The global law firm Jones Day has announced that Melissa Vandewater has joined the Firm as a partner in its Real Estate Practice and is based in Chicago. She will also be part of the Firm's Energy Transition & Infrastructure group, focusing on digital infrastructure, including telecommunications, data center development, and financing.
Ms. Vandewater has substantial experience advising developers, investors, owners, tenants, and lenders in complex commercial real estate transactions. She has advised clients in major real estate financings, joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions, development projects, and leases involving data centers, industrial, office, retail and multifamily properties. Representative projects include the leasing of a portfolio of data center properties in excess of 1,000 megawatts, including negotiation of service level agreements, development work letters, operating expense pass-through obligations and tax incentive provisions.
"Melissa has broad experience representing purchasers and sellers in portfolio and single-asset acquisitions and dispositions across various sectors throughout the United States," said Brian Sedlak, Co-Leader of Jones Day's Real Estate Practice. "Her proven track record across the spectrum of commercial real estate is a tremendous addition to our practice and we are pleased to welcome her to Jones Day."
Ms. Vandewater follows the recent partner arrivals in the Firm's globally recognized Real Estate Practice of Elizabeth Dominguez Yaeger in Washington, D.C. and Conrad Steele in Dallas. They join a global team of 120 lawyers in Jones Day's Real Estate Practice, who provide clients with comprehensive legal solutions to business opportunities by drawing on their experience in the real estate industry and seamless collaboration with their Jones Day colleagues across multiple disciplines, including funds, joint ventures, M&A, finance, development, tax, regulatory, planning/zoning, and environmental matters. The Firm's real estate clients include investment banks, real estate funds, institutional investors, lenders, major corporations, real estate developers, property management companies, retailers, and hospitality companies. Jones Day has achieved a top ranking among global law firms in Bloomberg's real estate M&A league tables, ranked by number of completed deals, every year since 2003.
"Melissa has advised some of the world's largest data center operators, private equity firms, and real estate investors on high-stakes commercial real estate transactions, and serves as counsel to a number of developers and investors in the area of real estate finance," said Tina Tabacchi, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Chicago Office. "She is a highly respected member of the Chicago Bar and we are pleased to welcome her to Jones Day."
Ms. Vandewater earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and her undergraduate degree from Duke University. She is listed in Lawdragon's "500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers" for 2024.
"Jones Day's Real Estate Practice provides comprehensive advice across all stages of real estate investment and across a wide range of disciplines and jurisdictions," said Ms. Vandewater. "I am eager to join this team that leverages the global experience of its lawyers and deep local and industry market knowledge to deliver tailored solutions for our clients' most complex real estate transactions."
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