Robert M. Keane, Jr., P.C.
Overview
Robert Keane is a real estate partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He concentrates his practice primarily on the representation of private equity firms, opportunity funds, domestic and international companies, investment banks, commercial banks, non-regulated lenders and pension funds in real estate-related equity investments, joint venture formations, lending, acquisitions and dispositions and debt restructuring, workouts and reorganizations.
Robert is one of only five lawyers ranked Band 1 for Real Estate in Southern California since the 2021 edition of Chambers USA with a client noting in the most recent edition that he “is an outstanding practitioner, very business-oriented and transaction-oriented.” In previous editions of Chambers USA, sources noted he “is an excellent lawyer, he’s very practical and is really good at understanding the business perspective and can get deals done,” “his market knowledge, commercial awareness and constructive approach to negotiations are incredibly effective,” “he is the most efficient attorney that I have ever worked with, he distills things down so quickly” and “I think he is a superstar in the real estate industry.” Prior editions of Chambers USA also described Robert as “phenomenal” adding that his clients report “he is truly an excellent lawyer — he knows his stuff, gets along well with opposing counsel and is incredibly responsive” adding “he is incredibly knowledgeable about statute, law and legal precedent and also a great negotiator.”
Experience
Representative Matters
Represented Rockwood Capital in the formation of a joint venture with Lowe Enterprises and AECOM-Canyon Partners and related recapitalization and financing for the development of Ivy Station, a mixed use transit-oriented development in Culver City, CA consisting of a 240,000 SF, 5-story office building, 200 apartments, 148-room boutique hotel and 50,000 SF of retail & restaurant space;
Represented Oaktree Capital Management in the formation of a series of programmatic joint ventures with Xebec Realty Partners to acquire and develop industrial real estate projects, and related acquisitions and financings by the joint ventures;
Represented Rockwood Capital in the formation of a joint venture with Hoffman & Associates and related acquisition and construction financing for West Falls, a 10-acre, 1.2 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Falls Church, Virginia;
Represented Oaktree Capital Management in the formation of a joint venture with The EMMES Group of Companies to recapitalize Centerview, a LEED Platinum, 625,000 SF Class A office property located in Irvine, California, and a related financing from CIM Group;
Represented QuadReal Property Group Limited Partnership in the acquisition and financing of Gravity, a 325-unit, 5-story apartment community located in San Diego, California and the related formation of a joint venture with RedHill Realty Investors;
Represented a partnership between Turnbridge Equities and Waterford Property Company, along with Monument Square Investment Group, in the acquisition of City Place Long Beach, a 14-acre, large-scale open-air retail, office, and mixed-used development property in the heart of downtown Long Beach, California;
Represented Oaktree Capital Management in a platform joint venture to acquire, redevelop and operate industrial real estate projects, including development of bulk distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, light industrial, infill/last mile and cold storage projects, and related acquisitions and financings by the joint venture;
Represented Rockwood Capital in the formation of a joint venture with Doyenne Healthcare Capital, a women and minority owned real estate investment firm, to invest up to $100 million of equity in seniors housing communities across the country;
Represented Pacific Investment Management Company in separate joint ventures with Schulte Hospitality Group and related acquisition financings to acquire the W Washington, D.C., and the W Atlanta Midtown;
Represented Rockwood Capital in the formation of a joint venture with Security Properties to acquire and finance a portfolio of multi-family assets comprising Ardea, a 323-unit Class A high-rise located in Portland, Oregon; Windward, a 200-unit Class A+ missed-use project in Lake Oswego, Oregon; and The Metro, a 415-unit Class A- asset in Denver;
Represented QuadReal Property Group Limited Partnership in the formation of a programmatic joint venture to develop manufactured housing projects;
Represented an opportunity fund in the sale of Apollo Tempe, a 943-bed student housing community near Arizona State University;
Represented QuadReal Property Group Limited Partnership in the formation of a joint venture with Stream Realty Partners and related acquisition financing to acquire and develop Tapo Canyon Commerce Center in Simi Valley, California;
Represented funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, LP in its joint venture with affiliates of Ascendant Capital Partners to invest in Watermark Lodging Trust, Inc.;
Represented QuadReal Property Group Limited Partnership in two separate equity commitments to programmatic joint ventures with Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC to develop multi-family projects in select supply-constrained, high barrier-to-entry submarkets in the U.S.;
Represented QuadReal Property Group Limited Partnership in the formation of joint venture with Transwestern Development Company and related construction financing to develop a build-to-suit project comprising 400,000+ square feet on behalf of Walmart in Lebanon, Pennsylvania;
Represented Oaktree Capital Management in the formation of a joint venture with Vestar to acquire The Gateway Retail and Entertainment Center, a 623,205 square foot open-air retail and entertainment center within The Gateway in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, and related acquisition, loan assumption, complex loan restructure and later refinancing.
Represented Infinity World Development Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai World, in connection with a 50/50 joint venture with MGM Resorts International for the CityCenter mixed use casino, hotel and retail project in Las Vegas, Nevada, including in connection with a successful $1.78 billion refinancing package consisting of a $1.7 billion term loan and a $75 million revolving loan facility*;
Represented opportunity fund in the acquisition of the Water's Edge office project in Playa Vista, California*;
Represented opportunity fund in a joint venture to acquire and develop a transit-related mixed use office, hotel and residential project in Culver City, California*;
Represented opportunity fund in a complex restructure of an existing office and development project in Orange County, California, including a parcel split and contribution, joint venture and related permanent and construction financing and refinancing*;
Represented opportunity fund in joint venture and acquisition of a manufacturing campus in Oregon and related financing*;
Represented opportunity fund in refinancing of a multi-state portfolio of industrial properties*;
Represented opportunity fund in the auction and sale of portfolios of performing and non-performing loans and REO properties*;
Represented opportunity fund in financing, restructure and sale of a technology park project in San Jose, California*;
Represented opportunity fund in acquisition and construction financing for condominium development project in Southern California*;
Represented opportunity fund in the refinancing of the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.*;
Represented opportunity funds in multiple structured transactions with the FDIC to acquire in excess of $1 billion real estate loans and assets once held by various failed banks*;
Represented opportunity funds in the acquisition of various portfolios of non-performing loans and REO from local, regional and national banks*;
Represented Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. in more than ninety workouts, foreclosures, receiverships and restructuring of commercial loans.*
*Prior to joining Kirkland
Prior Experience
More
Thought Leadership
Publications
Article Editor for the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review
Seminars
Presentation to the Financial Lawyers Conference entitled “Hedging Your Bets: Are You Swapping One Problem For Another?” which discussed selected enforceability issues with respect to securing hedge, swap, and derivative transactions with California real property
Recognition
Recognized as one of Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers,” 2024
Recognized for Real Estate by The Legal 500 United States, 2021 & 2023–2024
Named a leading lawyer for real estate in consecutive editions of Chambers USA, 2015–2024
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate Law, 2010–2024
Named to The Los Angeles Business Journal's list of “Commercial Real Estate Visionaries,” 2021
Recognized as a leading lawyer in the area of real estate in consecutive editions of Super Lawyers — Los Angeles, 2004–2020
Memberships & Affiliations
Member, the American Bar Association
Member, the Los Angeles County Bar Association
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- California
Education
- Loyola Law School, Los AngelesJ.D.1997
- Loyola Marymount UniversityB.A.1994