Profile
Robert Brown focuses on tax structuring and deal-making across a broad range of transactions, with particular emphasis on multifamily, mixed-use, and office/retail investment real estate. Robert synthesizes tax structuring into his transactional practice with a combination of sophistication. creativity and pragmatism. He has served as lead counsel for approximately $15 billion in transactions over the last five years.
Robert’s practice encompasses negotiating and closing large-scale investment real estate portfolio acquisitions, including financing, equity placement, and joint venture negotiations. He structures complex Section 1031 and tenant in common exchange co-investments with other sponsors of investment real estate. He serves as outside general counsel to institutional multifamily housing and commercial property investment companies and other businesses, handling negotiations of joint ventures, limited partnership and LLC agreements, private placements, real estate investment funds, and mortgage and preferred equity financing.
Capabilities
Experience
- Served as lead counsel negotiating and closing the multibillion-dollar portfolio sale of over 60 institutional-grade multifamily assets in over 10 states to a private REIT.°
- Served as lead counsel negotiating and closing multifamily portfolio acquisitions, including financing and equity placement and joint venture negotiation, such as a $760-million acquisition of 24 institutional grade multifamily communities comprising 6,294 residential units in the southeastern United States; a $665-million acquisition of a 12-property multifamily portfolio in Atlanta, Austin, Denver, and Houston; a $302-million acquisition of a 1,731-unit, 11-property multifamily portfolio in Maryland.°
- Structured complex Section 1031 and tenant in common exchange co-investments with other sponsors of investment real estate.°
- Negotiated and documented joint ventures for investment real estate developers and sponsors, with equity investment by nationally recognized real estate firms.°
- Served as outside “general counsel” to prominent institutional multifamily housing and commercial property investment companies and other local businesses, including negotiation of joint ventures/limited partnership/LLC agreements, private placements, mortgage, and preferred equity financing.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Brown prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, 2022-2026
- Real Estate Law, 2022-2026
- Tax Law, 2023-2026
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Real Estate, 2025
- Listed, San Diego Magazine, “Top Lawyers,” 2013-2022
- Listed, San Diego Business Journal, “Best of the Bar,” 2016
- Rated, AV Preeminent® 4.5 out of 5.0
°AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell DistinguishedSM and Martindale-Hubbell NotableSM are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies.
- Member, San Diego County Bar Association
- Member, The State Bar of California
Credentials
- LL.M., University of San Diego School of Law
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
- B.A., University of California, Los Angeles
- California