Robert Koury II
About Robert
Robert Koury chairs the firm’s real estate department, serving real estate users, owners, and developers throughout the Pacific Northwest. Robert represents commercial, retail, industrial, and residential developers and owners from a variety of industries, including public entities, manufacturing, technology, and education. He guides clients through the leasing, acquisition, permitting, development, and sale of all types of real property. Robert often assists clients with real estate-based financing, refinancing, and restructuring of transactions in their development and redevelopment projects. Robert has extensive experience in all types of real estate matters, and he also counsels clients with general business and corporate matters related to the operation of their businesses.
Robert has been involved in the real estate world for much of his life. Growing up, he frequently “played landlord,” helping his father manage various properties. As a student, he worked as a clerk for a large title insurance company, acquainting himself with the various documents and procedures surrounding real estate transactions. Robert’s life-long passion for real estate is instrumental in achieving his reputation as one of Oregon’s leading real estate attorneys.
Representative Experience
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Real Estate Development Plus
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Assist client with formation of a joint venture for development of a retail strip center together with leases and financing.
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Assist client with the acquisition of land and development of hotel project.
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Assist client with all aspects of an opportunity zone redevelopment biomedical project, including raising equity, structuring or restructuring security debt, leasing, and all aspects of construction and development.
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Assist nonprofit client with hotel acquisition and redevelopment into transitional housing, including all aspects of due diligence and collaboration with their funding partner.
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Real Estate Transactions Plus
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Assist landlord client with all aspects of ownership and leasing of regional mall.
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Assist family-owned business with the sale of long-held farmland to developer.
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Assist franchisee client with the acquisition of three additional franchise locations, including the negotiations of new store leases and assumption and extension of existing leases.
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Work with cannabis client on the acquisition and/or leasing of more than 20+ retail locations.
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Leasing Plus
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Drafted and negotiated combination office and lab space lease for national communications technology company.
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Assist tenant with leasing of a 150,000+ square-foot industrial facility for operation of a food-based manufacturing facility.
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Drafted and negotiated multiple office leases to tenants in the tech sector.
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Assist client with leasing of retail store locations across the country.
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Worked on a geothermal exploration lease for the landlord leasing to the company developing the geothermal facilities.
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Worked on multiple leases, licenses, and easements for wind and solar facilities.
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Real Estate Financing Plus
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Worked on financing transactions for two borrower clients on alternative energy projects (as local counsel).
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Assisted client with the restructuring of a mini-storage facility and the refinancing of the project debt to allow for the development of a fourth building.
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Served as local counsel to national developer on real estate finance project.
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Assisted client with series of refinances for apartment holdings in Oregon and Washington with debt in excess of $200 million.
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Activities
- NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association, 2017-present
- Oregon State Bar, Real Estate and Land Use Section, Member
- REACH Community Development, Board of Directors, 2000-2013, 2015-2021
- Oregon Children’s Theatre, Past Board Member
- Cathedral School Advisory Council, Past Chair
Recognition
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (Portland, OR)
- Real Estate Law, 2013-present
- Selected for inclusion as an Oregon Super Lawyer—Rising Star, 2008-2012
- Named to Portland Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list
Insights from Robert
- “Construction Issues in Commercial Leases,” Commercial Leases in the 21st Century, The Seminar Group (May 2018)
- “Commercial Leasing: Landlord and Tenant Perspectives,” Multnomah Bar Association CLE (May 2015)
- “Avoiding Deal Killers in Real Estate Transactions,” CLE webinar (July 2013)
- “Commercial Foreclosures, Short Sales and Workouts,” GVA Kidder Matthews Continuing Education Program (June 2010)
- “Landlord and Tenant Perspectives in Commercial Leasing,” Oregon State Bar seminar, Fundamentals of Real Estate and Land Use (Oct. 2008)
Outside the Office
In his free time, Robert enjoys spending time at the Oregon coast and digging for razor clams with his family.