16 of our partners have again been awarded top honors among leading Georgia law firms in the prestigious 2020 Chambers USA guide
Apr 23, 2020
kenneth h. kraft
Partner
Atlanta
"iconic real estate lawyer, outstanding expertise and execution in commercial real estate law"
Chambers USA 2020
Overview
Ken Kraft is the founder of the Parker Hudson Real Estate practice group. Over the course of his 40+ year career he has worked on billions of dollars’ worth of real estate transactions and more than 25,000,000 square feet of leases, in deals at all levels of complexity. His experience, judgment and reputation ensure that his clients are in the optimum position to achieve their objectives.
A former senior executive for Atlanta developer Taylor & Mathis and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Ken truly understands and is oriented to the business of commercial real estate. He represents owners, lenders, and developers in the purchase, sale, financing, and development of office, industrial, residential, and hotel real estate. In addition, Ken regularly represents clients in large national headquarters leases and leasing of retail locations throughout the United States.
Ken is steadfastly committed to seeing his clients’ deals through to a successful conclusion. The breadth of his experience over the commercial real estate landscape enables Ken innately to understand not only the needs of his clients, but also those of his clients’ counterparties, and thereby devise solutions that work without compromising client goals. One client described Ken’s leadership and creativity succinctly: "He cuts through the clutter" – Chambers USA 2017.
Experience
- Represented the developer of a mixed use project in West Midtown Atlanta. The project includes Class A office and retail components.
- Represented the developer in the development and leasing of Pinnacle at Symphony Place, a signature 520,000 s.f. office tower in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Allen Plaza, "2004 Office Deal of the Year" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
Represented the developer in the development of the Allen Place office-hotel mixed use project, including the southern U.S. headquarters for Ernst + Young and the W Hotel and Residences. - Central Perimeter Portfolio Acquisition, finalist in "2007 Best in Atlanta Real Estate Awards"
Represented the purchaser of a 19-property, 3 million square feet, portfolio in Atlanta's Perimeter Center market and as a seller in the subsequent disposition of the portfolio. - Cingular Wireless Headquarters, "2001 Office Deal of the Year" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
Represented the developer in the anchor lease, the property acquisition, the financing, and the sale of the 376,000 square foot project a build-to-suit project. - EarthLink, Inc. Headquarters, "2000 Office Deal of the Year" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
Represented the developer in the anchor lease of renovation-to-suit project. - Mall at Stonecrest, "2000 Retail Deal of the Year" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
Represented Cadillac-Fairview USA, Inc. in connection with its investment in The Mall at Stonecrest, a 1,000-acre development project in DeKalb County, Georgia, anchored by five major department stores. - Atlantic Station, "2011 Best in Atlanta Real Estate for Retail" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle
Represented a joint venture between a major institutional investor and a major retail developer/owner in the acquisition, repositioning and ultimate sale of "Atlantic Town Center," the 585,000 sf retail center and anchor of the Atlantic Station® Project, Atlanta, Georgia. Counsel to institutional owner in acquisition, existing mortgage loan assumption and subsequent sale of 11-building office and industrial project in Miami, Florida, structured as sale of equity ownership interests.- Represented a major institutional seller of a 542,000 sf office building located in the Atlantic Station® Project, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Served as lead outside counsel to the City of Atlanta in the transfer to the State of Georgia of Bobby Jones Golf Course and Bitsy Grant Tennis Center in exchange for properties in Downtown Atlanta.
- Served as the lead outside counsel for the City of Atlanta during the sale of Underground Atlanta in Downtown. Described by Mayor Kasim Reed as one of the most complex real estate transactions in the City's history, the sale of Underground Atlanta was important because it involves the oldest part of the City located in the heart of Downtown. For that reason, the transaction attracted a large amount of public attention and scrutiny. Working closely with the City's law department, our firm guided the transaction through a seemingly endless series of complexities and obstacles, including threatened lawsuits, public street closings and title transfers. The success of the transactions is one of the leading legacies of Mayor Reed's administration.
- Represented the landlord in a lease to Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. (now "Inspire Brands") of 359,000 square feet in the Three Glenlake Building, Atlanta, Georgia, for the company's corporate headquarters.
- Represented the landlord in a major restructuring of the leasing in a Downtown Birmingham, Alabama, office building.
- Represented the seller of the 9-building Atlanta Technology Center.
- Represented a private real estate investment firm purchaser in a sale-leaseback transaction involving a major television broadcasting network's corporate headquarters and broadcast studio building in Cobb County, Georgia.
- Represented a private real estate investment firm in the acquisition of Sanctuary Park in North Fulton, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Served as lead counsel to a private real estate investment firm in the acquisition of the 11-building Interstate North Office Park in Atlanta, Georgia and the closing of the acquisition financing therefor.
- Wall Street Journal "National Deal of the Week" Feb 2015
Represented the private real estate investment firm owner in the lease of entire campus to Lenovo (United States) for its North American headquarters and the subsequent sale of the project. - Served as counsel for Ulta in leasing over 200 stores throughout the United States.
Thought Leadership
- Panel Moderator, “State of Office – Investment and Development Updates for 2018,” presented by Biznow in Atlanta on October 3, 2018.
- Panel moderator, “Construction and Development – Hottest Development and Market Trends 2017,” presented by Biznow, in Atlanta on January 18, 2017.
- Panel moderator, “State of Office – Investment and Development Updates for 2017,” presented by Biznow, in Atlanta on April 20, 2017.Presenter, "Critical Topics in Leasing in 2016" at the Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia, Landlord and Tenant Law, January 22, 2016.
- Panel moderator, “State of the Office 2016,” presented by Bisnow, at Intercontinental Hotel in Atlanta.
- Panel moderator, “Atlanta Office Boom: The Future of the Workplace,” presented by Bisnow, at Twelve Hotels in Atlanta.
- Panel moderator, "The Future of Central Perimeter," presented by Bisnow, at the Hyatt Atlanta Perimeter at Villa Christina.
- Speaker, Annual Georgia Bar Landlord and Tenant Law Seminar, March 2014.
- Speaker, Annual Georgia Bar Landlord and Tenant Law Seminar, February 2013.
Areas of focus
- Real Estate
- Business Capitalizations
- Corporate & Business Transactions
- Real Estate Transactions
Education
- Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management and Pritzker School of Law (M.M./J.D., 1977)
- Stanford University (A.B., 1972)
Accolades
- Listed as a Band 1 attorney in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Real Estate Law in Georgia (2018-present)
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© for Real Estate Law (2009-present)
- Lenovo U.S. Headquarters Lease, "National Deal of the Week," Wall Street Journal, February, 2015
- Three leases for three different landlords with major insurance company, NAIOP Atlanta’s “2013 Office Deal of the Year”
- Atlantic Station, "2011 Best in Atlanta Real Estate for Retail"
- The Streets of Buckhead, "2007 Best Overall Deal of the Year"
- Central Perimeter Portfolio Acquisition, finalist in "2007 Best in Atlanta Real Estate Awards"
- Allen Plaza, "2004 Office Deal of the Year"
- Cingular Wireless Headquarters, "2001 Office Deal of the Year"
- One Federal Place (Birmingham, AL), "2000 Commercial Real Estate Deal of the Year"
- EarthLink, Inc. Headquarters, "2000 Office Deal of the Year"
- Mall at Stonecrest, "2000 Retail Deal of the Year"
- Riverwood 100 Building, "Honorable Mention" for "2000 Office Deal of the Year"
Professional affiliations
- Chairs the Firm's Partnership Committee
- American Bar Association, Member
- State Bar of Georgia (Chairperson, Real Property Section, 1991-1992)
- Atlanta Bar Association, Member
- National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (Secretary, Georgia Chapter, 1995)
- International Council of Shopping Centers, Member
Admitted to practice
- Georgia