Edward N. Barad

Edward N. Barad

Of Counsel

Background

Ed Barad represents institutional and private equity fund investors in entity structuring and commercial real estate, development, acquisition and disposition. He is chair of the pro bono eviction law team of the firm. 

In 2020, he was named Real Estate Lawyer of the Year in Colorado by Best Lawyers in America. In 2017, he was named one of Law Week Colorado's Lawyers of the Year.  

Ed has been ranked in the top tier of real estate lawyers in Colorado by Chambers USA (Band One-Top 12) for 16 years. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for 17 years. He has been rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell for 30 years and ranked by Super Lawyers as one of the top 50 (2008) and top 100 (2012-2015) of all lawyers in Colorado. From 2015-2019, he was named by 5280 Magazine as one of the top real estate lawyers in Colorado.

Chambers USA has variously reported that: he has “vast levels of experience” (2019); his clients called him an “exceptional transactional attorney” (2018); “He’s very practical. He has great legal skills and we like his business judgment as well” (2016); he “constantly exhibits a solution-oriented approach” and “retains his reputation as a go-to attorney for transaction, financing and restructuring matters” (2015); he “possesses a wealth of experience, good business judgement and legal knowledge” and is described as “the dean of real estate” (2014). 

Principal Clients:

  • Miller Global Properties
  • SIMEON Commercial Properties LLC 
  • Blackstone Group International Partners LLP
  • Starwood CPG Operations, L.L.C.
  • Hines Interests
  • Cottonwood Residential O.P., LP
  • Equity Office Properties
  • Lionstone Group

Principal Memberships and Publications:

  • Member American College of Real Estate Lawyers and served on its Board of Governors
  • Wrote the original rules of the Colorado Bar Ethics Committee
  • Chairman and principal draftsman for the committee that published the Colorado Standards for Mortgage Loan Opinion Letters
  • Served on the Joint Committee of the American Bar Association, American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys in the publication of the "Real Estate Finance Opinion Report of 2012"
  • Served on the Joint Committee of the American Bar Association, American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys in the publication of the "Real Estate Finance Opinion Report of 2012," the "Real Estate Finance Opinion Report of 2016" and the "Uniform Commercial Code Opinions in Real Estate Finance Transactions" in 2018

Representative Matters

Recent Experience

  • Represented a Denver-based real estate investment company in numerous deals, including the $102 million sale of the Canopy by Hilton Scottsdale Old Town Hotel, the $616 million sale of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa to The Blackstone Group; the $70 million acquisition, financing, and development of an office building in Portland, Oregon; the sale of Panorama Corporate Center, a 780,659 square foot, six-building, class A office campus in suburban Denver; and the acquisition and leasing of a 200,000 square foot high-rise core and shell office development in Austin, Texas.

  • Represented buyer in the $70M acquisition, financing, and development of an office building in Portland, Oregon.

  • Represented seller in the sale of Panorama Corporate Center, a 780,649-square-foot, six-building, class A office campus in suburban Denver.

  • Represented buyer in $500M acquisition of foreign pension advisor for two downtown Denver high-rise buildings and local counsel opinion for $63M acquisition loan.

  • Represented the landowner in land use, financing and disposition of $300M Gaylord Hotel Conference Center location and bond closing negotiations.

  • 200,000 square foot office lease with Fortune 50 company.

  • Purchase of 200,000 square foot high rise core and shell office development in Austin, Texas.

  • $360M acquisition, financing and development in downtown Denver.

  • Acquisition of 216,000 square feet office building in Austin, Texas.

  • $100M Revolving Credit Facility.

  • Represented seller in the sale of Westgate Buildings 2 and 3 in Houston, Texas.

  • Represented tenant, in a build-to-suit lease in connection with the construction, financing and leasing of a new 270,000 square foot headquarters office building.

  • 82M Structured Finance Build-to-Suit transaction. 

  • Development of the Highpoint 1,800 acre mixed use community adjacent to Denver International Airport. 

  • Counsel to a real estate investment company in its $285 million refinance of an approximately 590 acres hotel and golf course resort property.

  • $50M Refinance of office building in Washington, DC. 

  • Acquisition, mixed use development and resale of Ninth and Colorado Boulevard site, in Denver, Colorado. 

  • Structure and finance of $150M apartment development in San Jose, California. 

  • Structure capital funding of $500M multi-unit apartment developments in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and Utah. 

  • Acquisition, structure and finance of three 400,000-800,000 square foot office complexes in Houston, Texas, and Washington D.C. 

  • Advise and due diligence regarding authority and perfection of security in a $5B portfolio.   

  • Acquisition, mixed use development and resale of Green Gables Country Club in Denver, Colorado. 

  • Acquisition of $139M four-building complex in Santa Monica, California. 

  • Negotiation of purchase, sale and development agreements for sale and development of 300,000 square foot hotel complex in Aurora, Colorado at High Point Office Park adjacent to Denver International Airport with use of public/private financing. 

  • Development of 1,000 acre Vista Ridge Residential/Golf Course Community in Erie, Colorado. 

  • Development of the 1,000 acre Grant Ranch Residential Community in Jefferson County, Colorado.

  • Development of an $80M office complex in Austin, Texas.

Insights & Publications

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., 1973, University of Colorado Law School
  • B.S., 1969, University of Colorado

Admissions

  • Colorado, 1973

Memberships

American Bar Association

Colorado Bar Association

American College of Real Estate Lawyers

ABA Business Law Section, Committee on Legal Opinions

Former Positions

Chairman, Rules Subcommittee, Colorado Bar Ethics Committee

Co-Chairman, Opinion Letter Standards Committee, Colorado Bar Real Estate Section

Opinion Letter Subcommittee, American College of Real Estate Lawyers

Board of Governors, American College of Real Estate Lawyers

Hearing Examiner, Rules Subcommittee, Colorado Bar Ethics Committee

Supreme Court Grievance Committee

Community Involvement

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

President, Board of Hillel of Colorado

Board Member, Jewish Family and Children’s Services

Former Community Involvement

Director, University of Colorado Foundation

United Way, de Tocqueville Society

Board Member, Allied Jewish Federation

Board Member, American-Israel Friendship League

Board Member, Anti-Defamation League

Board Member, Shalom Workshop

President and Chairman of the Board, Beth Ha Medrosh Hagodol-Beth Joseph Congregation

President, Green Gables Country Club

President, Hillel Council of Colorado

Recognition

AWARDS:

Best Lawyers in America, 2003-2020

  • Real Estate Lawyer of the Year, Denver, 2020

Chambers USA (Tier I), 2003-2019

Colorado Super Lawyers, 2006-2020

5280 Top Lawyers, Real Estate, 2015-2019

Colorado Super Lawyers, Top 100 in Colorado, 2012-2015

Colorado Super Lawyers, Top 50 in Colorado, 2008

Law Week Colorado, Lawyers of the Year, 2017 

Corporate Counsel magazine, Best Lawyers, 2003-2007

International Who's Who of Real Estate Lawyers, 2004-2014

International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, 2010-2014

Lawdragon 500, 2007-2010

Martindale-Hubbell rating AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5.0

Lawdragon 3000, 2011

Who's Who Legal: Real Estate

Who's Who in American Law

Who’s Who Legal: USA