Frank Whitaker

Of Counsel

Practice & Industry Groups

Overview

Frank Whitaker counsels buyers, sellers, developers, and lenders throughout the real estate lifecycle, including in the acquisition, development, financing, leasing and disposition of real property across multiple asset classes throughout the United States.

Areas of Concentration

  • Acquisitions and dispositions of high-quality affordable housing, multifamily, retail, commercial and office properties
  • Real estate financing, including loan originations, modifications, and debt workouts
  • Leasing
  • Corporate governance
  • Title insurance matters
  • Entitlements and development agreements
  • Residential real estate closings

Prior to joining the firm, Frank worked as a real estate attorney at a national law firm and a Florida-focused law firm. During law school, Frank clerked at a Miami-based law firm and for a local real estate developer. Prior to his legal career, Frank owned an insurance inspection business.

Notable Experience

  • Represented a major Mexican construction and materials conglomerate in the acquisition and financing of a commercial property in Central Florida that became a key expansion for the client to grow its manufacturing facilities and output.
  • Represented the buyer of the shopping center “Dirksen Commons” in Springfield, IL in preliminary steps with a letter of intent, through contract negotiations, due diligence, title, lease review, and closing in a span of just over thirty days in a deal valued at $3.8 million.
  • Represented the seller of a shopping center containing 136,803 square feet of retail space across 12 acres named “Magnolia Shoppes” located in Coral Springs, FL, which included a related loan defeasance transaction, in a deal valued at $26.5 million.
  • Represented the purchaser in connection with the acquisition of eight Tropical Smoothie Cafés located on the Treasure Coast of Florida with assignments, assumptions, and lease negotiations completed with all landlords involved in a deal valued at over $5 million. Additionally, a $5 million bank loan was negotiated and closed in connection with the transaction.
  • Represented real estate investment and development company in the $53 million resale of a 44,575-square foot development site located central to Miami’s financial district.
  • Represented a capital markets firm in the property acquisition component for a first-of-its-kind multi-offering placement of real financial instruments in tokenized form, to be held in crypto wallets and sold via action. The $260 million transactions were a first in traditional and cryptocurrency markets that presented to crypto and fiat investors offerings four different partnerships: a commercial real estate partnership that bought a Miami WeWork building, a student housing partnership that purchased 917 beds in three student housing projects, an infrastructure partnership that invested in a North Dakota water pipeline project, and a multi-family housing partnership that developed projects in southwest Florida.
  • Represented client in the purchase of an 87,100-square foot industrial warehouse located in Hialeah, FL. Provided real estate and corporate counsel and served as the closing and title agents for the transaction valued at $5.05 million with institutional financing in the amount of $4 million.
  • Represented real estate investment and development company as developer’s counsel and title and closing agents in the closing of Ofizzina, an over $50 million Class-A, 16-story office condominium that includes 54 suites totaling 96,668 square feet of office space, three ground-floor commercial retail spaces, and 331 parking spaces. Counsel included handling property assembly, financing and structuring, and closing on more than $50 million in units.

Credentials

Education

  • LL.M. in Real Property Development, 2015
  • J.D., cum laude, University of Miami School of Law, 2015
  • B.A., University of Central Florida, 2008

Admissions

  • Florida

 

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Leadership Miami
    • Cohort 45, Executive Planning Committee Member, 2023
    • Cohort 44, Facilitator, 2022
  • The Florida Bar Grievance Eleventh Circuit Grievance Committee ‘B’, Chair, 2024-Present

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2024-2025
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2025
  • Leadership Miami, Cohort 43, “Carlos Arboleyah Community Service Award” (Participant of the Year), 2022
  • South Florida Business and Wealth Magazine, “Changemaker” Award, 2022