Walter B. Howell, III

"Walter is incredibly knowledgeable on all aspects of the matters on which he assists us, he is responsive and consistently delivers good results." "Walter is excellent, he is thorough, professional and always accurate with advice."—Chambers USA

Walter Howell assists clients in addressing their real estate leasing, financing, and acquisition and disposition matters.

In the leasing sector, he represents both landlords and tenants in preparing and negotiating office, industrial and retail leases for properties across the United States and internationally. He assists private developers, institutional owners, and state agencies in acquiring, financing, developing, and selling commercial, institutional and governmental properties and counsels them in zoning, land use matters and land use and permitting issues.

Walter represents institutional lenders in negotiating and documenting commercial real estate and asset-based loans financing office, retail, residential, and industrial developments. He also assists lenders with debt reorganizations, forbearance agreements, and foreclosures.

Represented a national bank in portfolio loan financings, including a $15.6 million loan secured by properties in Florida and Georgia and a $10.25 refinancing of an industrial portfolio in Kansas.

Represented a national bank in construction loan financings, including a $53 million loan related to a new industrial facility in Massachusetts and a $41 million loan related to an affordable housing development in Texas.

Advised a national bank concerning participations in a $140 million construction loan for a residential tower in Virginia and a $185 million refinancing of a residential tower in Massachusetts.

Represented a major state public authority in negotiating a long-term air rights lease governing the development of Phase II of Fenway Center, an estimated $1 billion mixed-use development over the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Fenway section of Boston that has been in the works for more than 10 years. The transformative air rights project required negotiations of highly complex arrangements and is one of the largest air rights project since Copley Place was built in the 1980s. Phase II includes a 90,000-square-foot air-rights deck to be built over the Turnpike and a nearly one million-square-foot tower that will house life-science tenants built atop the deck. We also handled negotiations related to Fenway Center’s Phase I, which includes a 312-unit apartment building built adjacent to a commuter rail station.

Represented a Massachusetts public agency in a public/private partnership, specifically involving the disposition by ground lease of several terra firma parcels in the Fenway area of Boston for two residential developments, including 312 apartment units, approximately 37,000 square feet of retail space, and 200 parking spaces connected to a major transit station. Acted as primary outside counsel on all the real estate and environmental aspects of the project and negotiated the ground lease that will govern the real estate development and transaction for the next 99 years.

Represented a major pharmaceutical company in converting a biotech campus into a “bio-hub” with stand-alone and lab-share leasing to third-party start-up and established biotechnology companies. Developed both stand-alone and shared lab leasing models and brokerage, property management, equipment sharing and confidentiality management agreements for the facility.

Negotiate leases for a developer/landlord of a former large mill complex converted into office, light industrial and retail space. Negotiated varied-size leases with research and development, technology, science, media, and non-profit organizations as well as artists, a restaurant, a brewery, and a fitness center.