Nicole E. Taplin

Ms. Taplin concentrates her practice on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and leasing matters, in New Jersey and Florida. She represents owners, investors, and developers in various aspects of commercial real estate, from contract through closing, on complex issues related to the purchase, sale, development, and financing of mixed-use, multifamily, office, shopping center, and industrial projects. She often advises on transactions that involve properties with unique environmental conditions and complex title issues. She also has significant experience representing owners and developers in the structuring, creation, and operation of residential, commercial, mixed-use, and hotel condominiums, homeowners’ associations, and planned communities.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

• Key team attorney representing a major international pharmaceutical company in the sale of its 116-acre former North American Pharmaceuticals headquarters campus with nearly 750,000 square feet of office and state-of-the-art R&D buildings, which spanned two municipalities and two counties in New Jersey. The transaction was named “Deal of the Year” by the New Jersey chapter of NAIOP in 2017. As part of this legacy transaction, a joint venture will lease a portion of the property for the first new private medical school in New Jersey in over 40 years. The sale of the campus and the creation of the new medical school are among the largest and most complex recent transactions of this kind in the metropolitan region. The closing on the sale was the consummation of two years of work. Advised on all real estate development aspects of the transaction and the preparation, negotiation, and completion of all transactional agreements for the company. Continues to represent the company on matters related to the development of the campus and to the company’s other properties surrounding the campus.
• Representing both a major international pharmaceutical company and a biopharmaceutical company in two long-term, $100+ millions leases for premium laboratory and office space in a new laboratory building under construction by MIT in Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, negotiating highly specialized lease and work letter terms.
• Leading multiple closings on over $850 million in construction, mezzanine and permanent financings for a joint venture developer of a multi-phase mixed-use project of interconnected buildings located above the Grove Street PATH station in Jersey City, consisting of more than 1,600 residential units, a hotel, retail space, and a 1,000-space parking garage. Creating the commercial condominium structure that underlies the towers.
• Serving as lead counsel to a joint venture on a $61.5 million senior secured construction loan for the development of a new mixed-use project located in a qualified opportunity zone in Newark near the Rutgers campus. The project is a key component in the revitalization of Newark. The construction loan was negotiated from March through October 2020, having to account for new and unique financing and construction issues related to the COVID pandemic and shutdown.
• Leading the closing of a $73 million construction and permanent loan for a new, 30-story luxury apartment building in Manhattan. In addition to the apartments, the project will include street level retail space, recreational spaces comprising a gym, lounge, great room, kids’ room, rooftop terraces, and a 27-space parking garage. The loan facility contained three major components, a construction loan converting a permanent loan, and the use of two interest rate swaps to hedge interest rate risk. Negotiated two complex loan agreements, numerous guarantees, other loan documents, and an ISDA master agreement and schedules for the two swap transactions. The transaction also contained complex title issues, including zoning lot development and easement agreement matters.
• As a key team attorney, leading the negotiation, documentation, and closing of a $49 million construction loan for a joint venture between a private developer and public REIT. The financing will be used for the construction of a 309-unit multi-family residential rental building with an 85-space parking garage and ground floor commercial office and retail space in Jersey City.
• As part of a small team, acted as local New Jersey counsel to a REIT that focuses primarily on net-lease industrial investments in a recapitalization of a multiple-state office portfolio via a $700+ million sale to a JV in which it will continue to own 20 percent.
• Advising on a construction loan with an EB-5 equity investment component, supplied through the EB-5 immigration program, which allows issuance of visas to foreign investors in job-creating domestic projects.
• Structuring and closing on a term loan monetizing the income stream derived from the sale of an Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit (UTHTC) grant awarded to a development project from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).
• Serving as counsel to a large software company on a new office headquarters lease. Advised on various aspects of the company’s receipt of a Grow New Jersey award from the NJEDA for the relocation of its operations from New York City to New Jersey.
• Representing a full-service intermodal services supplier in connection with leasing activities in locations across the United States.
• Representing an international pharmaceutical company in the acquisition and development of its new U.S. headquarters consolidating various offices into one campus of over 660,000 square feet of office space. The transaction was named “Deal of the Year” by the New Jersey chapter of NAIOP and the national “2012 Development Deal of the Year” by Real Estate Forum magazine.
• With a team of Gibbons attorneys, representing a publicly-traded company in connection with the company’s spin-off into three separate companies and with the transfer in bulk of their real estate assets in eleven different jurisdictions in the United States, which has included  addressing local requirements, overseeing local counsel, and addressing transfer tax issues.
• Representing a developer on a financing transaction for a future residential development of property in Red Bank, New Jersey and will continue to be involved in the development project at all phases. Closed on another financing for a separate property in Red Bank owned by the client and negotiated the acquisition of another key retail property for the client.
• Serving as counsel to a seller of a large parcel of land in New Jersey to an international grocery retailer and negotiating a declaration of reciprocal easements relating to the client’s retained parcels adjacent to the sale parcel.
• Negotiated a lease on behalf of a landlord for the takeover of a movie theater space with a new performing arts theater during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Serving as counsel to a university in the disposition of several buildings near its campus in New Jersey.
• As part of a large chapter 11 bankruptcy, representing the client in bankruptcy in negotiating a contract and completing a closing on the sale of industrial property in Miami, Florida. Our team handled all aspects of the transaction, which has included obtaining all necessary corporate and bankruptcy court approvals and working with the bankruptcy trustee to finalize the sale.
• Representing a REIT that owns and operates one of North America’s largest portfolio of neighborhood and community shopping centers in its disposition of several office buildings in the Northeast region.
• Representing a global construction services company in the acquisition and disposition of an office building and other commercial property.
• Serving as counsel to a bank in the disposition of commercial real estate assets in New Jersey that it acquired by foreclosure.
• Representing a property owner in the sale of industrial property located in Jersey City.
• Representing a large private equity real estate company in connection with an equity investment in a multi-use project in New Jersey.
• Representing a large New Jersey landlord that owns and manages millions of square feet of office space, as well as significant retail space, in various leasing activities.
• Acquiring a new office headquarters for a large pest control company that has been providing services for over 85 years.
• Serving as counsel on the disposition of hundreds of acres of farmland.