Real Estate

Land Acquisition
Finance
State Tax
Leasing
Land Use, Zoning, and Permitting
Land Development
Community Development
Environmental
Eminent Domain, Property Rights, and Real Property Valuation Disputes
Areas of Experience
Real Estate Team Members
Electronic Alerts
Real Estate Articles

Dean Mead’s Commercial Real Estate Team has extensive experience in all aspects of real property law. We regularly represent owners, developers, investors, lenders, borrowers, landlords, tenants, and other real estate professionals in every phase of their work, including acquisitions, financing, leasing, permitting, land use and zoning, development, creation and operation of property owners associations, and tax planning.

Land Acquisition

Our Team represents owners, developers, and investors in all aspects of acquisition, development and disposition of real estate, including purchases, sales, ground leases and space leases. Following are examples of the types of transactions in which our Team has been involved:

• Representation of The Viera Company (a wholly owned subsidiary of A. Duda & Sons, Inc.) in connection with its development of the Town of Viera in Brevard County, Florida.
• Sales of multiple parcels of property in St. Lucie County adjacent to the Town of Port St. Lucie, which parcels are currently being developed for commercial and residential purposes.
• Sales and acquisitions of parcels in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Polk, Brevard, and St. Lucie Counties for development as single-family residential subdivisions.
• Representation of The University Club of Orlando in connection with the development by Broad Street Partners, LLC of a mixed-use, 32-story high-rise development on the existing University Club site just south of the Orange County Library on Central Boulevard in downtown Orlando. We are also currently representing The University Club in connection with its lease of alternative space from Marriott at Orlando Centroplex adjacent to the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center and the Orlando Arena.
• Representation of Highwoods Properties in connection with office leasing and in connection with its development of a mixed-use project in downtown Orlando.
• Representation of developers of shopping centers at various locations in Florida.
• Representation of several clients in connection with the acquisition of parcels in the International Drive area which are to be developed and marketed as condominium hotels.
• Extensive experience in tax-deferred exchange transactions.
• Representation of numerous clients in connection with the development, sale, purchase, and leasing of commercial office space and industrial space throughout Florida.
• Representation of Rainbow Springs, Limited in its development of Rainbow Springs in Marion County, Florida, a large mixed use planned community.
• Representation of Crosland, Inc., a regional developer of single family, multifamily and commercial projects, for its Florida operations.
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Finance

Our Team also has extensive experience in real estate finance and represents financial institutions and borrowers throughout the state and the nation. We structure a variety of commercial lending transactions including corporate loans, real estate development loans, asset-based loans, agribusiness loans, floor plans and home builder lines of credit. In addition, we assist clients with problem loans and complex loan workouts. Members of our Team advises financial institutions and their corporate counsel as well as borrowers on a daily basis with respect to general lending issues, including those relating to Florida documentary stamp and intangible taxes, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights.

Following are a few of the transactions in which our Team has been involved:

• $32 million construction loan for multifamily project in Pinellas County, Florida
• $15 million construction revolving line of credit to developer of retail drug stores across the State of Florida
• $25 million construction loan for multifamily project in Celebration, Florida
• $132 million syndicated loan transaction involving seven real estate lenders and two mezzanine lenders for luxury high-rise condominium project in Miami, Florida
• $10 million construction loan for build to suit office building project in Broward County, Florida
• $75 million residential builder line of credit for construction of single family homes across Florida
• $50 million residential builder line of credit for construction of single family homes in seven southern states
• $24 million construction loan for multifamily project near Naples, Florida
• $13 million and $9 million construction loans for condominium projects in Volusia County, Florida
• $13 million development loan for construction of residential subdivision in Orange County, Florida
• $9 million and $7 million loans for construction of hotels in Orange County and Daytona Beach, Florida
• $15 million loan for construction of tissue paper manufacturing plant in Central Florida
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State Tax

Our Real Estate Team has extensive experience in the areas of Florida documentary stamp taxes and intangible taxes incurred in connection with conveying and mortgaging real estate as well as structures used to minimize exposure to such transactional costs.
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Leasing

Our Team has extensive experience with both landlords and tenants, as well as developers and lenders, in commercial leasing transactions, including office, retail and industrial leases. Our clients include a number of regional and national landlords and we assist them in the preparation of lease forms, the drafting and negotiation of leases and the resolution of lease disputes, including bankruptcy issues. We also work closely with the Corporate Team to structure leases in connection with the purchase and sale of a business or other mergers and acquisitions.
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Land Use, Zoning, and Permitting

Our Team addresses the land use, zoning, and permitting challenges that face our clients throughout the state. We handle obtaining local government approvals, such as rezoning, variances, special exceptions, conditional uses, and planned developments in a variety of situations and in a variety of jurisdictions.

We understand the importance of building relationships with local and regional governments and other players in the development process. That is why we are very active in the communities in which we practice. Our attorneys have years of experience working with local governments in drafting and amending local comprehensive plans and zoning codes and serving on regional planning councils and local government blue ribbon commissions as well as with management district governing boards.

Because concurrency, natural resources, land use, and zoning raise intrinsically local issues, when working with our statewide clients, we coordinate and oversee their legal counsel needs throughout the state to ensure that they receive the most comprehensive and seamless representation possible. In addition, our Team works directly with water management district staffs throughout the State of Florida. We have clients establishing (or avoiding through legal devices) development of regional impact status as well as vested entitlements.
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Land Development

Our Team has represented clients in connection with the development of thousands of acres throughout Central Florida, including commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects. From small projects to one of the largest Development of Regional Impact developments in the state, Dean Mead has assisted developer clients in every aspect of the development process. Our attorneys have expertise in dealing with the broad range of issues that arise in the development process, including impact fees, concurrency, endangered species, wetlands, infrastructure construction, and development permitting. We also have expertise in community development districts and homeowner associations, as well as federal and state regulations applicable to the marketing of residential developments.
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Community Development

Our Team has extensive experience with the creation and establishment of communities, including establishment of property owners associations and drafting of covenants and restrictions. We draw on our extensive development experience and work closely with clients to develop restrictions that both comply with regulations and establish the desired community character.
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Environmental

We have addressed complex environmental problems confronting our clients in areas such as hazardous waste disposal and landfill sites, water pollution and hazardous material transportation. When confronted with mold, asbestos or indoor air quality issues, our clients rely upon both our breadth of experience and our legal judgment to assist them in addressing these matters.
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Eminent Domain, Property Rights, and Real Property Valuation Disputes

Dean Mead represents developers, investors, businesses, banks and property owners of all types in matters involving governmental and quasi-governmental acquisition of private property interests and rights. We work with clients that have lost the function or use of property as a result of burdensome governmental regulations. This representation includes negotiated resolutions, administrative hearings, and litigation. The firm litigates many other real property disputes where the government is a potential party. In addition, we routinely handle due diligence, valuation. In addition, we represent parties in real property valuation and related disputes.
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Areas of Experience

• Agribusiness
• Commercial Development
• Environmental Law
• Leases
• Property Tax Challenges
• Title Insurance
• Real Estate Development Lending
• Builder Lines of Credit
• Secured and Unsecured Lending
• Governmental Approvals
• Land Use and Zoning
• Permitting
• Representing Governmental Entities
• Utilities Law
• Water Law
• Mining and Mineral Rights
• Eminent Domain
• Citrus Canker Law
• Inverse Condemnation
• Property Rights Disputes
• Real Property Valuation Disputes
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Real Estate Team Members

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Electronic Alerts

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Real Estate Articles

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