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Alexander "Alex" F. Williams

I’ve been in my clients’ shoes, and that experience shapes how I approach the opportunities and ...

Contact: P /612.604.6938E /[email protected]

Education

University of Iowa College of Law, J.D.

New York University, M.S., Real Estate Development

University of St. Thomas, B.S., Real Estate, cum laude

Bar Admissions

Tennessee

Minnesota

My Approach

Having sat on the client’s side of the table, I know that legal issues are only one piece of a successful real estate project. Before practicing law, I spent several years as a real estate developer, navigating the same joint venture relationships, financing considerations, development approvals, construction issues and day-to-day business decisions my clients encounter. That experience allows me to see transactions through a developer’s lens and focus my advice on the issues that can make a meaningful difference to a project.

I’m especially drawn to complex development transactions and the creative problem solving they require. Having lived with joint venture agreements beyond negotiation and closing, I understand how their provisions play out as projects move forward, where pressure points can emerge and what developers and their partners need from the relationship. I bring that perspective to my legal practice, helping clients structure practical, thoughtful solutions that account for both the immediate transaction and the realities of owning, developing and operating real estate over time.

In my free time, you can usually find me at the gym, on the tennis court, or cheering on the Vikings, Timberwolves and my hometown Iowa Hawkeyes. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends and exploring restaurants around the city.

Practice Areas

Practicing Tax Credit Financing & Syndication

My Experience

I represent developers, investors and other real estate industry participants in complex development and financing transactions, with a particular focus on projects involving tax credits and other sources of public and private capital. I help clients navigate the many moving pieces of these transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture structuring, development agreements, due diligence, land use and entitlements, and construction-related matters. My broader real estate experience also includes purchase and sale agreements, easements, title and survey matters, entity governance documents, and agreements with contractors, architects, and other project professionals.

Before practicing law, I spent several years developing multifamily real estate, where I identified and acquired development sites, conducted due diligence, structured joint ventures and worked with capital partners throughout the project life cycle. My experience also included negotiating public financing incentives, securing land-use approvals, overseeing project design and construction, and managing underwriting and project budgets. That experience informs my legal practice today, with an understanding of the business considerations that drive a project and how legal decisions can affect its cost, timing, financing and execution. I bring that perspective to my work by focusing on the issues that matter and structuring legal protections in a way that manages risk without creating unnecessary obstacles to the deal.

Representative Matters

• Led negotiation and closing of a real estate transaction and assignment of development rights for a development site in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
• Negotiated and finalized settlement for dissolution and member buyout of a real estate development partnership involving a portfolio exceeding $100 million in assets.

Please note that some of the transactions listed above were done at a prior firm.

Also experienced in

Real Estate Development & Transactions