Christopher B. Barker

Chris Barker is a retired partner in the firm’s Business Law Department and former chair of its firm’s Real Estate Industry group. He does a significant amount of work in the hospitality industry, and is former chair of the firm’s Hospitality & Leisure practice. He also has served on the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Barker has particular expertise in representing funds and other entities with tax-exempt investors in structuring and implementing debt and equity investments in real estate and in real estate operating companies.

Mr. Barker has represented a number of prominent private investment fund sponsors and public REITs in the formation of funds and separate account vehicles, portfolio acquisitions, joint ventures, merger and acquisition transactions and other strategic transactions. His representative clients include Rockwood Capital, HEI Hotels & Resorts, BayNorth Capital Partners, AEW Capital Management, Leggat McCall Properties, Cabot Properties, Long Wharf Capital Partners and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

Mr. Barker took a leave from the firm during 1990-1992 to work for Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, an international law firm based in Tokyo and Japan’s largest law firm; he continued to spend material time in Japan through the mid-’90s. His work there included counseling Japanese lenders and investors in connection with their real estate transactions in the United States and in other countries. He continues his work for Japanese clients, primarily in connection with hotel and resort properties.

Prior to law school, Mr. Barker worked for five years as a project manager for a large industrial engineering and construction firm on projects in various regions of the United States.

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

Mr. Barker is listed in Best Lawyers and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as one of the leading real estate lawyers in Massachusetts and a leading national lawyer on hospitality matters.

Mr. Barker has lectured and written on real estate finance subjects for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and has been a panelist at a number of national hospitality and real estate capital markets symposiums.