Jonathan A. Frank

Jonathan Frank's practice focuses on commercial real estate, land development and finance. Mr. Frank represents developers, investors, businesses, landlords and tenants, including Fortune 500 companies, in all facets of commercial real estate transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing, leasing and §1031 tax-free exchanges. Mr. Frank devotes a significant portion of his practice to the representation of investors in the identification, acquisition and financing of net lease, retail, office, industrial and multi-family investment properties. He is experienced in the formation of innovative multi-investor arrangements including tenant-in-common (TIC) structures.

Jonathan Frank's practice focuses on commercial real estate, land development, economic development and finance. Mr. Frank represents developers, investors, businesses, government agencies, landlords and tenants, including Fortune 500 companies, in all facets of commercial real estate transactions including acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing, leasing and §1031 tax-free exchanges.  Mr. Frank is actively involved on the firm's Economic Development team, where he serves as the public relations chair and provides real estate services to the firm's economic development clients.  Mr. Frank also devotes a significant portion of his practice to the representation of investors in the identification, acquisition and financing of net lease, retail, office, industrial and multi-family investment properties. He is experienced in the formation of innovative multi-investor arrangements including tenant-in-common (TIC) structures.

Mr. Frank has been named, for several years running, as one of the top up-and-coming lawyers in the state by Virginia Super Lawyers magazine and he has been recognized by Virginia Business magazine as one of Virginia’s “Legal Elite.” He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association and the Richmond Bar Association, where he is a past chairman of the Real Estate Section, and where he has served as a member of the executive committee since 1999. He also is a member of the Virginia State Bar and previously served on the Real Property Section’s Subcommittee on Current Developments and Legislation.

Mr. Frank’s community activities include serving as counsel to the Virginia statewide board of directors at the March of Dimes as well as a member of the board of directors and the steering committee.  He also provides pro-bono legal assistance to the Junior League of Richmond and the Virginia Law Foundation.

Mr. Frank graduated, cum laude, from the University of Richmond School of Law in 1995, where he was a member of the McNeill Law Society and the University of Richmond Law Review. He received his bachelor of science with special attainments in commerce degree, cum laude, in 1992 from Washington & Lee University. 


Representative transactions include the following:

• Representation of Industrial Development Authority in connection with major economic development project.  Multiple parcels were assembled to create a commercial park for the location of a major distribution and fulfillment center involving an investment in excess of $50,000,000 and the creation of hundreds of jobs.  The Project involved a comprehensive state and local incentives package.  Real estate work involved handling all aspects of the real estate assemblage and transfers, including the resolution of title issues, the creation of private easements and the preparation of restrictive covenants.
• Representation of national developer in the acquisition of a 120 acre site for development as a high-density urban mixed use community with 550 town-homes, two 18 story office towers, two hotels, three mixed-use condominiums with retail on the first floor and residential apartments above, and free-standing stores for national retailers including REI, Whole Foods and JC Penney’s. Work includes acquisition of land, multiple phases of financing in excess of $200,000,000, consolidation and resubdivision of land, negotiation of purchase and sale contracts with hotel developers, and preparation and implementation of Master Declaration, Townhouse Declaration, and other Property Owner’s Association documents;
• Representation of publicly traded national developer in acquisition and $250,000,000 development of 150 acres as the premier regional lifestyle center in the metropolitan area anchored by Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Dillard’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods;
• Represented publicly traded national developer in the acquisition and syndicated financing of an 11 office-building portfolio for a price in excess of $110,000,000;
• Represented purchaser of 3,000 acre regional office park and subsequent sale of 316 acres to publicly-traded credit card company for development into a 2,000,000 square foot office campus;
• Represented developer of approximately 50 acres of brownfields property located on the north bank of the James River east of downtown Richmond in land assemblage for development of the property as a major waterfront urban-mixed-use community. Preparation of Master Declaration, Townhouse Declaration and other Property Owner’s Association documents. Assistance with entering the property into the Virginia Voluntary Remediation Program for contaminated property and obtaining environmental insurance; and
• Represented domestic subsidiary of an international corporation in connection with the lease from a REIT and buildout of a 78,000 square foot building to be used for office, warehouse and light manufacturing purposes.