Matea Bozja regularly represents clients in diverse and sophisticated real estate matters, with a specific focus on REIT-related transactions.

Bio

Ms. Bozja’s practice includes property acquisitions and sales, joint venture formations, and financing and leasing transactions. Her clients include institutional investors, buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, operators and borrowers that own, lease, manage and finance office properties, industrial properties, senior housing, shopping centers, and residential and mixed-use properties. In recognition of her work, Ms. Bozja was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2024 Notable Women in Law and a 2023 Law360 Rising Star in Real Estate, as well as selected to GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum’s 2023 Fifty Under 40 list.

Ms. Bozja’s representations include:

  • a sovereign wealth fund, with respect to the:
    • $8.1 billion acquisition of a portfolio of industrial properties from IndCor Properties, an affiliate of The Blackstone Group. This deal was named PERE’s Global Deal of the Year and North America Deal of the Year for 2014 and was the largest real estate transaction of 2014
    • formation of joint ventures with The Macerich Company. This deal was recognized among Real Estate Forum’s 2015 Deals & Dealmakers of the Year
    • formation of a joint venture with CPPIB and Scion to make more than $1 billion in investments in student housing opportunities in the United States
    • formation of a joint venture with Paramount Group and the related acquisition of a 95% interest in a 50-story New York City office tower valued at $1.04 billion, and the related $575 million acquisition loan with Aareal Capital
    • formation of a joint venture and the related acquisition of interests in over 2.1 million square feet in three separate office assets in the Washington, D.C. metro area, totaling more than $1.05 billion in aggregate asset value
    • formation of a joint venture with Madison G/H Investor LLC and another sovereign wealth fund to make over $1 billion in investments in urban retail properties in New York
    • formation of a joint venture with iStar Financial Inc. for the purposes of investing in a portfolio of single-tenant, triple-net lease properties with a total capitalization of $1 billion to $1.2 billion, and an equity capitalization of $400 million to $500 million and
    • investment into a $600 million fund sponsored by Exeter for the purpose of investing in industrial real estate properties located in major distribution markets across the United States
  • Brookdale Senior Living Inc. with respect to its:
    • acquisition of Emeritus Corporation, totaled at $2.8 billion, with the assumption of $1.4 billion of Emeritus mortgage debt, resulting in Brookdale having one of the largest owned senior housing real estate portfolios in the country
    • entry into two joint venture transactions and related transactions with HCP, Inc., including the creation of a $1.2 billion joint venture under a RIDEA structure, the restructuring of a 153 community triple-net lease portfolio, and the amendment of leases covering 202 HCP-owned senior housing communities operated by Emeritus
    • entry into a multipart transaction with HCP, Inc., which includes the consolidation of the existing triple-net leases with HCP into one master lease 
    • $170 million acquisition of a 15 percent stake in a joint venture with affiliates of The Blackstone Group L.P.
  • Holiday Acquisition Holdings Corp. in its $550 million sale of a portfolio of 21 independent living facilities to Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., The University of Chicago Law School, 2013 (Kirkland & Ellis Scholar; Honors)
  • B.A., Duke University, 2008

Admissions

  • Illinois

Matea Bozja