Charles C. Bissinger, Jr.

Chuck is a partner in the Vorys Cincinnati office and a member of the finance, energy and real estate group.  His practice focuses on the acquisition, financing, development and sale of office buildings, apartments, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other income producing properties, as well as leasing office space and restructuring troubled projects.  He represents lenders and borrowers in financing transactions, purchasers and sellers in real estate transfers, landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions, developers in commercial and residential development projects and borrowers, investors and lenders in real estate workouts.

Chuck has extensive experience in Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured financings and affordable housing transactions, having closed well over 1,000 FHA-insured loans on apartment properties, nursing homes and assisted living facilities located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  His practice includes the negotiation and structuring of partnerships and joint ventures and tax planning for real estate transactions.  In addition to his commercial real estate practice, Chuck represents purchasers and sellers in all aspects of the purchase and sale of mortgage banking firms and mortgage servicing rights, including transactions requiring approvals from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Career highlights include:

• Representation of owner/developer in the redevelopment and rehabilitation of 750-units of project-based Section 8 affordable housing on scattered sites in a single neighborhood of a major metropolitan city.  Representation includes structuring the redevelopment and rehabilitation transactions; negotiation of joint venture agreements with development and equity partners; negotiation with federal and state low income housing tax credit investor limited partners; due diligence; financing and review of construction and related agreements

• Representation of a real estate development firm in connection with the negotiation and documentation of a joint venture transaction with an endowment fund of a major university with over $50 million in initial capital commitments for the acquisition and development of unspecified commercial real estate assets with an anticipated value of $200+ million

• Representation of the purchaser in obtaining necessary approvals from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) for changes in ownership and operation of 80 skilled nursing homes facilities located in 11 states and financed with HUD-insured loans.  The purchase transaction involved the acquisition of assets of a nationwide healthcare business that included 160 skilled nursing facilities, physical therapy operations and pharmacy businesses

• Representation of the owners of a $350 million portfolio of office, R&D and lab properties in connection with the negotiation and closing of several mortgage loans and a mezzanine bridge loan and the negotiation and closing of an equity investment by an institutional international equity investor

• Representation of a group of real estate investors in connection with the sale of seven office/warehouse properties and the purchase and financing of three office/warehouse replacement properties in six separate tax-deferred, like-kind exchanges pursuant to Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code with an aggregate value in excess of $100 million.  Representation included complex structuring, timing and coordination; preparation and negotiation of purchase and sale agreements; negotiation of permanent financing and bridge financing documents; review, preparation and negotiation of organizational documents and tenancy-in-common agreements; and preparation of like-kind exchange documentation

• Representation of the owners of over a dozen office, research and development and biotech properties in Cambridge and suburban Boston, Massachusetts in connection with a tax-deferred roll-up and refinancing transaction, including the establishment of a credit facility of more than $500 million to finance existing properties and future acquisitions
• Representation of the developer of a 250,000 square foot retail power center development in Cincinnati, Ohio in connection with the acquisition, development, financing, and leasing of the project
• Representation of the lead lender in the financing of the development of a 400,000 square foot multi-use office, hotel, retail and parking garage project in Northern Kentucky which included a variety of private and public financing sources
• Representation of an Ohio-based bank in connection with the acquisition of a major housing and healthcare financing and low income housing tax credit investment business, which involved the transfer of a Fannie Mae delegated underwriting and servicing (DUS) business and the establishment of a new FHA-approved mortgage lender
• Representation of the seller of a major FHA-insured multifamily and Fannie Mae DUS mortgage lender and servicer to a large institutional investor in a complex, tax-advantaged transaction
• Representation of buyers and sellers of apartment properties in Texas in transactions involving over 5,000 units

Chuck is admitted to the practice of law in Ohio, Kentucky and Massachusetts.  He is a member of the Kentucky State Bar Association, the Cincinnati Bar Association, the Eastern Lenders Association, the Southeast Mortgagee Advisory Council and the Western Mortgagee Advisory Council.

Chuck received his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School and his B.B.A. with high distinction from the University of Michigan where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma.

Honors & Recognitions

Chambers and Partners, Leading Lawyer in Real Estate, 2012-2022

The Best Lawyers in America, Cincinnati Real Estate Lawyer of the Year, 2013

The Best Lawyers in America, Real Estate Law, 2007-2022

Leading Lawyer in Commercial & Contract Law, Cincy Magazine, 2006-2014, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023

Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated

Ohio Super Lawyers, Real Estate, 2004-2006 and 2008-2009

Professional & Community Activities

Cedar Village Retirement Community, Trustee, 2005-2014; Executive Committee Member, 2008-2014; Treasurer 2008-2014