Joshua P. Hanna, P.C.
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.”
Experience
Representative Matters
Global private equity firm on the acquisition and financing of iStar Inc.’s net lease business for an enterprise value of approximately $3 billion consisting of more than 220 assets in 25 states
Publicly traded real estate investment trust on its $1.9 billion strategic partnership with a luxury homebuilder to acquire and develop new rental apartment communities in key U.S. markets
U.S. publicly traded homebuilder in $3.5 billion equity “build-to-core” club ventures to develop and operate multifamily properties
U.S. private equity fund in roll-up sale of a $3.2 billion portfolio of U.S. select service hotels to a newly formed investment fund
Middle-eastern sovereign wealth fund in joint venture for $3.15 billion combination stock and asset purchase of a 55 million square foot industrial portfolio
Global investment manager in acquisition of $3 billion portfolio including 100 U.S. logistics facilities
Australian superannuation fund in joint ventures to recapitalize a $2.1 billion Washington, D.C and Boston office portfolio
Consortium of multifamily investors in roll-up and recapitalization of 94 property, $1.9 billion portfolio
Australian REIT in phased sale of controlling interest in joint venture owning 86 U.S. retail centers with a combined value of $1.73 billion
U.S. private equity firms in sale of a national provider of data center colocation, interconnection and cloud enablement solutions for $1.886 billion
U.S. investment manager in a series of opportunity zone development joint ventures for new projects with budgeted costs exceeding $1 billion in the aggregate
Australian superannuation fund in a $1 billion equity venture with a multinational construction and investment company to develop and operate multifamily properties
U.S. health care REIT in acquisition and master lease of $790 million of independent living facility portfolio, and in a $267 million equity venture with a state pension plan to acquire and develop senior housing and medical office buildings
Australian superannuation fund as majority investor in $735 million equity programmatic ventures with leading U.S. multifamily owner and operator to develop and operate multifamily assets
U.S. private equity fund in its purchase and master lease with major outdoor retailer for the $534 million sale/leaseback of 20 outdoor goods retail properties and 3 distribution facilities
Australian investment bank in $506 million equity programmatic ventures with national operator and Canadian pension to acquire and operate manufactured home communities
U.S. private equity firm as majority investor in $400 million equity programmatic venture with publicly traded national homebuilder and private operator to develop and operate single family rental communities
U.S. open-end real estate fund in $360 million sale of 19 private REITs, as joint venture partners, with a national operator, which owned a multifamily portfolio in New York City consisting of 32 buildings and over 1000 units
U.S. private equity firm in $225 million equity programmatic venture with non-traded REIT to acquire and operate grocery-anchored shopping centers
U.S. development and investment firm in 50/50 joint venture to develop 437,000 square foot trophy office building within 4.2 million square foot mixed-used development in Northern Virginia
High net worth investor in programmatic venture to redevelop historic community in Denver, Colorado
National event sponsor in acquisition and development of Utah ski resort, the largest by acreage in North America
Chicago charter school in acquisition of land and construction of a new, net-positive energy campus on the southwest side
More
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