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Tom Phillips, Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, has been practicing commercial real estate and land use law since 1987.  He has counseled owners, developers, landlords, tenants, lenders and investors in a variety of property acquisitions and sales, development and permitting projects, leases, debt and equity financings, workouts/restructurings and other sophisticated real estate transactions spanning virtually all asset classes.  He has particular experience working with retail and mixed use properties and is the immediate past State Director for the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) for Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.  Tom has been recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and in Woodward/White’s Best Lawyers in America.

Prior to joining Brown Rudnick, Tom was a partner in the Boston law firm of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar, where he served as Real Estate Department Chair.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Representing international publicly-traded resort casino operator in its proposal to develop a world-class resort casino in Massachusetts.
• Represented preeminent national life sciences REIT and its joint venture with a major global life insurance company.  Transactions included the acquisition and financing of millions of square feet of space for purchase prices exceeding $1.25 billion, as well as subsequent leasing, development, permitting, construction and refinancing activity.
• Outside counsel to one of the nation’s largest big box retailers for over 15 years.  Transactions have included negotiating over a hundred leases and other agreements nationwide for retail store and non-retail properties (including sales offices, distribution facilities and a 45,000 square foot state-of-the-art corporate data center leases); the purchase in bankruptcy court of a portfolio of 40 leases encompassing 1.7 million square feet of retail and warehouse space in multiple states; dozens of transactions involving the dispositions of over 1.5 million square feet of surplus property throughout the United States; negotiating for the purchase and development of freestanding retail store sites; defending eminent domain proceedings; prosecuting lease and land use disputes; and assisting client in overseas expansions.
• Counsel to Boston-based developer and its leading life insurance company joint venture partner in the retail and restaurant leasing components of a large multi-building, multi-use development project in Boston’s Seaport/Innovation District.
• National and/or regional leasing counsel to several prominent big box retail and restaurant chains.
• Counsel to several developers of new shopping centers throughout New England.  Recent projects include acquisition, permitting, development, leasing and financing of grocery-anchored center in a neighborhood of Boston.
• Represented leading national chain retailer in its lease of a new 400,000 square foot state-of the-art warehouse and distribution center to serve its eastern US operations.
• Represented prominent news/media company in leasing and relocating its headquarters to a 50,000 square foot space in Boston’s Seaport/Innovation District.
• Represented internationally renowned manufacturer as outside US real estate counsel.  Transactions included sale/leaseback of a 300,000 square foot headquarters facility, as well as four regional warehouse and distribution facilities totaling 750,000 square feet.
• Represented internationally prominent department store chain in over 40 development projects and proposals for freestanding facilities throughout New England.  Engagements included negotiating purchase agreements for land assemblies, ground leases, joint development agreements and reciprocal easement agreements; rezoning projects; appearances in front of planning boards; zoning appeals and tax assessment negotiations.
• Represented local charter school in its purchase, development and financing of a new school campus in a Boston neighborhood.
• Representing local professional sports team in a variety of real estate matters, including restaurant leasing.
• Represented nationally prominent technology company in its leasing of a build-to-suit office building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in the subsequent conversion of the building to bio-tech and attendant subleasing program.
• Represented one of the nation's largest commercial banks in its management, leasing, redevelopment and eventual sale of a distressed 250,000 square foot shopping mall in Boston, Massachusetts; and in an $18.7 million industrial revenue bond financing for an adjacent 1,000-car parking facility.
• Represented a joint venture between a private equity fund and a REIT in its purchase and development of a 50-unit condominium project in Boston’s South End.
• Represented local developer in development, permitting and financing of 65-lot planned residential subdivision community in greater Boston.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• In the past several years, Tom has lectured, been a panelist and been a moderator in various educational programs sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the National Retail Tenants Association (NRTA), CLE International and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE).

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Real Estate Bar Association (REBA)
• Boston Bar Association
• Massachusetts Bar Association: Appointed to Property Law Section Council (1995-1998)
• American Bar Association: Real Property, Trust and Probate Law and Business Law Sections
• International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC): Legal Advisory Council (2012); State Director for Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont (2009 – 2012); New England Idea Exchange Chair (2009) and Co-Chair (2008); Eastern Division Next Generation Chair (2007-2009)
• National Retail Tenants Association (NRTA)
• National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)
• Real Estate Finance Association (REFA)

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Combined Jewish Philanthropies:  Real Estate, Design and Construction Team Campaign Co-Chair (2010), Annual Dinner Co-Chair (2009) and Annual Market Update Co-Chair (2008); Lawyer's Team
• Zoning Board of Appeals, City of Newton, Massachusetts (2008–2012)
• Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation Inc.: pro bono general counsel

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Massachusetts