Christopher W. Pate

Partner
Pate Christopher
Chris Pate represents publicly and privately held real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other companies in connection with major transactions, corporate governance issues, securities transactions, and other financings. Chris has counseled buyers and sellers in merger and acquisition transactions, including many valued in excess of $1 billion, and has advised issuers in multiple stock and debt offerings, including initial public offerings. In addition, he has assisted numerous private and nontraded registered REITs with their formation transactions and state registration process under the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) REIT Guidelines.

Experience

Government Experience

    Representative Matters

    • Served as Maryland counsel to a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed cold-storage REIT in its $725 million initial public offering
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NYSE-listed student housing REIT in its $4.6 billion acquisition by a private equity real estate firm
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NYSE-listed industrial REIT in its $8.5 billion stock-for-stock merger with another publicly traded industrial REIT
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NYSE-listed data center REIT in its $7.8 billion stock-for-stock merger with another publicly traded data center REIT
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NYSE-listed net lease REIT in its $5.8 billion stock-for-stock merger with another publicly traded net lease REIT
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in connection with a liquidation and dissolution
    • Served as Maryland counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in connection with its $5.9 billion stock-for-stock merger with its publicly traded sponsor
    • Served as counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in connection with its $450 million merger with an affiliated REIT
    • Served as counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in connection with its $280 million merger with an affiliated REIT 
    • Served as Maryland counsel to numerous stock exchange–listed REITs and business development companies in follow-on public offerings, including firm commitment offerings, at-the-market offerings, equity forward offerings, and debt offerings
    • Served as Maryland counsel to numerous nontraded REITs and business development companies sponsored by American Realty Capital, Behringer Harvard, Cole, Dividend Capital, Grubb & Ellis, Hines, Wells, W.P. Carey, and others in connection with their formation and continuous offerings
    • Served as issuer’s counsel in a $58.6 million REIT public offering
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NYSE-listed REIT in its $2.3 billion acquisition by a registered SEC investment advisor
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in its $3 billion stock-for-stock merger with a listed REIT
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NASDAQ-listed healthcare REIT in its acquisition by a NYSE-listed healthcare REIT
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NYSE-listed REIT in connection with its acquisition of two publicly registered, nontraded REIT affiliates
    • Served as Maryland counsel to a NYSE-listed REIT in its $920.7 million merger with another listed REIT
    • Served as Maryland counsel to Ares Capital in its acquisition of Allied Capital
    • Served as Maryland counsel to Tishman Speyer in its acquisition of Archstone-Smith
    • Served as counsel to a special committee of independent directors of a NYSE-listed REIT in connection with the negotiation of a new advisory agreement with its external advisor
    • Served as counsel to a special committee of independent directors of a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in connection with a liquidation and dissolution
    • Served as Maryland counsel to the independent directors committee of a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in connection with the acquisition of a REIT management and advisory platform from an affiliate of its advisor
    • Served as counsel to an independent directors’ committee of a publicly registered, nontraded REIT in its analysis of certain affiliated party transactions and exploration of strategic alternatives
    • Served as Maryland counsel in the spin-off of a hotel REIT subsidiary
    • Served as counsel to a publicly traded network security company in its stock-for-stock acquisition of a publicly traded information security company

    Insights

    Credentials
    +

    Education

    • J.D. with honors University of Maryland School of Law 1999
      • Editor, Maryland Law Review
    • B.A. summa cum laude Loyola College 1996

    Bar Admissions

    • Maryland

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

    Clerk Experience

    • Honorable Thomas L. Ambro U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 2000

    Professional Memberships and Activities

    • American Bar Association
    • Maryland State Bar Association

    Recognition
    +

    • Chambers USA, REITs: Maryland Counsel, Nationwide, 2014 – 2024
    • Legal 500
      • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), 2012 – 2013, 2016, 2018 – 2019, 2021– 2024
      • Real Estate, 2016 – 2017
    • The Best Lawyers in America, Securities / Capital Markets Law, 2023

    Community
    +

    Volunteerism

    • Past chairman, Harford County People's Counsel Citizens Advisory Board
    • Past chairman, Harford County Redistricting Commission
    • Past Co-Chair, City of Havre de Grace Ethics Commission
    • Former member, Harford County Republican State Central Committee