John M. Ferguson

John Ferguson, a partner in the firm’s Business Law department, co-chairs the firm’s Real Estate group. He is a former co-chair of Goodwin’s Private Investment Funds practice. John represents a wide range of clients in forming private investment funds, partnerships, joint ventures and other transaction structures, and in acquisition, financing, restructuring, and disposition transactions.

John’s experience in the private investment fund area includes real estate, infrastructure, debt and credit, asset-backed securities, private equity and hedge funds and funds-of-funds. His experience focuses on establishing commingled funds, clubs and investment programs, joint ventures and separate accounts, organizing fund sponsor and manager entities, and advising fund managers with respect to employee compensation structures. This work includes US and international securities offerings, tax and regulatory-related structuring, and investment manager M&A transactions.

John’s experience within the real estate industry is extensive and multi-faceted, and includes for example the representation of: a global wealth management firm in the structuring and implementation of a several billion dollar domestic and international real estate investment program; financial and operating parties in both the formation and unwinding of joint venture transactions; portfolio and single asset acquisitions, financings (equity and secured, unsecured, and mezzanine debt) and dispositions; a NYSE-listed upREIT in a going-private transaction and a related exchange offer to its operating partnership unitholders; and investment funds as borrowers under subscription-secured credit facilities.

• Autism Speaks New York Executive Leadership Council

John was named a 2022 Notable Leader in Real Estate by Crain’s New York Business. He is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Legal 500 as a recommended lawyer for Private Equity Funds (including Venture Capital) as well as Real Estate. While attending law school, John served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Emory International Law Review from 1997-1998.

• Quoted, “As Real Estate Fundraising Slumps in Q3, More Smaller Funds Close,” FundFire, November 6, 2024
• Video: “The Commingled Fund: Alive and Well,” Privcap Media, September 28, 2015
• Video: “Navigating SEC Regulation in Private Equity,” Privcap Media, August 18, 2015
• Quoted, The PERE US Roundtable, November 2014
• Quoted, The PERE US Roundtable, November 2013