Tell us about your history with Husch Blackwell.
I was hired by Blackwell Sanders to be a summer associate in 2008 in the Kansas City office. Before the summer program began, Blackwell Sanders and Husch & Eppenberger merged to form what was then called Husch Blackwell Sanders. I left for a brief stint at another Kansas City-based firm and eventually found my way back. I practiced in the Real Estate Development & Construction SBU and was promoted to partner in 2018. Shortly after being promoted, I was lured away by a fellow HB alumnus, Greg Steinberg, to work in-house at Platform Ventures, a real estate private equity firm.
What is your current role at your new employer?
As Vice President & Associate General Counsel at Platform Ventures, I am involved in all aspects of the business, including fund formation, acquisitions, financing, asset management, and strategic planning for investments in real estate assets, real estate operating companies, and real estate technologies.
What kinds of emerging trends do you see in your industry?
In the broader real estate industry, the integration of technology is obviously emerging from all angles. With respect to real estate investment management in particular, there seems to be an increasing competitive need, as well as expectations from institutional investors, for utilization of technology and resulting data derivation in the investment underwriting process.
Tell us about one of your more interesting projects.
A recent acquisition of a large Class A office building in Kansas City turned out to be an interesting one. A team of Husch attorneys from multiple offices helped lead the way. The deal involved, among several other moving parts, setting up a tenancy-in-common buy-side structure; formation of a private investment fund; a CMBS loan assumption and modification; and a 1031 exchange. Despite coming down to the wire on the 1031 exchange deadline, everyone remained calm, cool, and collected.
What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside the office?
Hanging out with my wife, Jackie, and two girls, Vale (3.5 yrs old) and Brynn (1.5 yrs old). Also enjoy BBQing, skiing, and playing ice hockey.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Since leaving the firm, I am happy to see that David Raymond finally updated his bio pic on the firm website, Mike Hargens’ hair still looks the same, and Maurice Watson has admitted the University of Kansas is superior to Harvard in all aspects.🙂
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