Real Estate Operations

Who We Are

The Real Estate Operations Group (“REOPS”) at Greenberg Traurig (“GT”) was founded in 2000 to provide clients with a one-stop shop to address legal issues arising out of their use and ownership of real estate. REOPS has wide-ranging experience in lease disputes, real estate litigation, leasing, construction and vendor disputes, real estate bankruptcies, broker and franchise issues, ADA compliance matters, and other real estate related issues. REOPS’ industry focus and multi-disciplinary approach help clients efficiently resolve matters of varying complexity from routine issues to high-stakes real estate litigations.

Over the past 26 years, REOPS has grown to approximately 100 lawyers. We are a united team of cross-trained lawyers capable of handling complex matters from inception to conclusion. Many REOPS lawyers have worked together for decades, creating a unique and cohesive team. Our teamwork, commitment to excellence, and rapid responsiveness have fueled our success and distinguish us from our competitors.

REOPS’ reach and effectiveness are enhanced by GT’s national footprint shown on the map below. Working in coordination with team members across 35 U.S. offices, REOPS has handled matters in almost every state. As a result, clients can rely on a single, coordinated team and a systematic approach to disputes. This integrated model promotes efficiency and facilitates consistent responses to reoccurring issues.

Who We Represent

REOPS provides real estate owners, managers, tenants, lenders, borrowers, and developers with industry-focused representation. Our clients include prominent real estate companies, Fortune 100 corporations, property management companies, financial institutions, family offices, hotels, and insurance companies.

What We Do

Real Estate Litigation

REOPS has significant real estate litigation experience throughout the United States. Dan Ansell, the founder and chair of REOPS, has been litigating real estate matters for nearly 40 years. Other senior lawyers have also litigated real estate issues for decades. Together, the group offers a deep bench, invaluable industry knowledge, and experience across the full spectrum of real estate disputes. REOPS also handles complex commercial litigations and arbitrations involving vendor disputes, breach of contract, fraud, veil-piercing claims, corporate disputes, and other business-related matters.

Leasing

We have deep experience representing landlords and tenants in reviewing, interpreting, negotiating, and drafting commercial leases for all asset classes, including retail, industrial, office, data center, restaurant, mixed-use, ground-lease, and build-to-suit projects. REOPS represents owners of shopping centers and trophy office buildings and has negotiated complex leases for corporate headquarters and state-of-the-art entertainment venues. Our integrated approach distinguishes us from other firms using a traditional, siloed staffing model.

Counseling

REOPS serves as a crisis management team and helps clients rapidly assess and resolve issues before they escalate. Our advisory work also includes lease portfolio analysis and pre-acquisition due diligence.

Litigation Portfolio Management

We provide portfolio-wide litigation support to a variety of real estate, retail, and other companies. For example, REOPS serves as national coordinating counsel for clients on litigation matters including asbestos and landlord-tenant disputes. As such, we manage litigation dockets, formulate strategies, promote efficiency and consistency, and secure outcomes that align with client objectives.

Distressed Real Estate

REOPS advises owners, lenders, and borrowers in distressed real estate matters, including loan workouts, foreclosures, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, and debt restructurings.

Land-Use, Zoning & Real Estate Development

REOPS advises clients on a broad range of land-use and entitlement matters, including zoning and permitting issues, development approvals, regulatory compliance, access agreements, and disputes arising from the denial, interpretation, or application of development entitlements. Our experience spans both front-end counseling and litigation involving land-use approvals and their impact on development rights, project execution, and contractual obligations.

Environmental Counseling & Litigation

We represent clients on environmental matters arising from the development, construction, and operation of commercial and industrial properties. Our experience includes environmental due diligence, regulatory compliance, permitting, risk mitigation, and litigation involving nuisance and alleged impacts to air, water, vibration, noise, and neighboring properties.

Construction Agreements & Disputes

REOPS advises clients on construction agreements, project risk allocation, and disputes arising during development and construction. Our experience includes claims involving delays, defects, scope changes, payment disputes, contractor performance, and other construction-related issues.

Bankruptcy

We have decades of experience in real estate bankruptcies, representing landlords, tenants, creditors, and other stakeholders in insolvency analysis and strategy, preference assessment and resolution, lease restructurings, claim filings, litigation, negotiation, and recovery. Our combined distressed debt and bankruptcy experience helps clients protect asset value, preserve leverage, and pursue practical resolutions to address financially distressed real estate assets.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Litigation / Arbitration

• $120 Million Lease Termination Dispute — California. Represented a landlord in a $120 million commercial lease dispute in which the tenant claimed it terminated the agreement due to the landlord’s failure to obtain required municipal approvals. Through detailed analysis of the approval process and testimony from government officials, we showed at trial that the required approvals had been obtained. The court rejected the tenant’s attempted termination and entered judgment in our client’s favor. The judgment was affirmed on appeal.
• $200 Million Real Estate Joint Venture Litigation — New York. Represents a real estate developer in a $200 million joint-venture dispute arising from the development and leasing of a major shopping center, including claims concerning the majority members’ commitments to execute a key project lease.
• Environmental Nuisance Litigation — Colorado. Represented a U.S. logistics company in the defense and resolution of nuisance litigation alleging that development of a warehouse and distribution hub altered the course of and caused erosion to an irrigation canal serving local users.
• Land-Use and Zoning Litigation — New York. Represented a developer in litigation brought by a neighboring property owner challenging the project under applicable zoning regulations, defeated a motion to enjoin construction, and obtained order dismissing the complaint.
• Drone Approval Arbitration — Missouri. Represented a tenant seeking to install a drone pad and begin drone operations at its leased premises. The landlord objected and argued that drones were not allowed under a strict interpretation of the lease. We argued that the use clause must be interpreted broadly to allow the requested supplemental use. The arbitrator agreed and ordered the landlord to allow construction.
• $70 Million Construction / Rent Commencement Dispute — New Jersey. Represented a landlord in a $70 million construction-related lease dispute involving substantial completion and establishment of the rent commencement date. We obtained a pretrial ruling that the landlord had substantially completed its work and the tenant was obligated to pay rent when the certificate of occupancy issued. We settled the litigation a few months after the crucial ruling.
• Data Center Construction Dispute — Virginia. Defended a data center developer in nuisance litigation alleging construction-related impacts from noise, vibration, well-water effects, and air pollution, and seeking an injunction halting construction.
• HVAC Easement Dispute — New York. Represented a commercial tenant in litigation seeking to compel installation of an HVAC system at one of its retail locations. The matter presented unique challenges due to questions regarding the continued validity of the underlying HVAC easement. We resolved the dispute through a creative negotiated solution involving an exchange of easements with the property’s condominium board. The settlement secured more favorable access rights, avoided prolonged litigation, and enabled the planned HVAC installation to proceed.
• Loan Default Representation — Nationwide. Represents lenders and borrowers in complex loan defaults and workouts, including recent commercial mortgage foreclosures, negotiation of deeds in lieu of foreclosure, and disputes involving cash-management triggers, debt-service coverage requirements, major-tenant defaults, and leasing covenants.
• Data Center Nuisance Litigation — New Jersey. Defended a data center owner against nuisance claims alleging that construction of the site increased stormwater runoff and caused flooding on neighboring properties.
• Eminent Domain — Represented a U.S. logistics company in defense and resolution of eminent domain proceedings impacting a major industrial hub.
• Rent-Stabilization Class Action — New York. Represented the owner of a multimillion-square-foot residential portfolio in the largest real estate class action in New York State history and negotiated a court-approved settlement.
• Retail Development Land-Use Dispute — Virginia. Defended a U.S. retailer in litigation concerning whether a municipality’s denial of development entitlements for a proposed mixed-use project triggered a contractual right to terminate a long-term, $120 million lease. 

Leasing

• Entertainment Venue Lease — Texas. Represented the owner of a shopping center in the leasing of premium space to a media company for use as a preeminent entertainment venue, winning the 2025 CoStar Impact Award for Lease of the Year.
• Long-Term Office Lease Extension — New York. Represented the landlord of a prominent mixed-use building in a long-term lease extension of over 330,000 rentable square feet.
• Industrial / Health Care Lease — California. Represented an American diagnostics company in the leasing of 350,000 rentable square feet of industrial / health care space.
• Data Center Leasing — International. Represents a global investment management firm in data center leasing transactions across the United States and Asia, including new leases and renewals.
• National Bank Branch Leasing — Nationwide. Represents a national bank in connection with its branch leasing across the country.
• Warehouse Lease — New York. Represented the owner of a warehouse and distribution center in a lease for 100,000 square feet of space.

Other Matters

• Retail Portfolio Closures — Nationwide. Represented prominent companies in large-scale retail closures and portfolio modifications. Analyzed portfolios, identified risks, and led the seamless wind-down and decommissioning of hundreds of locations with minimal litigation.
• ADA Accessibility Counseling and Defense — Nationwide. Advises property owners and operators on ADA accessibility compliance, risk mitigation, and lease-related issues; defends against accessibility claims and litigation.
• Fair Market Value Representation — Nationwide. Represents landlords and tenants in fair market value rent disputes, including arbitrations arising from renewal, extension, and rent-reset provisions in commercial leases.
• Data Center Land-Use and Risk Management — Nationwide. Advised data center developers on land-use entitlements, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation in connection with data center development, including construction-related noise, vibration, stormwater, and other potential impacts on neighboring properties.
• Mechanics’ Lien Resolution — Nationwide. Represented a financial institution in resolving mechanics’ liens filed against branch locations arising from contractor payment disputes, coordinating with landlords and construction stakeholders to minimize disruption to ongoing operations.
• Transactional Support — Nationwide. Conducts due diligence in connection with acquisitions and other transactions, including a comprehensive review of leases to assess key risks, obligations, and economic considerations bearing on the transaction. 

Contact Us

To learn more about our Real Estate Operations capabilities, please feel free to reach out to our Real Estate Operations Practice contacts.