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John Dougherty, Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP Photo

John P. Dougherty

Partner / Boston

Overview

John Dougherty is a partner in Nutter's Real Estate Department and is a member of the Development, Land Use and Permitting practice group. He advises clients, both nationally and locally, on all aspects of real estate development, acquisition and disposition, leasing and financing.

John represents developers, lenders, investors, operators and non-profit organizations including National Development, Trammell Crow Residential, UDR, Amgen, Related Beal, Farley White Interests, Prime Motor Group, Broder Properties, General Electric, CIGNA Corporation and Lallemand Inc.

John has extensive experience in the purchase, sale, financing and leasing of downtown and suburban office buildings, retail shopping centers, life science developments, commercial and residential condominiums, multi-family projects, mixed-use developments and industrial properties. He also has extensive experience in structuring and negotiating joint venture arrangements pertaining to complex real estate development projects.

His areas of emphasis include: 

  • Representing developers in all aspects of development or rehabilitation of real estate including zoning, permitting, environmental and title matters
  • Representing landlords and tenants in commercial lease transactions, ground lease development projects, sale-leasebacks, build-to-suit leases, and lease administration and enforcement matters 
  • Representing lenders, investors and borrowers in permanent, construction and mezzanine financings, loan purchase and sales, and restructuring, work out and foreclosure matters

John’s representative transactions include: 

  • leasing of 125,000 square foot lab space located in Cambridge
  • acquisition, financing and leasing of an office and lab complex comprising 200,000 square feet located in Watertown
  • acquisition and financing of a three building office park comprising 150,000 square feet located in Bedford, New Hampshire
  • acquisition and permitting review on behalf of a national multi-family developer in connection with a swap transaction involving nine multi-family properties having 2,500 residential units in California and Massachusetts
  • acquisition and permitting of affordable housing projects for a national housing developer in multiple municipalities, including Stoughton, Arlington, Hopkinton, Melrose, Watertown and Cambridge
  • leasing of retail and office space on behalf of the developer of a 1,280,000 square foot mixed-use project on the former Polaroid Campus in Waltham
  • acquisition, development and financing of over twenty automobile dealerships in New England for one of the largest regional auto dealers
  • acquisition of loan, foreclosure, rehabilitation and financing of two acre site in Cambridge with three buildings having 65 residential units
  • acquisition and development of mixed use project with a cultural arts center and housing in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York
  • acquisition of a corporate office campus and conference center comprising 240,000 square feet in Marlborough
  • $282 million construction and permanent financing of a mixed-use hotel, office, retail and residential project in the “NoMa” section of Washington, D.C.
  • acquisition and financing of a six office building office park comprising 320,000 square feet located in Bedford, New Hampshire
  • leasing and sale of nine research and development and light manufacturing facilities comprising 600,000 square feet located in Danvers and Beverly, Massachusetts
  • acquisition and financing of the ground leased fee interest in five office buildings comprising 356,000 square feet located in Lexington, Massachusetts
  • acquisition of 44 acres of land and permitting for a 400,000 square foot manufacturing facility located in Londonderry, New Hampshire
  • sale and leaseback of eight industrial facilities comprising 930,000 square feet located in New York, Indiana and Alabama
  • financing and leasing of a 280,000 square foot office building located in Boston Financial District
  • acquisition of 32 acres of land and development of a 260,000 manufacturing facility located in Chicopee, Massachusetts

John is a former member of the Town of Dover Planning Board. He is also a member of the Boston Bar Association, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the Real Estate Finance Association of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. He is a frequent lecturer at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education programs and has authored a chapter of the MCLE Commercial Real Estate Primer regarding mortgage loans. Prior to practicing law, he was a corporate lender at the Philadelphia National Bank.

Experience

Experience

  • Acquisition, financing and leasing of a five building office park comprising 356,000 square feet

    Representation of owner-developer in the acquisition, financing and leasing of a five building office park comprising 356,000 square feet located in Lexington.

  • Acquisition, financing and leasing of a 65,000 square foot research and development facility

    Representation of owner-developer in the acquisition, financing and leasing of a 65,000 square foot research and development facility located in Waltham.

  • Acquisition and financing of 55,000 square foot corporate headquarters

    Representation of owner in the acquisition and financing of its 55,000 square foot corporate headquarters office building located in Waltham.

  • Leasing and disposition of 600,000 square foot manufacturing complex

    Representation of owner-developer in the leasing and disposition of a research and development and light manufacturing complex comprising 600,000 square feet located in Beverly.

  • Acquisition and financing of a single tenant 80,000 square foot office building

    Representation of owner-developer in the acquisition and financing of a single tenant 80,000 square foot office building located in Chelmsford.

  • Acquisition, financing and leasing of a two building office and lab complex

    Representation of owner-developer in the acquisition, financing and leasing of a two building office and lab complex comprising 90,000 square feet located in Billerica.

  • Acquisition, financing and leasing of an office and lab complex comprising 200,000 square feet

    Representation of owner-developer in the acquisition, financing and leasing of an office and lab complex comprising 200,000 square feet located in Watertown.

News & Insights

Publications

Honors

Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2024

Education & Admissions

Education

The Catholic University of America, J.D.
College of the Holy Cross, B.A.

Admissions

  • Massachusetts

Industries

Notable Experience

John advised on the leasing of retail and office space on behalf of the developer of a 1,280,000 square foot mixed-use project on the former Polaroid Campus in Waltham.

Noteworthy

  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2024
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