Michael H. Glazer

Michael Glazer is a retired partner of the firm specializing in real estate, commercial finance focused on creative debt and equity structures and joint ventures, hospitality and leasing. Mr. Glazer served as chair of Goodwin's Real Estate group from 1984 to 1994 and as chair of its Real Estate Investment Management practice. He has also served on the firm's Executive, Management and Allocations Committees. Mr. Glazer is a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading real estate attorneys by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Mr. Glazer has developed special expertise advising and representing real estate investment managers, real estate funds, REITs, public and private real estate operating companies, hospitality clients and other institutional investors in connection with their real estate investment opportunities and needs. Mr. Glazer’s practice often involves the special needs of tax-exempt investors such as pension funds and endowments as well as foreign investors. Working with attorneys in the firm's Tax, ERISA, Fund Formation, REITs and Capital Markets Practices, Mr. Glazer helps structure complex debt and equity transactions to meet the needs of these institutional investors and clients.

Mr. Glazer has extensive real estate transactional experience, representing firm clients, including BlackRock, Forest City Enterprises, AEW Capital Management, Alcion Ventures and Four Seasons, in some of the largest real estate acquisition, disposition and joint venture transactions in the country. He has recently represented:

• Forest City Enterprises in its multibillion-dollar joint venture with Greenland Group Co. to develop Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, New York
• Four Seasons Hotels in closing a joint venture for the construction of a 444-room, Four Seasons branded hotel and golf resort at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida
• A client in what is believed to be the largest single asset purchase and joint venture in the history of the United States – a multibillion-dollar acquisition and joint venture of 11,000+ apartments units in New York City
• Forest City Enterprises in a multibillion-dollar joint venture with QIC, one of Australia’s largest institutional investment managers, involving eight regional shopping centers
• A client in a multibillion-dollar programmatic joint venture with a state retirement system for the development of several urban multifamily development projects
• A hospitality client in connection with a joint venture for the redevelopment of a five-star hotel and golf resort located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Mr. Glazer has served on the board of directors of the Commercial Brokers Association of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and was that board's representative on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. He also served as a member of the Real Property Counsel of the Massachusetts Bar Association.

Mr. Glazer was a member of the board of directors for Say Yes to Education, Inc., a national not-for-profit committed to increasing high school and college graduation rates for inner-city youth.

Mr. Glazer has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Best Lawyers for his work in Real Estate Law 2022-2023.

Mr. Glazer is a fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He has been named every year since 2004 as one of the leading real estate lawyers in Massachusetts in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and been recognized for several years in U.S. News-Best Lawyers. Mr. Glazer has also been recognized as being among the Top 100 Lawyers in Massachusetts and has for many years been recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer by Law & Politics and Boston magazine. He has also been selected for inclusion on the Lawdragon “Top 500 Dealmakers in America” list.

Mr. Glazer has been a frequent speaker at American College of Real Estate Lawyers events and for the Massachusetts Bar Association and Professional Education Systems.