Jerald M. Goodman

Corporate Real Estate

Jerry represents clients in commercial real estate transactions, particularly acquisitions, dispositions, office, industrial and retail leasing, real estate-secured finance, and joint ventures. He has significant experience representing both landlords and tenants in leasing matters, including anchor tenant, build-to-suit and ground leases.

Real Estate Development

Jerry guides clients through the real estate development process, with an emphasis in the City of Philadelphia, where he has decades of experience representing clients in the permitting process and in proceedings before city agencies and boards handling zoning and other municipal approvals, tax assessment matters and historic designation issues. He also has a strong background in other aspects of real estate development and construction, including the drafting and negotiation of design and construction agreements with architects, engineers, construction managers and general contractors. Jerry has represented clients in major commercial development projects — including office buildings, apartment buildings and shopping centers — from start to finish.

Real Estate and Construction Finance

Jerry represents clients in real estate-secured finance transactions and, in particular, construction financing. He has represented both lenders and borrowers in a number of construction loans for new mixed-use, residential and industrial projects.

Representative Experience

Real Estate Transactions and Development

• Represented a national developer as Pennsylvania counsel in connection with the acquisition of a 170 acre parcel in Chester County, Pennsylvania for the development of three warehouse/distribution buildings totaling 1.9 million square feet, including handling due diligence, land use approvals and negotiating agreements with municipal and state government authorities. (Philadelphia Business Journal - Best Real Estate Deals of 2023: First Place - Industrial Sale Category)
• Represented a global property and casualty insurer in a build to suit credit tenant lease of an 18-story office building containing approximately 450,000 square feet in Center City Philadelphia to serve as the new regional headquarters for Chubb Insurance and its affiliates. (Philadelphia Business Journal - Best Real Estate Deals of 2023: First Place – Office Lease Category)
• Counsel to seller/developer of a recently stabilized 280 unit, 317,000 square foot, multi-family complex in suburban Philadelphia (Philadelphia Business Journal - Best Real Estate Deals of 2024)
• Represented an industrial development authority in connection with the renegotiation and drafting of an agreement for the sale and development of a 50-acre parcel as a warehouse and distribution facility in Northeast Philadelphia.
• Represented a university in connection with a long-term lease and development agreement with a student and multi-family housing developer for the lease of an air rights estate in a high-rise graduate student housing tower on the university’s campus providing for the redevelopment and operation of the building.
• Represented a university in the acquisition and development of a new building containing office and retail uses involving the acquisition of the property, construction of the new building, creation of a condominium regime and reconveyance to the seller of a unit in the new building.
• Counsel to a national industrial developer in the acquisition of three adjacent parcels containing 107 acres in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and subsequent sale of the entire site to an investor/owner and execution of a development management agreement with the investor/owner to construct two warehouse/distribution facilities containing a total of 1.3 million square feet.
• Represented a national industrial developer in the acquisition of a property containing approximately 95 acres in Northampton County, Pennsylvania and execution of a development management agreement for development of approximately 700,000 sq. ft. of warehouse/industrial space.
• Represented a national industrial developer in the acquisition of a property containing approximately 137 acres in Northampton County, Pennsylvania for the prospective development of a warehouse/industrial facility.
• Represented industrial developer in the acquisition of a former industrial property containing approximately 28 acres in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for development of a warehouse/distribution facility to be leased to a third party user.
• Represented a major communications company in connection with its leases for the nationwide rollout of a retail store concept.
• Represented a major communications company in connection with leases for office, warehouse and operational space, including subleases for 150,000 square feet of office space in Philadelphia and a 245,000-square-foot single-tenant office building in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Primary transactional counsel to a publicly traded retail REIT in connection with restructuring of the company’s three main credit facilities aggregating $1 billion secured by mortgages and deeds of trust encumbering 13 properties in multiple states.
• Represented publicly traded REIT in the refinancing of credit facilities aggregating $127 million secured by mortgage liens on two regional shopping malls in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
• Represented publicly traded REIT in the sale of development parcels adjacent to three (3) regional shopping malls located in Exton and Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania and Springfield, Virginia to multi-family developer for permitting, development and construction of three luxury apartment complexes containing approximately 400 units each.
• Represented a publicly traded REIT in connection with the sale of 13 regional shopping malls, ranging from 500,000 square feet to 950,000 square feet, located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
• Represented a health system in the acquisition of a 70 acre historically certified religious seminary for future redevelopment thereof and short-term lease back to seminary.
• Represented a health system in a built-to-suit lease for a 120,000-square-foot single-user medical office building.
• Represented a health system in the sale of a multi-building hospital campus in downtown Buffalo, New York.
• Represented the senior debt lender in a $90,000,000 construction financing for a 22-story luxury condominium tower in Center City, Philadelphia.
• Represented a private equity fund manager in connection with the drafting and negotiation of all construction and design agreements for its portfolio of properties, including the construction of a 450,000-square-foot industrial facility in Virginia and a 350-unit multifamily housing project in Pennsylvania.

Land Use, Zoning, Permitting and Approvals

• Obtained zoning and land use approvals on behalf of a developer of 195 unit multi-family and retail project in Old City, Philadelphia including negotiations with neighboring property owners and registered community organization for the construction and operation of a community pocket park.
• Represented a developer in the zoning and land use approvals process for a proposed approximately 500 unit multifamily project consisting of three buildings containing approximately 700,000 square feet in Old City, Philadelphia including zoning, planning and ancillary city approvals for proposed public right of way encroachment, street vacation and historic street issues.
• Representation of a major national communications company in connection with several zoning approvals for communication facilities and related infrastructure in multiple locations in the City of Philadelphia including negotiation of agreements with applicable registered community organizations and City Council members.
• Represented a not-for-profit educational facility for disabled students in connection with zoning and ancillary city approvals, including Historical Commission approval, for the construction of a new aquatic center on its historically certified West Philadelphia campus and for the acquisition and consolidation of adjoining parcels for the construction of a new training and lodging facility.
• Represented a nonprofit recreational, sports and social facility operator in connection with the proposed construction of a new facility and adoptive reuse/renovation of its historic building including handling proceedings before the Philadelphia Historical Commission and negotiation of a settlement agreement with the registered community organization involving coordination and discussion with the applicable City Council member.
• Represented a privately held national developer of industrial properties in connection with the acquisition, permitting, development and financing of a 255,000-square-foot warehouse and office project in Northeast Philadelphia for a single user and in connection with litigation involving zoning approvals and ultimate settlement of the alleged claims.
• Representation of a nonprofit music school in connection with multiple projects at its four branches in the City of Philadelphia including zoning, subdivision/consolidation and Historical Commission approvals.
• Represented nonprofit educational institution in connection with zoning approvals required for addition to its dental school facility including negotiation with applicable registered community organization to obtain its non-opposition to the project.
• Represented nonprofit educational institution to secure zoning approvals and variances required for development of a retail project and associated 800-vehicle parking garage despite opposition of neighboring property owners and registered community organization.
• Represented nonprofit educational institution to secure zoning and ancillary city approval for development of a mixed use project containing retail and hotel uses including Streets Department approvals for public right of way encroachment and street vacation.