J. Warren Gorrell, Jr. | Washington, D.C. | Hogan Lovells

J. Warren Gorrell, Jr.

Senior Counsel Corporate & Finance

Gorrell Warren

J. Warren Gorrell, Jr.
Gorrell Warren
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Credentials
  • Insights and events
quote mark

"Warren Gorrell provides clients with a 'great combination of legal and business advice,' is 'well rounded' and is 'very client-focused,' sources say."

Chambers Global 2014

Warren Gorrell has led many of the largest and most complex M&A transactions and IPOs involving REITs and other real estate companies over the last 30 years. In addition to his M&A and Corporate & Finance practice, he previously served as our CEO Emeritus. Prior to that, he led us as Chairman and then Co-CEO for almost 15 years. He is one of the few law firm leaders to have maintained an active practice while leading a major firm.

Warren advises owners of office, retail, multifamily and industrial properties, hotels, and storage and data centers. He also advises major investment banking firms as underwriters in IPOs and other capital markets transactions and as financial advisers in M&A transactions. Warren also helps clients on other complex cross-border transactions in the real estate, energy, and technology industries.

Warren is active in acquisitions and business combinations of all types – mergers, stock purchases, asset purchases, partnership rollups and operating partnership unit transactions (both public and private), leveraged buyouts, and tender offers. He structures joint venture arrangements for the acquisition of individual properties, portfolios, and entire companies. He represents both issuers and underwriters in IPOs and other public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities, reorganizations, and recapitalizations.

Warren has been named as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America (The National Law Journal, 2013 and 2006) and is recognized as one of the leading M&A and corporate lawyers in the United States and Washington, D.C. by leading legal rating services (Chambers, Legal 500, Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and Legal Times). In 1999, The American Lawyer recognized him as a Dealmaker of the Year for leading the team that restructured Host Marriott from a C Corp into a REIT.

quote mark

"Warren Gorrell provides clients with a 'great combination of legal and business advice,' is 'well rounded' and is 'very client-focused,' sources say."

Chambers Global 2014

Representative experience

Advised General Electric on its US$27bn sale of its global real estate equity and debt portfolio to Blackstone and Wells Fargo.
Advised Archstone-Smith on its US$22bn acquisition by Tishman Speyer and Lehman Brothers.
Advised Equity Residential on its US$16bn acquisition with AvalonBay of Archstone from Lehman Holdings and a related joint venture with AvalonBay.
Advised Home Properties on its US$7.6bn acquisition by Lone Star Funds and a related US$2bn DownREIT transaction with UDR.
Represented the issuer or the underwriters in the three largest REIT IPOs in history (Paramount Group, Douglas Emmett and Empire State).
Represented the issuers in several other REIT IPOs, including Equity Office, Smith Residential, Colony, CarrAmerica, Colonial, U-Store-It, and Paragon.
Represented the underwriters in several other REIT IPOs, including Mills, Crescent, Arden, Dupont Fabros, Heritage, Extra Space, and Post.
Advising Unisplendour on its pending US$3.8bn acquisition of a 15% stake in Western Digital.
Advised Host Marriott in its conversion from a C Corp into a REIT and its concurrent US$4bn public and private hotel portfolio.
Advised Trizec on its US$8.9bn acquisition by Brookfield Properties and Blackstone.
Advising General Electric on its US$8.5bn sale of its healthcare financing business to Capital One.
Advised Equity Office on its US$7.2bn stock-for stock acquisition of Spieker.
Advised New Plan Excel on its US6.2bn acquisition by Centro.
Advised CarrAmerica on its US$5.6bn acquisition by Blackstone.
Advised Equity Office on its US$5.2bn stock-for-stock acquisition of Beacon.
Advised Equity Office on its US$4.6bn stock-for-stock acquisition of Cornerstone.
Advised Trizec in its participation with General Electric in the US$3.8bn acquisition of Arden.

Credentials

Education
  • J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1979
  • A.B., Princeton University, magna cum laude, 1976
Bar admissions and qualifications
  • District of Columbia
  • New York
Memberships
  • Board of Directors, Capital Partners for Education
  • Member, American Bar Association

Recognition

Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (District of Columbia), Eminent Practitioner

Chambers USA

2017
Corporate/M&A (USA)

Chambers Global

2012-2017
Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (District of Columbia)

Chambers USA

2002-2019
REITs (Nationwide), First Tier

Chambers USA

2007-2017
Dealmaker of the Week

The American Lawyer

April 17, 2015
The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America

The National Law Journal

2006, 2013
BTI Client Service All-Star

BTI Consulting Group

2014
Real Estate Investment Trusts, "Leading Lawyers"

Legal 500 US

2008-2014
Mergers and Acquisitions

Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers

2007-2014
Corporate Law and Securities Law

The Best Lawyers in America

2008, 2010-2013
Investment Fund Formation and Management - Real Estate Trusts, "Leading Lawyers,"

Legal 500 US

2013
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Buyouts, "Leading Lawyers"

Legal 500 US

2007-2008, 2011-2013
Guide to the World's Leading Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyers

Euromoney Legal Media Group

2004-2011
Investment Funds: REITs, Star Individual

Chambers Global

2010-2011
D.C. Leading Lawyers: Top 10 Deal-Maker

Legal Times

2006
Dealmaker of the Year

The American Lawyer

1999