Michael J. Towne

Michael concentrates his practice in the firm’s tax and business planning group, focusing on a broad array of federal tax issues. He has extensive experience in advising publicly traded and private real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) on business formations, initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, public and private debt/equity offerings, joint ventures and various UPREIT partnership transactions. He has also represented underwriters in numerous initial and secondary public offerings of REIT securities. In addition to his tax transactional practice, Michael also has advised publicly traded corporations (including REITs), large and small private companies, and high net worth individuals on a wide variety of complex tax issues at the examination, appeals and litigation stages.

Representative Matters

• First Industrial Realty Trust Public Offerings
  

  Served as primary counsel to industrial NYSE-listed REIT with respect to public offerings utilizing diverse structures of a 12.5 million share of common stock ($65.6 million) firm commitment underwriting, a continuous “at-the-market” offering of up to 10 million shares of common stock, and direct stock sales of up to 5 million shares pursuant to a dividend reinvestment and direct stock purchase plan. The offerings utilized takedowns from a universal shelf registration statement and newly filed registration statement on which we previously represented the company.

Professional Activities and Honors

• Loyola University of Chicago Law Journal
• Certified Public Accountant, Illinois, 1993
• National Association of Real Estate Investments Trust ("NAREIT")