mezzanine, preferred equity.
- 05
Operation
Leasing, management agreements, joint venture administration, consents.
- 06
Disposition
Sales, refinancings, assumptions, 1031 exchanges, recapitalizations.
- 07
Special Situations
Workouts, foreclosure, receivership, restructuring and litigation.
Selected Experience
A record built on transactions, not adjectives.
Selected prior matters, organized by practice. Descriptions are given in general terms and do not identify clients.
$200 Million Southeast Multifamily Acquisition Program
Represented a multifamily investment group in acquisitions throughout the Southeast totaling approximately $200 million over a four-year period, including structuring acquisition vehicles utilizing syndicated equity.
$110 Million Multifamily Construction Financing
Represented the lead lender in a $110 million financing package, including PACE financing, for the construction of a 300-unit multifamily development in Chicago, Illinois.
Regulation D Real Estate Offerings
Represented real estate sponsors and investment groups in private securities offerings under Rules 506(b) and 506(c) of Regulation D, including multifamily and hospitality offerings.
Middle-Market M&A and Growth Transactions
Represented middle-market businesses in merger and acquisition transactions and strategic growth matters, including related securities-law considerations.
Fiduciary Duty and Ownership Dispute
Represented a closely held real estate company in litigation involving claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, breach of contract, and dilution of ownership interests.
Attorneys
Principals doing the work.
Every matter is staffed with a partner. The attorney who negotiates a document is the attorney who drafted it.
Todd Robinson
Managing Partner
Christopher Berney
Partner
Carl Franzman
Partner
Raymond Kearns
Partner
Insights
Commentary on the structures we work in.
Practical writing on financing structures, offering documents, ownership agreements and enforcement — intended for clients who negotiate these terms.
What Borrowers Should Consider Before Signing a Commercial Loan Guaranty
A guaranty is frequently the last document reviewed and the one with the longest reach. The obligations it creates often outlast the transaction that produced it.
8 min read
Preferred Equity vs. Mezzanine Debt in Commercial Real Estate
Both sit between senior debt and common equity, and both are often described in similar economic terms. The differences that matter appear in the collateral, the remedies and the senior lender’s requirements.
7 min read
Understanding Rule 506(b) and Rule 506(c) in Private Real Estate Offerings
The choice between Rule 506(b) and Rule 506(c) governs how a sponsor may market an offering and who may invest in it. It is made early, and it is difficult to reverse once marketing has begun.
7 min read
Tell us about the transaction or the dispute.
We respond quickly, and we are direct about whether we are the right firm for a matter. Please do not include confidential details in a first message.
Real estate. Capital. Enterprise.