James “Jamie” Zimmer guides developers and lenders through a broad range of complex commercial real estate matters. His practice focuses on the acquisition, disposition, financing, and leasing of high-value assets. Jamie has extensive experience with hospitality related assets, working with clients in the U.S. and the Americas on these deals. He represents a wide swath of players in the hospitality and leisure industry with the structuring of their M&A, financing, joint venture, and investment deals including luxury hotel and resort owners, brands, operators and management companies, amusement/theme parks, and food & beverage operators.
Jamie helps his clients draft and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, loan documents, joint venture agreements, and hotel management agreements. He also has experience representing both debt funds along with balance sheet and CMBS lenders in connection with the origination of senior and mezzanine loans across a wide range of asset classes.
Jamie previously served as in-house counsel for a privately held real estate investment firm in New York focused on the development, ownership and operation of hospitality assets located throughout the United States. In this role, he oversaw all legal and risk-management functions of the firm including handling legal matters related to its development management platform, hotel management platform, and its corporate governance and compliance departments. Jamie’s in-house experience provides him with unique insight into the practical and operational concerns of real estate investors, particularly those in the hospitality space.
Representative Experience
Hospitality & Leisure
- Represented client in connection with the sale of its interest in a purchase agreement related to a to-be-developed luxury hotel located in Miami, FL.*
- Represented owner in the negotiation of a hotel management agreement with a national hotel manager for an independent hotel located in Atlanta, GA.*
- Represented sponsor in connection with the sale of membership interests in an entity which owned a luxury hotel development site located in South Florida.*
- Represented owner in the refinancing of a luxury destination resort located in New Mexico.*
- Represented lender in connection with the origination of a senior and mezzanine loan for the construction of an ultra-luxury hotel located in Miami Beach, FL.*
- Represented lender in connection with the origination of a mezzanine loan related to a Hyatt franchised hotel located in Miami Beach, FL.*
- Represented owner in connection with the negotiation of a hotel management agreement with an international ultra-luxury hotel manager for a hotel located in Bermuda.*
- Represented sponsor in connection with the negotiation of a joint venture agreement for the development of a luxury hotel located in Miami Beach, FL.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of an amusement park located in Southern Alabama.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of various amusement parks located in Panama City Beach, FL.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a Kimpton managed hotel located in Southern California.*
- Represented a syndicate of international banks (as United States and hospitality counsel) in connection with their origination of a mortgage loan secured by a Marriott managed hotel located in Aruba.*
- Represented a syndicate of international banks (as United States and hospitality counsel) in connection with their origination of a mortgage loan secured by a Hyatt managed hotel located in Aruba. Representation included negotiation of intercreditor agreement related to mezzanine seller financing*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of an independently branded hotel located in San Francisco, CA.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a Hilton franchised hotel located in Northern California.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a Hilton franchised hotel located in Nashville, TN.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a Marriott franchised hotel located in Cincinnati, OH.*
- Represented borrower in connection with obtaining a revolving line of credit to be utilized for pre-development expenses related to the construction of a luxury hotel located in Denver, CO.*
- Represented joint venture in the recapitalization and refinancing of a national portfolio of Embassy Suites hotels.*
- Represented various sponsors in the negotiation of joint venture agreements, in connection with the development of mixed use, condominium, hotel and multifamily properties throughout the State of Florida.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition and subsequent refinancing of a Marriott franchised hotel located in Seattle, WA.*
- Represented various sponsors and limited partners in connection with the receipt and origination of preferred equity investments related to mixed use, condominium, hotel and multifamily properties throughout the State of Florida.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a retail/restaurant condominium unit located in Coconut Grove.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a Hilton franchised hotel located in Southern California.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of an independent resort property located in Stowe, VT.*
- Represented seller in the sale of a portfolio of Embassy Suites hotels located in the Pacific Northwest.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a Hilton franchised hotel located in Portland, OR.*
- Represented seller in the sale of a Hilton franchised hotel located in Boca Raton, FL.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition and subsequent refinancing of a Marriott franchised hotel located in Southern California.*
- Represented joint venture in the recapitalization and refinancing of an IHG franchised hotel located in Atlanta, GA.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a portfolio of IHG franchised hotels located in the Boston metropolitan area.*
- Represented joint venture in the recapitalization and refinancing of an independently branded resort property located in Lake Placid, NY.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a Hilton franchised hotel located in Albuquerque, NM.*
Real Estate
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a cold storage facility located in Orlando, FL.*
- Represented sponsor in connection with the negotiation of a joint venture for the development of a multifamily property located in Sugar Land, TX.*
- Represented owner in the refinancing of a portfolio of affordable housing properties located throughout the State of Florida.*
- Represented borrower in obtaining a construction loan for the construction of build-to-rent modular homes located in Durham, NC.*
- Represented seller in the sale of a portfolio of multifamily properties located in the Orlando metropolitan area.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of an office building located in Birmingham, AL.*
- Represented buyer in connection with the acquisition of an office complex located in Tampa, FL.*
- Represented sponsor in connection with the negotiation of a joint venture agreement for the acquisition of hundreds of single family rental homes located throughout the United States.*
- Represented sponsor in connection with the negotiation of a joint venture agreement for the development of a master planned community located in Central Florida.*
- Represented sponsor in connection with its receipt of a preferred equity investment in connection with the development of workforce housing located in Dallas, TX.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a portfolio of multifamily properties located in Dallas, TX.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a portfolio of multifamily properties located in New York City.*
- Represented limited partner in the negotiation of a joint venture agreement, in connection with the development of a condominium located in St. Petersburg, FL.*
- Represented limited partner in the negotiation of a joint venture agreement, in connection with the development of a multifamily property located in the State of Connecticut.*
- Represented buyer in the acquisition of a portfolio of shopping centers located in Houston, TX.*
- Represented seller in the sale of a condominium development site located in Houston, TX.*
*Matters handled prior to joining Foley.
Awards and Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Ones to Watch (2024)
Affiliations
- Leadership Broward, Class XLII