Hinshaw Partner L.J. Rotman Recognized as a POWER 30 in Real Estate and Construction Law

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, a U.S. law firm, is pleased to announce that Minneapolis-based partner L.J. Rotman has been selected to the inaugural "The POWER 30: Real Estate and Construction Law" by Minnesota Lawyer. The list recognizes lawyers "whose mere presence on a case signifies the stakes, who have influenced the direction of the law, whose leadership in the community is pervasive, and whose respect within the bar is undeniable."

With a law practice centered on the hospitality industry, Rotman has been responsible for structuring and negotiating billions of dollars of hotel acquisitions, financings, developments, restructurings, and workouts involving thousands of hotels worldwide, as well as extensive work on the stadium developments for the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins.

In a POWER 30 profile published by Minnesota Lawyer, Rotman discussed some of the unique attributes of hotel projects, and why—as a business lawyer—he enjoys working on them. He notes that a variety of financing tools in addition to conventional financing are potentially available in such projects, including real estate investment trusts, joint ventures, tax increment financing, public and private offerings, ground leases, and sale/leaseback transactions. Even more significantly, he notes they involve an operating business, meaning that post-construction legal solutions need to be strategized for issues such as liquor licenses, employment, and taxation.

Rotman also discussed his work on the United Properties' RBC Gateway project, a 37-story tower redevelopment of downtown Minneapolis' landmark corner at Washington and Hennepin Avenues. When completed in 2022, RBC Gateway will be one of the ten tallest buildings in downtown Minneapolis. It will be home to RBC Wealth Management world headquarters, Four Seasons, the city's first 5-star hotel, the Pohlad Companies, 33 private residences, a public plaza, and street-level retail. Rotman credited United Properties for developing a concept appropriate for a "Gateway to Minneapolis" project, noting "[the city of Minneapolis] wanted a 'landmark' kind of project, which they are getting."