In recent years, limited state and federal resources and increases in construction costs have heightened the need for innovative approaches to take community development projects from the drawing board to completion.
Calfee has become a leader in counseling clients on the development of projects requiring the cooperative use of public and private resources. The firm’s experience in real estate, partnership law and taxation, and commercial and municipal finance, combined with broad experience in governmental matters, has enabled us to assist clients in developing programs that are models of public and private sector collaboration.
In addition to providing the traditional real estate and financing representation that these projects require, Calfee attorneys bring a unique understanding of the public sector derived from years of professional experience in public law, public finance, and government relations. This background provides the firm with significant strength in advising clients on programs requiring government involvement.
Calfee represented the State of Ohio in the State’s first public-private partnership financing of a new public highway. Our attorneys have counseled nonprofit organizations and public universities regarding student housing and parking alternatives to address funding concerns. In addition, we have represented governments and developers in partnering on complex mixed-use projects.
Since 2004, Calfee has been recognized as a Leading Law Firm for Banking & Finance by Chambers USA, most recently in Band 2 in Ohio (2024).
Clients provided feedback to Chambers USA, "The Calfee team is extremely well-versed in complicated financings and has an extensive view across the market. Calfee has a strong bench of banking and finance attorneys; they are extremely responsive and meet tight deadlines. The team uses extensive resources across the firm to help in many complex areas. They really do offer a one-stop shop – they could handle the finance work as well as the day-to-day commercial issues. Their expertise is wide and far-reaching; they give us everything we need and more. The firm has surprised me in an extremely positive way, and it competes on a global scale in finance matters."
Calfee has been named to Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" 2025 for Public Finance Law (National Tier 3, Regional Tier 1 Cleveland).
Calfee’s practice group represents a wide range of clients including developers, investors and syndicators, institutional lenders, individuals, and corporate clients in connection with matters related to the acquisition, disposition, construction, development, leasing, and financing of real property assets. In addition to conventional purchase, sale, loan, and lease transactions, this practice encompasses the formation of investment syndications, joint ventures, and economic development incentives, the structuring of synthetic leases and tax-deferred exchanges, and the representation of clients in complex multi-site and multi-state transactions, including:
Calfee’s Government Relations and Legislation practice is respected for its political savvy and effectiveness, legal expertise, honesty, and relationships with all levels of local, state, and federal government and on both sides of the political aisle. Since 1988, our full-service lobbying group has appeared before the Ohio General Assembly, statewide elected officials, executive agencies, commissions, and departments of the state and federal government. We advocate for our clients in a strong, clear voice that makes an impact. Further, we assist clients with the following:
We represent clients in all aspects of transactions, financings, and debt structures. The firm's commercial finance attorneys counsel financial institutions and borrowers in analyzing, structuring, documenting, and negotiating all aspects of finance in private, public, syndicated, international, and governmental settings. Our diversified backgrounds enable Calfee attorneys to understand all aspects of securing financing for a project.
Calfee is regarded as one of the foremost bond counsel firms in the State of Ohio. With more than 30 years of experience in this field, we regularly represent Ohio municipalities, counties, townships, the State of Ohio, special districts, and other political subdivisions as bond counsel, issuer's counsel, and special counsel, and we serve as underwriters' counsel to various local and national investment bankers. We assist clients with the following:
We were among the first firms to serve as bond counsel in connection with the issuance by a port authority of bonds payable from municipal tax increment financing revenues and "backed up" by voluntarily imposed special assessments paid to the municipality. This novel structure permitted the financing of a public parking facility adjacent to an inner-ring suburb's retail center.
"They really do offer a one-stop shop – they handle the finance work as well as the day-to-day commercial issues. Their expertise is wide and far-reaching; they give us everything we need and more. The firm has surprised me in an extremely positive way, and it competes on a global scale in finance matters."
Client quote, Chambers USA
