Alice Connaughton is co-chair of the firm’s REIT practice and a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Capital Markets practice group. Ali’s practice focuses on representing public and private companies, including real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other direct participation programs, in a variety of corporate and securities matters, including, among other things, public and private securities offerings and tender offers.

Ali regularly advises boards of directors, audit committees, and management with respect to strategic matters and corporate governance issues. Ali also routinely counsels public company clients with respect to complex regulatory matters, compliance with federal and state securities laws, corporate governance and general corporate matters.

She has represented several of the leading sponsors of public, non-listed REITs in connection with more than $35 billion in public offerings.

Ali has been recommended as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA for REITs since 2014. She also has been a member of the board of directors of the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA) since first being elected in 2020. The IPA provides national leadership for the portfolio diversifying investments industry, which includes non-listed REITs, BDCs, interval funds, closed-end funds and DSTs/1031 exchanges. Ali’s commitment to the REIT industry allows her to be completely dialed-in to regulatory developments and emerging trends, making her a trusted advisor to clients and a frequent speaker on topics impacting the industry.

Representative Experience

• Represented Hines Global Income Trust, Inc. in connection with its initial public offering and its follow-on public offerings for an aggregate of up to $7.5 billion of common stock.
• Represented Ares Industrial Real Estate Income Trust Inc. in connection with its initial public offering and its follow-on public offerings for an aggregate of up to $9.0 billion of common stock.
• Represented Industrial Property Trust Inc. in connection with its capital raise of approximately $1.8 billion through its initial public offering.
• Represented Hines Global REIT, Inc. in connection with its capital raise of approximately $3.1 billion through its initial public offering and its follow-on public offering.
• Represented Industrial Income Trust Inc. in connection with its capital raise of approximately $2.2 billion through its initial public offering and its follow-on public offering.
• Represented Hines Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. in connection with its capital raise of approximately $2.7 billion through its public offerings.
• Represented numerous REITs in connection with initial and follow-on public offerings and tender offers.
• Represented numerous public entities in connection with ongoing corporate governance, securities compliance, and other matters.
• Assisted several public entities with special proxy solicitations in connection with restructuring, sales of assets, and affiliated transactions.
• Represented public entities in connection with corporate and regulatory matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and state securities regulators.
• Represented Hines Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. in the sale of its west coast office property portfolio to an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VIII for $1.16 billion.
• Represented CNL Retirement Properties, Inc. in its acquisition for $5.3 billion (including assumption of debt) by Health Care Property Investors, Inc.
• Represented CNL Hotels & Resorts in connection with its sale to Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund.
• Represented CNL Hotels & Resorts in connection with its acquisition of its external advisor, CNL Hospitality Corp.