Elbert D. Reniva

Elbert specializes in commercial real estate, residential real estate, and corporate law. He has a proven track record of success in both legal and business capacities, working with various governmental entities, private businesses, and individual owners. His clients include commercial developers, investors, and institutional and hard money lenders. Elbert frequently advises clients on general corporate matters such as operating agreements, shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, investment and joint venture portfolios, private financing, construction and permanent loans, management oversight, operations control of external joint venture partners, regulatory compliance and reporting, consulting and employment arrangements, severance and non-competition agreements, asset and stock sales and purchase agreements, loan documentation, and loan restructuring.

Elbert also has extensive experience in the acquisition, disposition, and development of all types of real estate projects. This includes drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, public-private partnerships, anchor leases, in-line leases, ground leases, subleases, master leases, outparcel leases, lease amendments, recognition agreements, SNDAs/NDAs, REAs, ECRs, and OEAs. Additionally, Elbert is skilled in overseeing the preparation of RFP responses, government oral presentations, and all aspects of contract implementation and administration post-award.

 

Experience

• Outside Midwest General Counsel for the International Gaming holding company. Operating and managing the Illinois lottery system, and for a national environmental engineering firm, providing day-to-day advice as to matters related to complex corporate and financial transactions with a special concentration on issues such as commercial office leasing, corporate finance, corporate governance, capital investment and M&A transactions, debt restructurings, loan workouts, employment agreements, employee benefits and compensation, and real estate acquisition, development and divestiture
• Outside Counsel for the Government of Cook County, Illinois for the public development and private redevelopment projects of the John H. Stronger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
• Lead real estate attorney for the team retained by the City of Chicago that negotiated the proposed privatization of Midway (Chicago) International Airport
• Represented several privately-owned and publicly listed companies, such as a national pet supply retailer, an international gaming holding company, and New York City based educational institution, in commercial lease negotiations in Illinois and New York.
• Outside General Counsel for an Illinois title company, providing legal guidance as to title insurance policy, underwriting coverage for commercial and residential real estate transactions
• Structure and complete letters of intent, buyer and seller purchase and sale agreements, non-compete agreements, non-disclosure agreements, employee confidentiality agreements, retail shopping center ground leases, CC&Rs, estoppel letters, SNDAs, joint venture agreements, management agreements, construction loans, permanent loans, public and private development agreements, construction contracts, and architectural agreements
• Personally negotiate and conduct closings of thousands of sales and purchases of commercial and residential properties throughout several states. These states include Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, Florida and Louisiana utilizing all types of commercial and real estate financing, including construction loans, acquisition and development loans, equipment leasing, asset-based loans, stock-based loans, non recourse and mezzanine financing
• Former in-house General Counsel and executive team member of a privately-owned real estate development company. Elbert was responsible for all aspects of corporate governance, board counsel, board presentations, litigation management, real estate acquisition and divestiture, banking and lender relations; negotiated and drafted company’s key operational documents, including sales agreements, lease agreements, development and build to suit agreements and acquisition agreements; spearheaded the successful $24 million acquisition and development of a 330 unit commercial/residential condominium project; worked with company’s lending institutions in negotiating, structuring and placing all loan transactions to ensure capital requirements were met for growth and expansion; and successfully led the legal integration of all new acquisitions, including over 400 individual assets in a two-year period

Languages

1. Tagalog

Services

• Commercial Leasing
• Corporate & Transactional
• Corporate Governance
• Real Estate
• Real Estate Development
• Real Estate Finance

Industries

• Real Estate Industry

1. Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D.
2. University of Illinois at Chicago, B.A.

Bar Admissions

1. Illinois

Court Admissions

1. Supreme Court of Illinois
2. U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
3. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
4. U.S. Supreme Court

• American Bar Association Military Pro Bono Project
• Loyola University School of Law Minority Law Student Mentor
• Lane Tech High School (Chicago) Varsity Baseball and Football Teams, Assistant Coach (2016 – Present)
• Jorge V. Cazares, Esq. Campaign for the Cook County Circuit Court 14th Judicial Subcircuit, Co-Chairperson (2022)
• Mike Grant Campaign for the River Forest (IL) Park District Board, Chairperson (2021)         
• Dennis V. Composto, Esq. Campaign for the Mount Prospect District 57 School Board, Chairperson 2011 and 2015

Professional Affiliations

• Illinois State Bar Association
• United States Supreme Court Bar Association