Overview
Ned Nakles is a real estate attorney in Holland & Knight's Denver and New York offices. Mr. Nakles focuses his practice on representing a variety of lenders, funds and sponsors on finance and development transactions across the U.S. and internationally.
Mr. Nakles focuses on executing bespoke financing and investment solutions for complex real estate projects on accelerated timelines. He represents funds, commercial banks and real estate investment trusts (REITs) on senior and mezzanine loans for the construction, redevelopment and refinancing of projects across all major asset classes.
Mr. Nakles also assists hedge funds, private equity funds, pension funds and family offices in joint ventures, preferred equity investments and common equity investments in stabilized and development projects.
Additionally, Mr. Nakles advises borrowers and lenders on restructurings, loan purchases and workouts of loans for troubled properties, including hotels, golf courses and homesites.
As a member of Holland & Knight's Data Center Team, Mr. Nakles works on acquisitions, dispositions and financings of U.S. and global data centers.
Mr. Nakles began his career as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) New York City office, where he worked on healthcare, multifamily and affordable housing transactions, and served as the office's public housing team leader. He leverages his government experience in his work for borrowers and lenders on complex single and multi-asset agency loans, as well as in his work assisting housing finance agencies on the design of new preferred equity investment programs.
Representative Experience
- Represented a fund as the borrower in a $195 million mortgage and mezzanine construction loan facility for a mixed-use office and data center in Minneapolis
- Represented a fund as the lender in a $336 million mezzanine construction loan for a luxury condominium in downtown Manhattan
- Represented a debt fund as the investor in a revolving, multi-property preferred equity facility for the acquisition, development, construction and operation of multifamily properties across the western U.S.
- Represented a multinational hospitality company in a $38 million preferred equity financing transaction for the development of a boutique hotel in New York City
- Represented a publicly traded company as the borrower in a $150 million cross-defaulted financing secured by five auto dealerships across the U.S.
- Represented a lender in a $720 million financing for a nationwide luxury apartment portfolio
- Represented syndicate members and participants in connection with borrowing base credit facilities in amounts ranging from $1 billion to 6 billion to data center owners for the development and operation of data centers across the U.S. and Canada
- Represented a real estate investment trust (REIT) as lender in a $300 million combined mortgage and mezzanine financing for the construction of a hotel and water park
- Represented a REIT as borrower in an approximately $600 million construction loan for the development of a life sciences complex
- Represented a debt fund as lender in simultaneous mortgage and mezzanine financing for a Texas industrial portfolio, as well as the negotiation of a profits participation interest in the portfolio following loan repayment
- Represented a lender in financing of a $225 million multistate manufactured housing portfolio
- Represented a private credit lender as preferred equity investor on multiple financings for multifamily developments and self-storage facilities across the U.S.
- Represented the government of the Bahamas as borrower in $100 million World Bank-guaranteed credit facility for the development of hospitals and a small business center
- Served as Colorado counsel on multiple modifications to a major ski resort group's approximately $1 billion credit facility secured by multiple Colorado ski resorts
- Served as Colorado counsel to a hotel brand with respect to a $1 billion luxury hotel and condominium development in southwest Colorado
- Represented a fund as the investor in a joint venture for the acquisition and operation of an airport hanger in California
- Represented a REIT in the negotiation of a $1 billion pipeline and exclusivity agreement to govern the creation of multiple joint ventures for seniors housing properties across the U.S.
- Represented a pension fund in a common equity investment for the development of the New York Islanders arena
- Represented a fund as investor in a joint venture for the acquisition and development of a mountain west luxury shopping mall, as well as in the related purchase and financing of the property
- Represented a fund in the acquisition of a distressed mortgage loan with $155 million outstanding for a mixed-use hotel and multifamily property in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
- Represented a debt fund in the workout and restructuring of a $100 million hotel and golf course property in Florida
- Represented a fund as loan purchaser in the acquisition and administration of a distressed loan for a mid-construction New York City waterfront condominium development
- Represented a debt fund in the workout and restructuring of approximately $250 million of senior debt for three mid-construction Hollywood hotel and event center properties
- Represented a fund in the $240 million acquisition and $130 million financing of a ground lease, multifamily property in Brooklyn, New York, as well as the amended and restated ground lease and joint venture agreement for the property
- Represented a fund in the acquisition, mortgage and mezzanine financing of a $75 million multifamily building in New York City
- Represented a fund in a sale-leaseback transaction for a California manufacturing facility
- Represented a fund in the acquisition and financing of a $350 million multistate retail portfolio with sites in California, Florida and Texas
- Represented a regulated bank in the sale of its U.S. headquarters building in midtown Manhattan to a major financial institution
- Represented the owner in the sale of a Chelsea art gallery
- Represented the seller in the sale of a portfolio of medical office properties
Credentials
- New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation
- Boston University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
- Colby College, B.A.
- Colorado
- New York
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Ones to Watch, Denver Real Estate Law, 2024-2026
- Rising Star, Colorado Super Lawyers magazine, 2025