Lougee, David L.

Ron Weitz represents clients in most phases of federal income taxation with particular emphasis on domestic and cross-border real estate transactions and real estate-related investments. He has significant experience in domestic and international real estate private equity fund formations and operations; the formation and operation of public and private real estate investment trusts; distressed asset transactions in the U.S., Europe, and Asia; and the structuring and formation of complex partnerships with tax-exempt, U.S. taxable, and foreign investors.

Representative transactions in which Ron has served as lead tax counsel include numerous transactions for Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds, including the $8.6 billion buyout of Canary Wharf Plc, the $3.9 billion acquisition of Investa Properties Ltd. (Australia), and the acquisition of a $343 million nonperforming Korean loan portfolio from Korean Asset Management Corporation; the $3.4 billion buyout of Centerpoint Properties Trust by CalEast Industrial Investors, LLC; and public offerings by several publicly traded REITs.

Additional representative clients for which Ron has regularly performed legal services include CB Richard Ellis Investors, Developers Diversified Realty, LaSalle Investment Management, Pfizer, the Public Employees' Retirement Association of Colorado, and the Westbrook Real Estate Funds.

Ron has authored articles in the area of partnership taxation and tax-exempt entity investment in real estate. He has served as a member of The Real Estate Roundtable Tax Policy Advisory Committee and has spoken at national and local bar association and professional tax organizational meetings, including those sponsored by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT).