Christopher J. Thanner Partner

He has counseled sellers, purchasers, landlords and tenants on the various issues associated with real estate acquisitions, dispositions and leasing transactions. His practice also involves counseling clients on negotiating the maze of governmental regulations affecting development in Florida, including concurrency, platting and permitting issues. In the banking and finance area, Chris represents institutional lenders and corporate borrowers in a variety of real estate and other asset-based financing transactions and frequently serves as local counsel on state and national financing matters.

Chris is a member of the firm’s restructuring team and distressed real estate practice group, and regularly works with special asset managers of national and regional lending institutions and special servicers of Commercial Mortgage-Backed (CMBS) loans on commercial loan workouts and forbearance agreements, foreclosures of real and personal property, guaranty enforcement actions, deeds in lieu of foreclosure and state court receivership proceedings. He has also represented lenders in the workout and foreclosure of incomplete construction and development projects, including partially constructed Florida condominium developments.

Chris is also a member of the firm’s transportation industry team and regularly assists railroads in the acquisition, disposition, leasing and development of railroad right of way and related rail and intermodal facilities. His representation runs the gamut from negotiating purchase and sale, rail crossing and spur line agreements with individual land owners to the assemblage of multiple parcels involving coordination among numerous sellers, local governments and regulatory agencies. He also frequently assists railroads with the historical analysis of real property rights and has successfully represented railroads in disputes with state agencies and local governments over the extent of vested railroad rights in state-owned and public lands.

He is past chair of the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Real Property Law Section, and is active in pro bono and civic matters, including providing legal assistance to a not-for-profit community development corporation building affordable housing in the city of Jacksonville.