John Goldman has joined Cooley’s New York office as a partner in the firm’s real estate practice. Goldman counsels clients on real estate and infrastructure matters across a spectrum of industries and asset classes, including data centers and digital infrastructure, adding to Cooley’s strength in this dynamic area. He also has significant experience with distressed companies and assets, liability management, and monetization and deleveraging, while maintaining a strong focus on hyper-commercial, private equity and private credit style transactions. Goldman arrives from Kirkland & Ellis, where he most recently led its corporate real estate team, advising on more than 4,000 transactions annually. 

Goldman’s clients have included investors, sponsors, private equity and debt funds, government agencies, public companies, portfolio companies, sovereigns and pension funds. His deep industry relationships and versatility strengthen Cooley’s ability to respond to growing client demand regarding increasingly complex issues in the real estate and digital infrastructure space.

“We’re thrilled to welcome John to the team as we continue to grow our real estate practice – a pivotal market for complex transactions and financings,” said Michelle Schulman, Cooley partner and head of the firm’s real estate practice. “Cooley has established itself as a leader in the data center and digital infrastructure space, and John’s comprehensive experience in these sectors significantly strengthens our capacity to support clients in this rapidly expanding area.”

“Real estate touches nearly every industry and encompasses a broad spectrum of asset classes and transaction types,” said Goldman. “As market structures evolve and capital allocation becomes increasingly sophisticated, Cooley’s collaborative, cross-practice platform provides a strategic advantage – enabling us to support clients across the full life cycle of a deal, from early development and financing to the most complex, high-value transactions.”

Goldman added that “Cooley is exceptionally well positioned to continue to capitalize on the digital infrastructure gold rush and I am excited to be on the forefront of all the things that will come next in the long overdue reimagination of real estate assets.”

Built for the most sophisticated, fastest‑moving projects in the market, Cooley’s real estate practice advises some of the most complex data center developments in the world. Our team of lawyers, senior urban planners and law clerks brings a rare mix of industry experience and technical insight. We work with some of the most active companies, investors, lenders and developers in the industry. We support every stage of the real estate life cycle, from site selection and incentives to construction, financing, leasing and operational strategy. Our team is known for crafting practical solutions that unlock capital, accelerate timelines and reduce risk, and for connecting clients with the right investors and lenders to move projects forward.