Akin announced today that Brian Zurawski has joined the firm’s corporate practice as a real estate partner in Chicago, expanding its real estate capabilities at the intersection of data centers and infrastructure. As demand for transactional support across data center developments, power generation projects and related infrastructure investments continues to grow, Brian brings strategic support on the real estate aspects of complex development, financing, investment and corporate transactions. Zurawski spent the majority of his career with Baker McKenzie before joining Akin.
Brian advises clients on joint ventures, acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, development and financing transactions, representing both lenders and borrowers. He has significant experience guiding developers, investors and energy companies through the real estate components of data center developments, power generation projects and related infrastructure investments, bringing an integrated approach that spans real estate, finance, tax, regulatory and corporate matters.
“As clients pursue complex investments across digital infrastructure, power generation and energy transition projects, they seek advisors who can seamlessly navigate the real estate aspects at the core of those transactions,” said Akin co-chair Abid Qureshi. “Brian brings exactly the experience clients are looking for, with a sophisticated practice focused on transactions where real estate, energy and infrastructure converge.”
“Clients developing and investing in data centers, power generation assets and other infrastructure projects increasingly require coordinated advice from planning through execution,” said corporate practice co-head Zachary Wittenberg. “Brian’s experience working alongside finance, tax, regulatory and corporate teams, coupled with his infrastructure real estate background, makes him a great fit for our platform.”
“The rapid growth of Akin’s data center and digital infrastructure platform was a major draw for me,” said Brian on his move to the firm. “The opportunity to collaborate with leading lawyers across real estate, projects & energy transition, corporate, finance, regulatory and tax make the firm a natural fit for my practice.”
Brian’s arrival marks another step in Akin’s continued expansion of its commercial real estate capabilities in Chicago, following the recent addition of senior counsel Daniel Pieringer. The growth of the real estate team comes amid the firm’s broader expansion in Chicago, which includes investment management partner and partner in charge of the Chicago office Wendy Dodson Gallegos; infrastructure M&A partners Jason Wagenmaker and Joshua La Vigne; investment management partner Jessica Pan; tax partner Christopher Odell; head of the firm’s music practice Rory Wellever; and energy & infrastructure partners Mitch Holzrichter and Nick Vallorano.
Source: www.akingump.com
