Michael T. O'Connor

Partner
Office: Chicago
moconnor@kdlegal.com
p: 312-651-2424
f: 312-651-2499

Michael O’Connor is a Partner in the firm's Real Estate and Environmental Practice. He is a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in the acquisition, financing, leasing, and disposition of commercial, industrial, retail, and multi-unit residential properties. He has successfully structured a wide range of transactions, including CMBS, mezzanine financing, and equity participation, and advises clients on forming ownership entities for property development. Michael focuses on minimizing tax implications through strategies such as forward, reverse, and reverse/improvement Section 1031 exchanges, while also addressing complexities in real estate and transfer taxes.

In addition to his real estate expertise, Michael represents institutional lenders in financing transactions for acquisitions, construction, and operational needs across various industries. His practice includes drafting and negotiating leases for industrial facilities, national retailers, and restaurant operators, providing clients with comprehensive support for their real estate and financial objectives.

Experience

Representative Experience

Represented developer in the acquisition, financing, construction, leasing and sale of 600,000 square foot cold storage facility for $125,000,000.
Represented purchaser in acquisition of 277 unit student housing facility for $30,000,000.
Represented purchaser in purchase of 31 retail sites for $16,000,000 and subsequent leasing and sale of those sites for redevelopment.
Represented seller in sale of parking garage for $35,000,000.
Represented developer in acquisition of numerous urban locations for redevelopment as multi-unit residential and condominium projects.
Drafting and negotiating of all leasing for 450,000 square foot office complex.
Represented seller in sale of business and related real estate for $18,000,000.
Represented several institutional lenders in real estate and asset-based loan transactions.
Represented seller in recapitalization and subsequent sale of 27-hole golf course.
Represented sellers in numerous forward, reverse and reverse improvement section 1031 tax deferred exchanges.
Represented numerous landlords and tenants in leasing of office, industrial, cold storage and retail properties.
Represented national restaurant chain in several sale/leaseback transactions of retail locations to institutional triple-net lease investors.

Professional Associations

Member, Chicago Bar Association
Member, Illinois State Bar Association

Credentials

Education

J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1988
B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting, Indiana University, Kelly School of Business, Bloomington, Indiana, 1985

Bar & Court Admissions

Illinois, 1988

Practices & Industries

Practices

Industries

Beyond the Office

Bicycling

Skiing

Travel

Insights

Real Estate

Steven M. Sherman Joins Krieg DeVault’s Real Estate and Environmental Practice; will Focus in the Areas of Energy and Public Utilities

November 30, 2023

Secured Lender

Owners / GCs / Subs / Suppliers / Lessors – Check Your Contracts. Court of Appeals Decision Highlights Challenges when Dispute Resolution Process Varies

August 25, 2022

Firm News and Events

13 Krieg DeVault Attorneys Recognized by 2023 Best Lawyers®; 7 Named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America® Listing; 1 Receives “Lawyer of the Year” Designation; 6 Receive “Ones to Watch” Designation

August 18, 2022

Firm News and Events

Krieg DeVault Partners John B. Baxter and Robert A. Greising Named to Chambers USA 2022 List; Firm Named to Chambers USA 2022 List for Real Estate

June 22, 2022

Litigation

Are We in a Banking Crisis? What the Silicon Valley and Signature Banks’ Failure Tell Us About the Future of Financial Institutions (Podcast)

April 13, 2023

Litigation

Known By the Successful Company We Keep® - Krieg DeVault Issues Annual Ad Showcasing Transactions from Many of Our Valued and Successful Clients

January 30, 2023

Financial Services

State and Federal Policy on ESG Issues Creates Tensions for Financial Institutions

January 25, 2023

Secured Lender

FinCEN Issues Final Rule for Beneficial Ownership Reporting to Support Law Enforcement Efforts, Counter Illicit Finance, and Increase Transparency

November 8, 2022

Firm News and Events

Partner C. Daniel Motsinger Named a 2022 Illinois Super Lawyer; Alexander E. Porter Named a 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star

January 31, 2022

Secured Lender

Supreme Court Confirms that to Violate the TCPA your Automatic Telephone System Must Use a Random or Sequential Generator

April 7, 2021

Secured Lender

President Signs COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021

March 31, 2021

Secured Lender

CFPB Issues Finalized Changes To Regulation F To Implement The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

December 16, 2020

Secured Lender

The Importance of Paying Attention to Notices Received in Bankruptcy Cases: Creditor Misses Proof of Claim Bar Date and Loses Claim for $2 Million

November 13, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Moratorium on Residential Property Evictions and Mortgage Foreclosures Will Continue Through the End of July 2020

July 5, 2020

Financial Services

CFPB Provides Flexibility to Financial Institutions When Dealing with Billing Errors, Payment Rules and Deposit Accounts Terms Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

May 17, 2020

Secured Lender

A Message from Krieg DeVault LLP's Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy Practice Group on Our Response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic

March 23, 2020

Financial Services

Financial Services Regulators Respond to COVID-19

March 22, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Court of Appeals Expands De Facto Merger Exception to the General Rule Regarding Corporate Liability for Debts

March 8, 2020

Secured Lender

Seventh Circuit Confirms that the Bankruptcy Code Expressly Subordinates a Seller's Reclamation Claim to the Prior Rights of a Secured Creditor

February 19, 2020

Secured Lender

Indiana Supreme Court Rejects Imposition of “Rule of Reasonableness” on the Statutes of Limitations Applicable to a Lender's Pursuit of a Defaulted Mortgage Installment Promissory Note

February 19, 2020

Financial Services

NCUA Issues Proposed Rule Allowing Some Credit Unions to Issue Subordinated Debt

January 26, 2020

Firm News and Events

Real Estate Partner David Adams shares his insights with Midwest Real Estate News regarding the Indianapolis' commercial real estate market

January 16, 2020

Thought Leadership

Finding Elements of Adverse Possession Unmet, Record Owner Awarded Real Estate

October 30, 2019

Firm News and Events

Julie A. Carpenter Selected for "Professionalism Award" from the IBA

October 14, 2019

Firm News and Events

Seventh Circuit Confirms that under Illinois law, Reference in Financing Statement to Parties' Security Agreement is Sufficient to Perfect Secured Creditor's Lien on Debtor's Collateral Described in Security Agreement

September 29, 2019

Firm News and Events

Representative Experience

Represented developer in the acquisition, financing, construction, leasing and sale of 600,000 square foot cold storage facility for $125,000,000.
Represented purchaser in acquisition of 277 unit student housing facility for $30,000,000.
Represented purchaser in purchase of 31 retail sites for $16,000,000 and subsequent leasing and sale of those sites for redevelopment.
Represented seller in sale of parking garage for $35,000,000.
Represented developer in acquisition of numerous urban locations for redevelopment as multi-unit residential and condominium projects.
Drafting and negotiating of all leasing for 450,000 square foot office complex.
Represented seller in sale of business and related real estate for $18,000,000.
Represented several institutional lenders in real estate and asset-based loan transactions.
Represented seller in recapitalization and subsequent sale of 27-hole golf course.
Represented sellers in numerous forward, reverse and reverse improvement section 1031 tax deferred exchanges.
Represented numerous landlords and tenants in leasing of office, industrial, cold storage and retail properties.
Represented national restaurant chain in several sale/leaseback transactions of retail locations to institutional triple-net lease investors.

Professional Associations

Member, Chicago Bar Association
Member, Illinois State Bar Association

Education

J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1988
B.S. in Business Administration, Accounting, Indiana University, Kelly School of Business, Bloomington, Indiana, 1985