Michael Lynott previously served as assistant general counsel with Ryder System, Inc., where he handled real estate acquisitions and dispositions, environmental work and other legal actions for the company and its owned and leased properties around the world. Before joining Ryder, Michael was a partner in the real estate practice of a prominent Miami law firm where he handled commercial lending, leasing, purchases, sales and other commercial property transactions, and Florida transfer taxes and title insurance matters for corporate clients and financial institutions.
Areas of Concentration
· Commercial lending
· Sales and acquisitions of commercial properties
· Commercial leasing
· Trusts and estates real property
· Florida transfer taxes and title insurance
· Environmental law
· International transactions
· Corporate real estate services outsourcing arrangements
· Charter schools
Significant Representations
· Represented Ryder in the negotiation of a build to suit lease for its new 235,000 square foot headquarters facility in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
· Represented Ryder in the negotiation of industrial leases totaling over one million square feet in the Alliance, Texas, multi-use development, including a 756,000 square foot warehouse lease.
· Represented Ryder in the negotiation of a Framework Agreement with one of the nation's largest industrial developers to allow Ryder to obtain more flexible lease terms (including early termination rights, flex-up/down rights, and relocation rights) for Ryder's logistics customers.
· Represented Ryder in the negotiation of Corporate Real Estate Services Agreement(s) in connection with the outsourcing of Ryder's internal real estate, construction and property management departments.
· Represented major insurance company and several institutional lenders in permanent financing, construction financing, purchase money financing, acquisition and development financing, loan participations, equity participations, loan workouts and modifications and "deed in lieu" and foreclosure transactions.
· Represented major insurance company and several institutional lenders, and other institutional and individual clients in the sale and purchase of numerous commercial projects including office buildings, shopping centers, hotels, restaurants, industrial and warehouse projects and vacant land for development.
· Represented major insurance company, several companies and other landlord and tenant clients in the negotiation and preparation of commercial leases for office, warehouse, retail, industrial and agricultural properties.
· Advised and assisted with trusts and estates matters in connection with sales and distributions of real property held by trustee and personal representative clients.
· Acted as Florida counsel in structuring transactions to minimize Florida transfer taxes and in communicating with the Florida Department of Revenue to obtain formal and informal tax opinions. Issued title insurance policies for purchasers of real property and for lenders obtaining mortgages on real property throughout the state of Florida.
Professional & Community Involvement
· Member, The Florida Bar
· Member, American Bar Association, Lanlord/Tenant Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, The Florida Bar
Awards & Recognition
· Team Member, Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year" (2011)
· Member, Winning Team, Chambers USA Award for Excellence, Real Estate (2010)
Previous Employment
· Assistant General Counsel, Ryder System, Inc., 1997-2003
- Provided legal support to the Asset Management Group of a Fortune 500 Company. Areas of responsibility included real estate, environmental, purchasing, acquisitions and dispositions (domestic and international), and corporate development matters.
- Served as lead in-house lawyer in Company's $1 billion disposition of its public transportation services division and of its Brazilian auto carrier subsidiary.
- Responsible for the legal work required for the formation of the first charter school in the workplace in the U.S.
· Sole in-house real estate lawyer, Ryder System, Inc., 1995-1997
- Responsibilities included negotiating and approving leases, purchase and sale contracts and other real estate related documentation with a heavy emphasis on the environmental implications of such documents.
Articles, Publications, & Lectures
Speeches
· Speaker, "Waiver of Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy Provisions in Commercial Loan Documentation," a presentation sponsored by the Mortgages and Other Debt Financing Subcommittee of the American Bar Association's Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Annual Meeting, 1995