Rajeev M. Patel

Raj Patel is a partner in the firm’s Real Estate group, focusing his practice on construction and infrastructure projects. As a US and UK qualified lawyer, Raj has advised on over $10 billion of construction and infrastructure transactions across the aviation, oil and gas, renewables, office and industrial, sports stadium, and gaming sectors.

In addition, Raj advises real estate owners, developers, and lenders on the purchase, sale, leasing, and financing of industrial, commercial, and residential buildings.

Prior to joining Honigman, Raj served as senior in-house counsel for two Fortune 100 companies where he focused on mergers & acquisitions, real estate, finance, technology transactions, and environmental sustainability matters.

Representative Matters

Construction and Real Estate

• Provided legal support for the development of a new $550M aircraft maintenance complex at a major international airport, including negotiating the ground lease, drafting and negotiating design and construction contracts, and advising on the issuance of tax-exempt special facility revenue bonds to finance construction
• Drafted and negotiated a $190M turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for a food processing and distribution center
• Drafted and negotiated project management, design, engineering consulting, and construction manager at risk (CMR) construction contract, and advised on green building standards, for the $90M expansion and renovation of a corporate training campus
• Structured, drafted, and negotiated a $450M master design-build contract to upgrade cargo logistics systems at US hubs and associated technology agreements to develop a new RFID tracking system
• Drafted and negotiated design, construction, and procurement contracts for a $170M Tier 3 data center
• Negotiated one of the largest commercial office leases signed in Chicago history
• Represented a Fortune 100 company in its sale of a 125-key hotel
• Represented one of the largest US cities in the $563M privatization of an underground parking garage system and the proposed $2.5B privatization of its airport
• Represented a national bank on real estate workouts, including sales of real estate owned (REO), guarantor actions, and loan modifications and forbearance agreements for a portfolio of distressed construction loans
• Led negotiations and drafted design and construction contracts for a $120M casino redevelopment project

Sustainability and Renewable Energy

• Advised a client on strategic investments and partnerships, sustainable supply chain initiatives, and regulatory matters related to achieving “net zero” emissions by 2050
• Structured and negotiated the world’s first long-term renewable jet fuel supply agreement
• Drafted and negotiated the first spot renewable jet fuel contract in the US and managed legal support for insurance, regulatory, and safety matters related to the first US commercial flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel
• Negotiated balance of plant engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for 228 MW wind farm
• Represented a client in structuring and negotiating its investment in five municipal solid waste (MSW) to fuel refineries
• Represented a client in its investment in a direct air carbon capture project in Texas

Prior Experience

• United Airlines, Managing Counsel
• RWE Renewables, Assistant General Counsel
• Mayer Brown LLP, Associate

Professional & Community Involvement

American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, 2018 Fellow

International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA)

Selden Society