Practice areas
Commercial Real Estate
General Corporate and Securities
Education
Vanderbilt University Law School. (J.D. 2008)
Mathematics, Freed-Hardeman University (B.S. 2005)
Bar admissions
Tennessee
.png)
Biography
Sarah Laird advises developers, investors, and sponsors in the acquisition, financing, and development of commercial real estate projects nationwide. Her practice spans the full life cycle of real estate ownership and investment, with a particular focus on joint ventures, mixed-use developments, and healthcare and senior-living assets.
Throughout her career, Sarah has led legal teams in complex transactions and guided clients through the acquisition, financing, and disposition of portfolios. She has deep experience structuring and negotiating equity and debt for multifamily, office, and hospitality projects, and frequently advises on the real estate components of corporate and healthcare M&A transactions.
Representative matters include serving as lead counsel to developers of luxury senior-living communities, advising a national REIT in its acquisition and leaseback of medical office buildings and hospital facilities, and guiding healthcare developers through the acquisition and financing of dialysis-clinic projects across the country.
Before joining the firm, Sarah clerked for the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals and practiced with national and regional firms, representing developers, private equity investors, and REITs in all aspects of commercial real estate transactions. She brings a practical, solutions-driven approach to complex deal-making, balancing technical precision with a clear understanding of client goals.
Representative Transactions
Development and Joint Ventures
• Represented developers, operator-sponsors, family offices, and institutional investors in the development, financing, and disposition of medical office, luxury senior living, mixed-use, and hospitality projects nationwide, with individual project values ranging from $5 million to $250 million and portfolio values exceeding $500 million.
• Advised developer-sponsors in the structuring of programmatic joint venture relationships on projects ranging from $15 million to $50 million.
Acquisitions and Dispositions
• Represented a publicly traded REIT in the acquisition and sale-leaseback of over $1 billion in medical office buildings and hospital facilities nationwide, including related asset management and leasing matters.
• Advised various institutional and family office investors on the acquisition, repositioning, and disposition of office, mixed-use, multifamily, healthcare, and hospitality assets, typically in the $15 million to $75 million range, including negotiation of LP and JV agreements and the negotiation of loan documents.
Financing
• Represented borrowers in negotiating and closing construction, permanent, and mezzanine financings with loan amounts ranging from $10 million to $250 million; structured capital stacks utilizing conventional debt, equity, tax incentives, and negotiated complex loan documentation and intercreditor agreements with institutional lenders.
Leasing and Asset Management
• Represented owners, landlords, tenants, and medical operators in office, retail, and medical office leasing—including build-to-suit and sale-leaseback transactions—for projects ranging from $5 million to $150 million. Negotiated lease collateral structures, tenant improvement and build-out provisions, expense reimbursements, assignment and assumptions, and early terminations.
• Assisted senior care and health care operators with asset management, including license and management agreements, tax incentive agreements, occupancy agreements, service agreements, and operator transitions.