The Cohen Group's (TCG) Real Estate and Property Development Practice focuses on overseas opportunities and on properties currently or formerly used by US federal, state or local government. In select cases, TCG participates as a principal in property development projects.
For 18 years, Secretary William Cohen chaired the Senate subcommittee that oversees federal asset management. He was instrumental in enacting laws to promote public-private partnerships to attract private financing to build and/or operate properties and utilities that would then be leased on a long-term basis to the federal government. As Secretary of Defense, he expanded upon these initiatives, launching major public-private partnerships, e.g. in military housing and base utilities. Other TCG principals managed large federal real estate portfolios including housing, administrative, educational, industrial, scientific and health care facilities with total asset value over $250 billion.
Examples of TCG Work in Real Estate Markets
US Real Estate
- Advised the Middle East owner of a DC building housing a federal agency headquarters, working with the tenant agency, the GSA, the Office of Management and Budget and the Congress, to ensure a follow-on lease that enabled our client to sell the property on very favorable terms.
- Advised real estate service providers on strategic plans for the federal market, identifying and pursuing opportunities to advise agencies on real estate, manage federal property and participate in public-private partnerships such as Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) arrangements.
- Advised energy firms on DOD EUL arrangements for wind, biomass and other projects.
- Advised a US National Capital Region local government that is the largest host of leased federal office space, assisting it to retain federal agencies as tenants that were slated to relocate.
- Advised three property developers that own large sites suitable to develop into secure campuses for federal agencies in the National Capital Region. We identified potential tenant agencies, developed site-specific strategies and conducted outreach to agencies, GSA, and the Congress.
- Assisted multiple owners of housing developments leased to federal agencies.
- Advised the owner of a campus that hosts sensitive US government agency activities, assisting with tenant relations on issues related to security, expansion and relocation.
- Advised numerous foreign buyers of US properties in securing approval from CFIUS.
International Real Estate
- Advised and assisted one of the world's largest and top-ranked real estate law firm on clients and real estate finance markets in the US, China, India, Brazil, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
- Advised and assisted several US firms in the siting process for office, research and manufacturing facilities in China, India and Brazil, including assessing local incentives, vetting local partners, obtaining permits and negotiating land purchase agreements.
- Advised a US-Asian team on a project to develop a $1.3 billion US military campus in East Asia to be privately financed, owned and operated, assisting our client to win the project competition.