Karl is creative, efficient and practical in serving as a trusted advisor to his clients in complex commercial real estate transactions.
Overview
Karl focuses on regional and national acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing transactions for institutional and private real estate developer, investor and lender clients. Karl assists clients in growing and managing regional and national real estate portfolios, including rollouts of development and investment in new markets and territories. Karl also has significant experience handling tax-based real estate investments and ownership structuring, including federal opportunity zones, 1031 exchanges and tenancy in common ownership.
Karl brings a depth of experience in real estate transactions involving condominium, industrial, multifamily, office, retail and specialty use properties. Karl is also experienced in real estate joint ventures and real estate co-op ownership and financing, and retail and specialty use development matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Karl worked as underwriting counsel for First American Title Insurance Company, National Commercial Services, in Kansas City, MO, where he served as the principal commercial underwriting resource for Kansas and Missouri and was responsible for handling regional and national underwriting matters.
Karl supports the firm’s commitment to diversity through his involvement with and as a board member of Start at Zero, a local nonprofit focused on promoting healthy early childhood development, and through the firm's pro bono matters and partnership with Legal Aid of Western Missouri.
Experience
Real Estate Transactions
Lead counsel representing national institutional lender in regional market rollout and saturation of retail branch locations throughout the Midwest, including Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and Tennessee
Lead real estate counsel representing Maxus Properties in the acquisitions and management of numerous Class A multifamily investments, and the disposition of multi-regional multifamily portfolio with aggregate valuation of up to $2 billion
Lead real estate counsel representing Chicken N Pickle in numerous acquisitions and financings as part of multi-regional market expansion, including local development incentives
Represented purchaser in three multifamily property acquisitions in Northwest Arkansas with valuations totaling more than $20 million
Advised real estate investor on acquisitions totaling more than $10 million and subsequent leasing of Class A office buildings in Leawood, KS and Kansas City, MO
Represented REIT clients in numerous acquisition, disposition, financing, leasing and asset management transactions for entertainment, industrial and multifamily properties across the United States
Represented landowners in several multimillion dollar solar lease projects in southwest Missouri, central Kansas and southeast Kansas
Real estate counsel for multiple private equity, privately-held and publicly traded companies in leasing and other real estate matters in connection with dozens of platform and strategic acquisitions
Represented numerous beer distributors in acquisitions of distribution businesses and related real estate holdings throughout the United States totaling over $100 million
Represented aggregate and mineral developer clients in acquisition and development of severed mineral estates involving negotiation with governmental and private owners and users of surface rights
Represented client in joint venture and development of boutique lifestyle hotels in Colorado and Arkansas, and the negotiation of hotel management agreements and related services agreements for the same
Real Estate and Construction Finance
Lead counsel representing Cordish Companies in obtaining HUD construction loans and Fannie Mae refinancings for multiple Kansas City and other Midwest multifamily developments, each in excess of $75 million
Represented institutional, REIT and private lender clients in dozens of real estate financing transactions for residential developments, commercial acquisition and construction, bridge financing and refinancing
Represented cooperative association in manufactured home park residents' organization, acquisition and financing of real estate near Kansas City, the first ROC USA financing of a resident-owned community in the State of Missouri
Represented private lender in a $4 million loan to a Colorado property trust to finance affordable housing initiatives in Denver, Colorado
Tax-Based Real Estate Investments
Represented REIT clients in creation and unwinding of multiple tenancy in common ownership structures and property management agreements for 1031 exchange investments
Represented multiple clients in structuring, acquiring and managing opportunity zone investments across the Midwest and southern United States, including representing a REIT in the acquisition of a $40 million multifamily project in Little Rock, Arkansas
Represented real estate investor in sale leaseback acquisition of $16 million Class A office building in Omaha, NE as the replacement property in a 1031 exchange
News & Insights
News
Speaking Engagements
Karl speaks regularly at CLE and similar educational presentations on title insurance and related topics.
Publications
"Cooperative Ownership Can Help Solve Housing Crisis," Law360, February 28, 2022
Recognitions
Recognitions
Selected to the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in America©
Professional & Civic Activities
Professional & Civic Activities
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program, Class of 2017
Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
Start at Zero, Board of Directors
Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), Kansas City Chapter
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Nebraska
Education
William Mitchell College of Law (Mitchell Hamline School of Law), J.D., cum laude, 2008
Lake Forest College, B.A., cum laude, 2004
