Diane McDermott Headshot
Diane M. McDermott
617.305.2149

Overview

Diane M. McDermott serves as the executive partner of Holland & Knight's Boston office and also is part of the leadership team for the industry segment team focusing on the Real Estate and Hospitality Industry. She is a Boston real estate attorney whose practice focuses on numerous aspects of real estate law, including permitting and development, commercial and retail leasing, acquisitions and dispositions and financing. She represents clients in the hotel and hospitality and multifamily housing industries in connection with various aspects of those industry segments business.

Ms. McDermott currently serves as the co-chair of the Law Firm Leadership Forum for the Boston Bar Association.

Representative Experience

  • Represented a client in the sale of a two-building campus corporate headquarters in the Boston suburbs and the client's relocation to a tower in Boston's financial district; the relocation involved the negotiation and structuring of a lease including laboratory and office space; structuring of the extensive buildout and relocation coordination between the sale transaction and the lease transaction
  • Represented a client in the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Boston to Cambridge, including assistance in structuring the transaction, negotiating the lease with the landlord, as well as advising on the structuring and negotiation of the architect's contract, construction contracts and project management consultant contracts
  • Represented an international client, as a tenant, in its nationwide commercial office leasing requirements and the relocation of its North American headquarters
  • Represented an educational institution in a lease of one-third of a building containing laboratory, research and office space as part of a corporate expansion in the Boston suburbs
  • Represented a company in the build-to-suit lease of a more than 200,000-square-foot single-tenant office building for laboratory, warehouse and office/distribution purposes
  • Represented a client in connection with a land acquisition and the financing, permitting and construction of a ground-up 425,000-square-foot commercial office building located on the South Shore of Boston, including structuring of appropriate turn-over triggers related to seller-related permit requirements
  • Represented a client in connection with the purchase of an existing 350,000-square-foot commercial office building and its substantial renovation and the construction of a garage facility for the building
  • Represented a client in connection with the sale of various parcels of land and negotiation regarding utilities, easements, repurchase right and related retained rights for a major park redevelopment of a former military base in the western suburbs of Boston
  • Represented a major institutional client in connection with its major expansion of office space in a downtown Boston tower

  • Represented a client in connection with the assignment and restructuring of a long-term ground lease with the City of Boston and financing relative thereto
  • Represented a landlord/owner in connection with the leasing of multiple retail locations to commercial banking institutions and other retail users in a mixed-use project
  • Represented a landlord in connection with the leasing of retail locations on Newbury Street in Boston to a national retailer
  • Represented a national retailer in connection with its entry into the Boston market in connection with its tenant retail location on Newbury Street
  • Represented a tenant in connection with the national leasing of retail locations for its operations in the retail-clothing industry
  • Represented a national restaurant chain in connection with its national retail leasing
  • Represented a landlord/owner in connection with the negotiation of a lease for a single-tenant retail user in the suburban Boston market
  • Represented a client in connection with the sale of a subsidiary entity, including 150 retail restaurant locations; presented an analysis of issues in the retail leases in connection with the transfer and negotiation with respective landlords on all locations

  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition and financing of a 600-plus unit apartment complex in the Boston suburbs
  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition and financing of a 300-plus unit apartment complex in Florida
  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition of a 400-plus multifamily apartment complex in Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition, financing and parcel restructuring of a mixed-use office and multifamily property in the North Boston Suburban market

  • Represented a client/developer in multiple transactions involving land acquisition, permitting, financing and ground-up construction of hotel properties, as well as in the transactions regarding the sale of operating hotel properties
  • Represented a client in a long-term ground lease with the Boston Redevelopment Authority (d/b/a Boston Planning & Development Agency) of a parcel of land in Boston and the related structuring, permitting and financing of a 300-plus room hotel property
  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition and financing of an existing operating hotel located north of Boston
  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition, financing and permitting, including negotiation of the franchise agreement, of a full-service hotel in the Back Bay of Boston
  • Represented a client in connection with the permitting, financing, licensing and development of a brand hotel in the Seaport District, including structuring for parcel adjustments for pending infrastructure and mitigations obligations
  • Represented a client in connection with the sale of a major hotel property located in the Seaport District and transfer of all related permits and licenses, including structuring for ongoing permit obligations
  • Represented a client in connection with the sale of two operating hotels in Yonkers, New York, which included extensive negotiations regarding Estoppels and related document finalization on cross-parking and utility easements and operations
  • Represented a client in connection with a joint venture with mall owner for construction and ongoing operating obligations of a limited-service hotel in an major Florida mall
  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition of a portion of a mixed-use project consisting of hotel, retail, office, garage and residential components; implemented the necessary restructuring to provide the mechanisms to separately finance and permit the relevant parcels in conjunction with the overall masterplan that had been in place; creation of necessary operating covenants, declarations and cross-easement agreements
  • Represented a client in connection with the acquisition and financing of a major hotel property in Boston and the subsequent creation of a condominium and permitting to allow for a prospective mixed-use hotel and dormitory

  • Represented a client in the negotiation of a $100 million construction loan for an under-construction laboratory building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, including coordination with the requirements of the applicable joint-venture operating agreements
  • Represented a client in connection with the negotiation of a construction loan for a mixed-use project consisting of hotel, retail, office and residential components
  • Represented a client in connection with the negotiation of a portfolio loan secured by 14 parcels of land containing single-tenant build-to-suit retail leases

Credentials

Education
  • Suffolk University Law School, J.D., cum laude
  • Boston College, B.S., magna cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Massachusetts
Memberships
  • American Bar Association
  • Boston Bar Association
  • Women's Lunch Place, Board of Directors, 2004-2017; Advisory Board, 2019-Present
  • Town of Holliston Affordable Housing Committee, 2010-2023
  • Finance Council for Local Community Organization, 2009-present
Honors & Awards
  • Influencer in Retail Real Estate - Holland & Knight's Retail Development and Leasing Team, GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, 2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Real Estate Law, 2008-2024
  • Go To Lawyers for Commercial Real Estate, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2021
  • Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Real Estate, 2021-2023
  • Golden Hammer Honoree, Habitat for Humanity Metrowest/Greater Worcester, 2020
  • GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, Women of Influence – Commercial Real Estate, 2020
  • The Legal 500 USA, Real Estate, 2020
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers magazine, 2005-2020

Publications

News