Overview

Josh is “excellent at negotiation and at getting deals done.” - Chambers USA, 2021

Josh focuses on complex real estate transactions including joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions as well as financing, development, management and restructuring of real estate assets. He advises private equity sponsors, publicly traded investment firms, REITs, foreign pension funds and other institutional investors and developers in transactions involving various asset classes, including multifamily, industrial, office, hospitality and opportunity zones.

Josh has been recognized as a leading real estate lawyer by Chambers USA,The Legal 500 U.S. and The Best Lawyers in America. In Chambers USA’s 2024 edition, a client commented that “Josh takes a very practical approach to each deal and consistently provides meaningful insight and guidance.” In prior editions of Chambers USA sources noted that “he’s great to work with, very smart, highly driven, and I hold him in high regard” and he “understands complex business concepts and incorporates them in a way that is clear, eloquent, and thoughtful.” Josh has also been described in Chambers USA as “an excellent lawyer,” “practical and solution-oriented,” “very thoughtful, analytical and he thinks outside the box” and is “commercial and knowledgeable.” In the 2024 edition of The Legal 500 United States, a source noted he “does not shy away from taking the reins on transactions and is a partner level resource that is invaluable to us.”

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Thought Leadership

Seminars

Moderator, “Living in Luxury: A Look at High-End Real Estate Market Trends and Performance,” Bisnow Multifamily Annual Conference Midwest: Chicago, June 15, 2023

Moderator, “State of Chicagoland Industrial Real Estate Market,” CIP Industrial Summit, April 28, 2022 

Moderator, “Real Estate Panel,” Association of Asian American Investment Managers National Conference, September 16, 2021

Moderator, "State of Chicagoland Industrial Real Estate Market," CIP Industrial Summit, April 23, 2021

Panelist, "Multifamily Breakout Session," Illinois Real Estate Journal 19th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference, January 7, 2021.

Moderator, “Equity Investing: Rescue Capital, Distressed Dealmaking, and Alternative Asset Classes,” Bisnow, Escape and Ascent Digital Dealmaking Conference, December 7–10, 2020.

Panelist, “Equity & Debt Solutions for Apartment Investors & Developers,” Illinois Real Estate Journal 11th Annual Multifamily & Apartment Conference: Chicago, March 5, 2020.

Chairperson, “Ground-Up Developers peer-to-peer roundtable,” Marcus & Millichap Multifamily Forum: Chicago, April 10, 2019.

Moderator, “Keep Calm & Carry On: The State of the Market from a Developer’s Perspective,” Marcus & Millichap Multifamily Forum: Chicago, April 10, 2019.

Moderator, “Creating Community Through Thoughtful Development & Design: Repositions & Adaptive Re-Use vs. New Construction,” Bisnow Multifamily Annual Conference Midwest: Chicago, October 24, 2018.

Moderator, “Working with Institutional Capital: The Large Multifamily Session,” IMN: Middle Market Multifamily Forum (Midwest) 2018: Chicago, October 16, 2018.

Moderator, “The Future of Spec Development,” Bisnow National Industrial and Logistics Summit Midwest: Chicago, August 1, 2018.

Moderator, “Driving Business: An Economic Outlook From the Commercial Sector,” Marcus & Millichap Multifamily Forum: Chicago, April 19, 2018.

Moderator, “Owner’s Roundtable,” Bisnow Multifamily Annual Conference Midwest: Chicago, November 29, 2017.

Moderator, “Multifamily Breakout Session,” Illinois Real Estate Journal 15th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference: Chicago, January 18, 2017.

Moderator, “Investing Secrets: Getting Deals Done in Today’s Environment,” Bisnow Multifamily Annual Conference Midwest: Chicago, November 30, 2016.

Presenter, “Structuring Programmatic Real Estate Joint Ventures: Structures, Deal Sharing and Exclusivity, Pooling Variations,” Strafford Webinar, May 19, 2016.

Presenter, “Real Estate Joint Ventures: Current Topics and Trends,” ICSC Law Conference, October 18, 2013.

Moderator, Third Annual Bisnow Chicago Multifamily Summit, March 13, 2012.

Recognition

Recognized by Lawdragon in its 2024 list of “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers.”

Josh was selected for The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Real Estate Law in 2018–2024.

Recognized by CRE Connect in its 2021 "Lawyers in Real Estate Awards” in the Chicago/Midwest category.

Josh was recognized in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business from 2015–2024 for Real Estate.

Josh was named to Law360's 2014 “Rising Stars” list for real estate. The list honors outstanding attorneys under 40.

He was recognized in the 2014, 2015, and 2018–2020, and 2024 editions of The Legal 500 U.S. for Real Estate.

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 1999Illinois

Education

  • Northwestern Pritzker School of LawJ.D.1999
  • The Ohio State UniversityB.A., Historysumma cum laude1996