Real Estate Transactions: From Drafting Agreements to Ethical Closings

Peter L. Kogan | Reed Smith

Peter represents clients in all major aspects of transactional real estate law, including property acquisition and disposition, land use and development, leasing, portfolio leasing and subleasing, real estate finance and real estate brokerage matters. His clients have included large global retailers, professional sports franchises, hotel and restaurant developers, major industrial and manufacturing businesses, software and information technology companies, entities engaged in commercial transportation and waste disposal, and owners of retail and other properties.

Peter focuses his practice on complex transactions involving the multi purpose development and redevelopment of large-scale properties in Pennsylvania, which frequently include extensive and innovative arrangements with public and quasi-public agencies for the use of former industrial, commercial and institutional sites. In connection with such transactions, Peter has assisted clients in securing public-private financing and entering into partnership and development agreements governing the use and development of Brownfield and “grayfield” sites. Another focus of Peter’s practice is representing professional sports franchises throughout the United States in negotiations with public and private landowners for the development, lease and funding for stadiums and arenas.

Peter also has extensive experience in representing publicly held and privately owned businesses in complex mergers and acquisitions and related financing practices, as well as related securities compliance matters. He has lectured extensively on issues of real estate law and commercial development in Western Pennsylvania.

Kristina Ogland | Estreen&Ogland

Kristina Ogland is a partner with the law firm of Estreen & Ogland in Hudson, Wisconsin. She earned her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law, where she was a Merit Scholar and Member of the William Mitchell Law Review.

Kristina has extensive experience in a broad range of real estate transactions involving sales, leasing, development, taxation, and litigation. She has represented lenders and borrowers in foreclosure matters and has successfully negotiated short sales, deeds-in-lieu and refinances for lenders and borrowers seeking an alternative to foreclosure.

In addition, Kristina serves as a Qualified Intermediary and represents individuals and entities seeking tax deferral under section 1031 of the IRS Code. She offers a variety of real estate related legal services such as business formations and dissolutions and has litigated cases involving boundary disputes, adverse possession, and the interpretation of contractual clauses related to title and ownership interests.

Session I – Drafting Agreements, Due Diligence, and Loan Document Review | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• Drafting and reviewing purchase and sale agreements
  • Essential clauses and provisions to include
  • How to protect client interests in negotiations
  • Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Due diligence: Disclosures, property value, title, and zoning
  • What documents to request and review
  • Understanding title reports, property values, and zoning laws
  • How to assess risks and ensure proper disclosures
• Loan document review and negotiation
  • Key terms to look for in loan documents
  • Negotiating favorable terms for clients
  • Common loan document issues and how to resolve them

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – Foreclosure and Short Sale Transactions, Closing Document Checklists, and Legal Ethics | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• Foreclosure and short sale transactions
  • Legal issues in foreclosure and short sales
  • How to manage these transactions from a legal perspective
  • Common challenges and best practices for handling them
• Closing document checklists
  • Essential documents for closing a real estate deal
  • How to create a closing checklist to ensure nothing is overlooked
  • Best practices for reviewing and finalizing documents
• Legal ethics in real estate transactions
  • Ethical considerations when representing clients in real estate transactions
  • Maintaining compliance with legal standards and regulations
  • How to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure professionalism