John Ronayne has been active in the practice of real estate law based in Boston for over three decades. His practice currently involves commercial leasing, including both office and retail transactions involving single-user locations, office buildings, malls and shopping centers, the leasing of recreational facilities, and ground lease transactions. His practice includes the representation of both landlords and tenants.
John Ronayne has also represented in the past, and continues to represent, both buyers and sellers in the acquisition and sale of existing commercial real estate and projects under development. These transactions have included office buildings, residential projects, and shopping centers.
Mr. Ronayne is a contributing editor to Lease Drafting in Massachusetts (MCLE, Inc., rev. ed. 2001 & Supp 2005), the most authoritative treatise on leasing law in Massachusetts and has published articles on leasing topics in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and other legal and real estate industry publications. He was the principal drafter of the standard office lease form recently adopted by the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts for use by its members and frequently lectures on leasing topics for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and the Real Estate Bar Association.
Professional Associations
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Boston Bar Association
- Massachusetts Conveyancers Association
- Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts
Experience
- Representing the developer in connection with the acquisition and complete re-creation of the core commercial and residential district of an aging beach resort town north of Boston as an entirely new mixed-use community, with residential, retail, restaurants, and other types of businesses appropriate to such a community and with an ecological orientation. If the project proceeds as envisioned, it will require an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. We are currently assisting the developer in the acquisition of options to purchase the numerous properties within the project area, and when the property acquisition phase is completed, anticipate that the project will require a very wide range of real estate expertise.
- Represented the purchaser of an 18-hole golf course and country club in the Boston area. This project was particularly challenging because the golf course was permitted as a single project with an adjacent residential subdivision, which our client was not purchasing. It involved the allocation of many ongoing obligations under the complex permitting scheme in a novel Post-Closing Cooperation Agreement between buyer and seller. It also involved the drafting of a two-tiered leasing arrangement providing for the construction by the seller of a clubhouse for the golf course portion of the development, which was required by the underlying permits. This involved the ground lease of a portion of the golf course property back to the seller, followed by a sublease to our client, which included an undertaking by the seller to obtain the necessary permits to construct the clubhouse, with an option to our client to buy out the ground lease upon completion of the clubhouse.
- Represented a developer in connection with the acquisition and development of a neighborhood shopping center in the Boston area anchored by a national drugstore operator. In addition to typical due diligence and acquisition activities, this project included the drafting and negotiation of three parking and signage easements with adjoining property owners as well as the negotiation of the anchor lease. The case is one of a number of recent and ongoing representations of developers and property owners in similar situations.
- Represented the owner in connection with the disposition of a manufacturing facility in the Boston area with significant brownfields issues. In addition to the drafting and negotiation of a complex purchase and sale agreement adapted to the particular challenges of the site and the response to the many buyer/seller issues that typically arise in connection with a manufacturing facility, this representation involved the coordination of the owner's ongoing environmental remediation activities with buyer's due diligence activities and provision for continuation of remediation activities after transfer.
- Representing the owner of a 50-plus acre parcel of previously undeveloped oceanfront land on the island of Martha's Vineyard in connection with its permitting, subdivision, development, and sale as five very high-value lots. This project has required the approval of a number of local and regional permitting authorities in a complex and sensitive environment, the drafting of an extensive regime of building controls and view easements, and the preparation of documentation for an owners association. We are currently representing the land owner in the sale of individual lots.
- Providing ongoing representation for national developer/operator of state-of-the-art frozen food storage and distribution facilities. Representation in connection with first two facilities in Massachusetts (103, 296 sf and 140, 991 sf respectively) has included negotiation of innovative development/construction agreement with Massachusetts developer, permitting/environmental/title due diligence, construction financing, legal aspects of construction monitoring, final acquisition and leasing of facility and permanent financing, and has also included formation of Massachusetts entities and qualification of non-Massachusetts entities utilized by client for transactions and preparation of authorizing resolutions.
- Represented retailer of high-end woodworking tools and supplies in connection with leasing and build out of multiple retail locations (both mall and free standing) in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
- Represented the nation's second largest multifamily Real Estate Investment Trust in connection with the acquisition of several substantial residential developments in eastern Massachusetts.
- Represented a Boston-based bank in connection with a $16.5 million working capital line of credit to a real estate owner/developer secured by an apartment complex in San Diego, California.
- Represented the owner of a 50-plus-acre parcel of land on the island of Martha's Vineyard in its permitting and subdivision.
- Represented the developer of 76 units of low and moderate income housing funded through the federal HOPE VI program.
- Represented an entity composed of German nationals in connection with the disposition of a major office/retail building in downtown Boston. (Mr. Ronayne also represented this group in the acquisition of the same building several years ago.) In addition to normal sale issues, this transaction included complex questions involving the structuring of a 1031 exchange when the seller is subject to withholding under the Foreign Investor in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA).
- Representation of lender in $14.3 million loan transaction for rehabilitation and construction of a hotel, tennis club, restaurant and beach club in Harwich Point, Massachusetts, in Cape Cod.
- Retained to complete a complex due diligence process and to structure and close a transaction involving the acquisition of existing purchase by various entities, and closing a $20 million-plus loan transaction for Southport on Cape Cod.
News
11.29.11, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Quotes Real Estate Partner for Story on Rent Acceleration Clauses