Nicholas S. Legatos

Nicholas Legatos focuses his practice in the areas of commercial real estate and finance law. He assists institutional and entrepreneurial developers, investors and owners—including hospitality, industrial, mixed-use, multifamily and retail property owners and developers—throughout the country in the areas of acquisition, development, disposition, entitlement, debt and equity financing, joint ventures and leasing. Mr. Legatos has also provided legal assistance to clients in numerous joint ventures, involving an aggregate amount of $1 billion worth of properties throughout the country. In addition, he has worked with owners in the drafting and negotiation of complex leases, declarations, development agreements and reciprocal easement agreements.

Mr. Legatos represents lenders and borrowers in various types of finance and loan transactions. His financing work includes a particular focus on representing lenders in loan transactions secured by real estate.

Mr. Legatos also represents financial institutions, receivers and servicers in all aspects of distressed property situations. He has negotiated several deed-in-lieu-of-foreclosure agreements, forbearance agreements and loan modifications on behalf of lenders, borrowers, receivers and servicers, involving hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate and loans across the Midwest.

Prior to joining Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, Mr. Legatos was a partner with a local Chicago law firm where he represented institutional and entrepreneurial clients in sophisticated commercial real estate transactions. He began his legal career in commercial real estate law with a Chicago area corporate and business law firm where he represented major developers in multi-million-dollar commercial real estate transactions, including the acquisition and disposition of vacant, commercial, industrial and multi-family properties.

• American Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association
• Chicago Real Estate Council
• International Council of Shopping Centers
• Real Estate Investment Association
• Urban Land Institute

• Recognized as a "Notable Gen X Leader in Law," by Crain's Chicago Business, 2019
• Recognized on the Rising Stars list by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2009 – 2010
• Recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of Real Estate Law: Commercial and Real Estate Law: Finance

• Author of “The Value of the Master Lease,” published in the Illinois Real Estate Journal, January 2009

• Illinois Hellenic Veteran's War Memorial, Counsel
• America Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, Member
• Hellenic American Leadership Council, Council Member