About Jason M. Vismantas

Jason Vismantas is a partner in the Real Estate practice. He has experience assisting a wide variety of clients with all aspects of real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, preferred equity arrangements, construction, development, leasing, and financing. His work spans all real estate product types, including retail, office, multifamily, senior living, student housing, industrial and hospitality.

Real estate transactions should be viewed in the context of the company's goals

Described by a client as "a star; dedicated, committed and passionate" (Chambers USA 2022), Jason works with both institutional and non-institutional real estate private equity groups, publicly traded and non-publicly traded REITS, financing companies, fund managers, sponsors and developers across the country. Instead of taking a singular approach, he views each transaction in the context of his client's broader investment goals and financing strategy. This allows him to better identify the legal risks inherent in each transaction which would be specifically problematic to the client's overall business, and better formulate constructive solutions to mitigating that risk.

Jason has generally found that his clients' biggest frustrations during transactions stem from a lack of efficiency in execution of the transaction, or a lack of communication and transparency surrounding expectations and the role of the attorney team. He approaches each transaction with this in mind and attempts to mitigate, if not totally alleviate, these frustrations by over-communicating during the initial stages of a transaction and, after building a solid relationship with his client, using his institutional knowledge of that client's business to be more cost efficient.

Experienced in a wide array of real estate transactions for diverse clients

Private equity firms (both publicly traded and private real estate investment trusts (REITS)), developers, financial institutions and high-net-worth individuals turn to Jason for counsel in connection with a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, including across stabilized, value-add and opportunistic profiles. His substantial experience includes handling acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, preferred equity arrangements, leasing (including sale-leasebacks), development and financing. Jason has worked with hotels and resorts, industrial warehouse and distribution centers, multifamily apartment rental buildings, student housing projects, office towers (central business district and suburban), residential and office condominiums, retail shopping centers, and mixed-use facilities.

Additionally, Jason represents both lenders and borrowers in a variety of real estate-based financing transactions, including senior, mezzanine, construction, permanent, portfolio financings, fund financings and lines of credit. He also has experience in connection with distressed assets and financings, from workouts and loan modifications to forbearance agreements and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure.

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"Jason is an excellent and well-rounded attorney for complex transactions." "His commitment to an excellent work product and leadership has been instrumental to our success."

Chambers USA 2023
(Illinois, Real Estate) survey response

Practice Focus

  • Real estate
  • Real estate equity and investments
  • Real estate finance and lending
  • Real estate development

Representative Experience

  • General transactions
  • Represented the seller of a hotel in West Hollywood, California, for $274 million, a record per-key sale at the time.
  • Represented a large, East Coast private equity company in the acquisition and financing of a $74 million industrial property in the Goose Island neighborhood of Chicago, which involved a sale-leaseback.
  • Represented the buyer in connection with the acquisition and programmatic leaseback of an approximately $400 million portfolio of vehicle reconditioning centers with a publicly traded vehicle technology company.
  • Represented a middle-market, Midwest-based, private equity company in the acquisition, financing, joint venture and ultimate sale of an East Coast senior housing portfolio for approximately $100 million.
  • Represented an institutional capital source in the sale of approximately $2 billion of commercial real estate loans in two separate transactions to a large, publicly traded banking institution and debt fund.
  • Represented a premier, institutional real estate private equity company in the sale of an approximately $150 million full-service and select-service hotel portfolio to various buyers.
  • Represented the sponsor in connection with recapitalizing a $100+-million student housing development project in Seattle via a joint venture, co-invest vehicle.
  • Represented a large, real estate private equity company based in Southern California in the acquisition and financing of two portfolios of workforce multifamily projects across the Southwest with a total capitalization of approximately $120 million.
  • Represented a large fund in connection with a subscription credit line financing obtained from a large, West Coast-based banking institution, collateralized with fund capital contributions and capital commitments.
  • Represented the borrower in connection with a unique $150 million mortgage financing credit facility obtained from Freddie Mac secured by a portfolio of multifamily projects across the Southwest and Southeast.
  • Represented the developer and sponsor of a $110 million student housing development in Atlanta, Georgia, which included financing from institutional majority equity and construction loan financing from a large banking institution.
  • Represented the developer and sponsor of a $120 million student housing development in Gainesville, Florida, which included financing from institutional majority equity and senior and mezzanine construction loan financing from a large banking institution and debt fund. 
  • Represented the developer and sponsor of a $115 million student housing development in Austin, Texas, which included financing from institutional majority equity and construction loan financing from an institutional investment advisor’s separate account.
  • Represented the developer and sponsor of a $120 million multifamily and opportunity zone development in Phoenix, Arizona, which included financing from institutional majority equity and construction loan financing from a large banking institution.
  • Distressed transactions
  • Represented the owner of a 100,000-square-foot shopping center in Calumet City, Illinois, in connection with various loan modifications, pre-bankruptcy matters and a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.
  • Represented the owner of a senior living facility in Racine, Wisconsin, in multiple forbearance and workout negotiations and ultimate joint venture withdrawal.

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Practices
Education
  • University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, JD
  • The University of Chicago, BA
Bar Admissions
  • California
  • Illinois
Recognitions
Recognized or listed in the following:
  • Best Lawyers in America
    Ones to Watch
    Real Estate Law, 2024
  • Chambers USA
    Real Estate, 2021–2023
Award Methodologies