William O'Reilly is a partner in and former chair of the Real Estate Practice Group.
Practice
Mr. O'Reilly's practice focuses on all aspects of real estate law, including private equity investment, development, financing, purchase and sale, land use and leasing. Mr. O'Reilly has served as counsel for a broad range of clients, including institutional investors and lenders, foreign and domestic pension funds, domestic insurance companies and banks, developers, private equity investors, public REITs, Fortune 500 corporations and non-profit institutions. Mr. O'Reilly frequently collaborates with colleagues in WilmerHale's litigation, bankruptcy and environmental practices on complex real estate and litigation matters. He has had significant experience representing creditors and debtors in distressed real estate situations and workouts.
Recent Highlights
- Representation of a NYSE retail company in land acquisitions, ground leases, entitlement and challenges to over 100 new stores or store expansions
- Representation of the developer of a planned 5 million square foot "smart growth" mixed use development in acquisitions, financings and entitlements
- Representation of a publicly traded life science REIT in its development, entitlement and leasing of 1,500,000 square feet of laboratory, office and residential space
- Representation and counseling of major non-profit institutions in significant real estate transactions, including dispositions and acquisitions of key facilities
- Representation of national multi-family developers in construction and financing of luxury apartment and condominium developments
- Representation of owners and developers of complex high profile waterfront properties
- Representation of pension fund advisors in portfolio-wide acquisitions and dispositions of properties throughout the United States
- Representation of lending institutions in workouts and lending on hotel, office, multi-family, condominium and retail properties
Professional Activities
- Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, Tufts University
- Trustee, Beaver Country Day School
- Director, Tufts University Hillel
- Fellow, The American College of Real Estate Lawyers
Honors and Awards
- Consistently selected by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in America (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) in the areas of real estate law and land use & zoning law
- Recognized as a Massachusetts leader in the area of real estate in each edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2004
- Endorsed in the real estate practice area for Massachusetts in the 2009/2010 PLC Cross-Border Handbook
- Named one of Boston Magazine's "New England Super Lawyers" (formerly "Massachusetts Super Lawyers") in real estate each year since 2004
Speaking Engagements
- American College of Real Estate Lawyers
Publications
Mr. O'Reilly is the author of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education publications on
- Obtaining Zoning Permits and Approvals
- Lease Drafting
- Public/Private Real Estate Transactions
