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Robert W. Barron is a Florida-based business attorney with significant experience with general corporate transactions, corporate and debt restructurings and commercial real estate transactions.

Robert's corporate transactional experience include mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of corporate businesses (including portfolio companies and subsidiaries), venture capital investment and investment partnership transactions, formation and capitalization of start-up companies (whether corporations, limited partnerships or limited liability companies), including follow-up investment transactions, and asset -based corporate financing for businesses and the structuring and negotiation of shareholder agreements, limited partnership agreements and LLC operating agreements. 

Robert represents corporate clients in providing counsel and assistance in connection with their on-going corporate and operational matters, including, ongoing corporate governance issues and the structuring, preparation and negotiation of employment agreements, non-competition agreements, severance agreements, and distribution, sales, license, manufacturing and other general business contracts.

Robert has significant experience in distressed corporate and partnership restructuring transactions – representing from time to time either the buy side or the sell side - whether in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding (including the representation of debtors or purchasers in Section 363 asset auction transactions in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding) or outside of the bankruptcy process. Robert works closely with the Business Reorganization Team of the Berger Singerman in connection with such restructuring matters. 

He has worked with borrowers, guarantors and lenders in attempting to work out or restructure distressed loans with an aggregate outstanding balance in excess of a billon dollars.  He works closely with the Dispute Resolution Team of Berger Singerman in connection with the enforcement of litigation by creditors against borrowers and guarantors and/or the defense of such enforcement litigation on behalf of borrowers and guarantors.

Within the commercial real estate industry, Robert has worked with the acquisition and disposition of office, industrial, multi-family properties, luxury and near-luxury hotel properties and the negotiation of hotel management contracts. He has represented lenders and borrowers in commercial real estate loan transactions and workouts (including defeasance opportunities) as well as owners and developers in connection with leasing transactions construction projects and related construction and architect agreements.

Representative Experience

  • Representation of Levitt & Sons LLC in connection with transactional matters involving its chapter 11 case
  • Representation of private equity fund in the acquisition of a distressed company in a chapter 11 case, including negotiation of portfolio company operating agreement and employment arrangements with chief executive officer for the new portfolio company
  • Representation of private co-location business in corporate asset sale transaction to private equity fund acquirer
  • Representation of commercial loan servicer with a portfolio of commercial loans with an aggregate principal balance exceeding $200 million secured by real property
  • Representation of condominium converter/developer with aggregate indebtedness in excess of $220 million in connection with restructuring transactions
  • Representation of various homebuilders and real property developers with indebtedness exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with restructuring transactions

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Board of Trustees, South Florida Chapter of Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
  • Chairman, Board of Directors of Sheridan Family Ministries, Inc., a local charity serving the needs of single mothers and troubled teenage children
  • Board of Directors, Henderson Behavioral Health, the largest, community-based not-for-profit behavioral healthcare system in South Florida
  • Florida Bar: Executive Council of Business Section of Florida Bar - 2006 to present
  • Florida Bar: Co-Vice Chair of Opinion Standards Committee of Business Section of the Florida Bar - 2006 to present
  • Advisory Board, Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship at Florida State University
  • Board Member, Tower Forum
  • Board of Governors, Health Professions Division, Nova Southeastern University
  • Leadership Florida Class XXI
  • Chairman of the Board of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce (2010)
  • Member, Executive Committee and Finance Committee of the Chamber
  • Member, Board of Directors of the Chamber and a past member of the Board of Governors
  • Leadership Fort Lauderdale Class VII, a Program sponsored by the Chamber.
  • Past chair of the Advisory Committee, Leadership Fort Lauderdale
  • Past Curriculum Chairman, Leadership Fort Lauderdale Class X
  • National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)
  • International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
  • Gamma Beta Phi Society

Awards & Recognition

  • Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year (Middle Market) for HearUSA, M&A Advisor's 6th Annual Turnarounds Awards, 2012
  • Finalist for Most Effective Lawyer Award in Bankruptcy, Daily Business Review, 2011
  • Florida Trend Magazine’s “Legal Elite” (2006 - 2008; 2010-2011)
  • The South Florida Legal Guide, “Top Lawyer” (Commercial Real Estate and Corporate Transactions, 2007-2012)
  • Florida's Super Lawyers (2007-present)
  • "Top Real Estate Lawyer" in the State of Florida its February/March 2008 issue of the Real Estate Florida publication
  • AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell
  • Salute to Business Award from the Chamber for activities related to Leadership Fort Lauderdale - 2006

Articles & Presentations

Articles

  • "Mortgage fraud on the rise", National Law Journal, October 9, 2007
  • "Inconvenient truths and condo conversion deals", Florida Real Estate Journal, September 1-15, 2007

Presentations

  • Speaker, Florida Bar: Legal Opinion Customary Practice in Florida: What Florida Business Lawyers Need to Know – Miami and Tampa, "Opinions Regarding Entity Status, Opinions Regarding the Issuance of Corporate Securities; Opinions Regarding Substantive Laws, and Ethical Issues to Consider in Issuing a Legal Opinion" (May 2010)
  • Speaker, "The Bankruptcy Option: A Potentially Useful Option for the Owner of Purchaser of Distressed Real Estate" CB Richard Ellis Web Conference Call (October 2009)
  • Panelist, "What are Lenders Doing with Their Underperforming Properties Pre-Foreclosure?", Information Management Network, 2nd Annual Symposium on Distressed Real Estate (June 2008)
  • Panelist, "Opportunities In Buying Incomplete or Distressed Condo Hotel Projects" Information Management Network, 4th Annual Florida Symposium on Financing, Developing & Operating Mixed-Use Hospitality, Hotel Residences & Condo Hotels (April, 2008)
  • Panelist, "Considering Alternative Uses", Information Management Network, Distressed Real Estate Symposium (March, 2008)
  • Panelist, Southeastern Distressed M&A Summit (January 2008)
  • Panelist, "Dealing With Contingencies: Project Underperformance, Failure, Cancellations & Bankruptcies (Oh My)", Information Management Network, 3rd Annual Symposium on Symposium on Financing, Developing and Operating Condos, Hotels and Branded Residences (December 2007)
  • Radio Interview - Exceptional Wisdom Radio Guest

Prior Affiliation

  • Thompson & Knight LLLP - Dallas, Texas
  • Weil, Gotshal & Manges - Dallas, Texas