Areas of Practice
Industries
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1973
Education
University of Chicago, J.D.
Cornell University, A.B.
Michael Kurtzon has more than 35 years of experience in providing legal services to the real estate industry.
Mr. Kurtzon counsels institutional real estate lenders on a national basis in a variety of complex lending matters including loan workouts and restructurings. He regularly represents real estate development companies in residential and commercial construction and development projects, including mixed-use projects, land acquisitions and development, financing and documentation for condominiums, and other for-sale housing projects. He also represents real estate investors and owners in acquisitions and dispositions of properties, securitized debt financings, and negotiation of architectural and construction agreements, as well as landlords and tenants in leasing transactions.
Mr. Kurtzon's work encompasses many types of transactions, including project and securitized financings, and purchases and sales of hotels, office buildings, apartment complexes and shopping centers. He has extensive experience representing parties in the formation of joint ventures and other business combinations.
Mr. Kurtzon is well regarded for his knowledge of the real estate industry and frequently writes and speaks about his area of practice. Past speaking topics include construction lending, syndicated loan transactions, condominium law, construction law, and the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act and workouts of troubled projects.
Experience
- Represented lead lender in a $120 million syndicated construction loan for a mixed use "town center" project.
- Represented lead lender in mixed-use Chicago project.
- Represented lead lender in a $115 million credit facility for development of a downtown Chicago office building.
- Represented Canadian opportunity fund in a $80 million acquisition and securitized financing of office park.
- Represented lead lender in a syndicated construction loan for a $75 million high-rise mixed-use condominium/retail project.
- Represented California investment company in acquisition financing and sale of a $35 million office building.
- Represented parking garage company in section 1031 deferred tax-free exchange of multiple properties.
- Represented developer of mixed-use condominium and retail project.
- Represented Chicago area investment company in the acquisition of more than 2,000 rental units in a series of transactions.
Seminars & Speeches
- Commercial Real Estate Financing 2018, Practising Law Institute, Chicago, IllinoisApril 19-20, 2018
- April 6-7, 2017
- Guarantees in Real Estate Loans, Practising Law InstituteApril 10, 2015
- Legal Issues Impacting Real Estate, 12th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference, Chicago, Illinois, panel memberJanuary 22, 2014
- Restructuring Troubled Condo Projects: Workout Issues, Law Seminars International (Moderated a panel discussion)April 25, 2008
Publications
- April 2017Commercial Real Estate Financing, chapter
News
- February 24, 2016
- Notes that “Bad Boy” Provisions, Other Carveouts Are Still AroundMay 16, 2014
- Charity Event—Themed “Party of the Century”—Held on Wrigley Field's 100th AnniversaryApril 24, 2014
- Discusses Types of Nonrecourse Carveouts Included in Recourse Guarantees and How Lenders and Guarantors Deal with Issues They PresentDecember 23, 2013
- Acknowledges Decree Has “Noble Intention” But is Likely to be “Counterproductive”September 23, 2013
- Discusses Legal Issues that Impact Real Estate IndustryJanuary 18, 2013
- January 4, 2013
Alerts
Press Releases
- January 29, 2021
- 18 Attorneys Earn “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 20, 2020
- Firm Ranked as One of the Top 10 in the Nation for Consumer Class ActionsApril 23, 2020
- January 29, 2020
- 18 Attorneys Earn “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 15, 2019
- April 25, 2019
- January 10, 2019
- 13 Attorneys Earn “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 15, 2018
- January 25, 2018
- 10 Attorneys Receive “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 15, 2017
- May 26, 2017
- January 13, 2017
- 14 Attorneys Receive “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 15, 2016
- May 27, 2016
- January 11, 2016
- 12 Attorneys Receive “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 18, 2015
- May 28, 2015
- January 13, 2015
- Firm Receives 10 “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 18, 2014
- Nearly One in Four Dykema Practitioners Earn Distinction; Seven Merit “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 16, 2013
- June 6, 2013
- More Than One in Four Dykema Practitioners Earn DistinctionAugust 23, 2012
Memberships & Involvement
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers
- American College of Mortgage Attorneys
- Chicago Mortgage Attorneys Association
- Chicago Bar Association Real Property Finance Committee
- American Bar Association Section on Real Property, Probate and Trust Law
Awards & Recognition
Named a Leading Real Estate Lawyer by Chambers USA, 2011-2020
Named a "Top Ten" Illinois Leading Lawyer in Real Estate in 2016 and 2017 by Leading Lawyers Network, Law Bulletin Publishing Company
Named an Illinois Leading Lawyer in the area of Real Estate: Associations & Condominiums, Real Estate: Commercial and Real Estate: Finance by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2003-2017. Law Bulletin Publishing Company
Recognized in Illinois Super Lawyers® for Real Estate: Business, 2011-Present
Recognized in Law & Politics as an Illinois Super Lawyer for Real Estate, 2005-2010
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law, 1983-Present. Copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC
Recipient of an AV® Preeminent™ Rating by Martindale-Hubbell