Rabia P. Chaudhry

Rabia P. Chaudhry is an associate in the Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental Practice Group in the firm's Orange County office and is a member of the firm’s Portfolio Transactions Team.

Areas of Practice

Rabia advises her clients on a full range of real estate transactions and services a wide variety of real estate clients, including publicly traded companies, investment firms, operating companies, entrepreneurs, funds, and other real estate investors and their advisors. She is adept at leasing, sale-leasebacks, purchases and sales, management agreements, CC&Rs and other real estate transactional matters. As such, investors, property owners and landlords rely on her counsel when acquiring, selling, leasing, and operating retail, office, industrial, and multifamily properties across the United States. Her counsel emphasizes practical advice based on experience and an understanding of the client's needs and primary objectives.

In addition to her focus on real estate matters, Rabia has an extensive background in corporate transactions, including dispositions, acquisitions, commercial contracts, entity formation, corporate structures and governance, buyouts, and equity investments. Her corporate clients have spanned several industries, including manufacturing, retail, medical, dental, food and beverage, technology, and entertainment. 

Rabia's exposure to a wide range of matters enables her clients to capitalize on her legal knowledge when negotiating contracts and structuring transactions with their overall, long-term goals in mind. Her exposure also allows her to advise and represent clients throughout their entire business life cycle, from routine matters to transformative events, often acting as general counsel.

While in law school, Rabia served as the managing editor of the UC Davis Business Law Journal and president of the Law Students Association.

Experience

• Represented Realty Income (NYSE: O), a real estate investment trust that invests in free-standing, single-tenant commercial properties subject to NNN Leases, in its $1.5 billion sale-leaseback transaction to acquire 415 single-tenant convenience store and gas station sites located in 13 states along the eastern seaboard. In 2023, the portfolio is expected to represent approximately 14 percent of Realty Income's total portfolio annualized contractual rent.

• Represented Public Storage (NYSE: PSA) in connection with the real estate due diligence for its $2.2 billion acquisition of the Simply Self Storage portfolio from Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“BREIT”).

• Represented Quixote Studios in real estate aspects of its $360M sale to Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc.
• Represented a real estate investor in its sale of an apartment community in Florida for over $95M.

• Represented a real estate investment and management private equity firm through all stages of its real estate transactions, including successful acquisitions of medical office buildings, life science buildings and surgery centers across the United States, various retail and medical office building leasing activities and a $678M portfolio sale, all while navigating novel issues presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Represented a multi-park recreational vehicle and manufactured home communities group in its financed acquisition of various parks throughout the United States, including successfully closing over $500M in acquisitions with its joint venture institutional investor partners.
• Represented retail chain grocers in all areas of their real estate transactions, including in connection with: acquisitions and dispositions; resolution of title issues; shopping center CC&Rs; leases and subleases; encroachment agreements; easements; license agreements; estoppel certificates; SNDAs; environmental remediation matters; and property management issues, acting as client’s first point of contact to execute transactions and resolve issues.
• Represented a fast-food franchisee with over 30 fast-food franchise locations in all stages of its leasing transactions.
• Represented a concrete products and materials manufacturer in connection with its mining leases.
• Represented high net worth individuals and celebrities in various real estate acquisitions.
• Lead counsel on assisting real estate developer with multi-million-dollar condominium development in Los Angeles, including preparation of CC&Rs, HOA formation and purchase and sale agreements.
• Represented residential developer in resolution of title issues in connection with 25-acre residential development.
• Represented a chain retail pharmacy in a multi-million-dollar sale of its pharmacy inventory and records and subsequent closure from start to finish, including: negotiating the asset purchase agreement with another retail chain pharmacy worth over $153B; preparing all closing documents; analyzing and working directly with C-level executives to effect store closures and negotiate terminations with vendors.

Honors

• Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Southern California, 2020-2023
• Los Angeles Magazine, Top Young Lawyer, Southern California, 2020-2023

Articles

• "Sheppard Mullin Advised Realty Income in $1.5 billion Sale-leaseback Deal to Acquire 415 Single-tenant Convenience Store Properties," September 27, 2023
• "Sheppard Mullin Real Estate Team Represents Self Storage in $2.2 Billion Acquisition of Simply Self Storage Portfolio," September 26, 2023
• "Sheppard Mullin Advised Prospect Medical Holdings in Recapitalization and Financing Transactions, Including Up to $450 Million in New Financing," June 12, 2023
• "Sheppard Mullin Represents Quixote Studios in $360 Million Sale to Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc.," September 1, 2022

Memberships

• Member, NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association
• Member, National Multifamily Housing Council
• Member, Commercial Real Estate Women
• Former member, The Leo E. Deegan American Inn of Court
• Former board member and secretary, Barristers, Riverside County Bar Association
• Former member, UC Davis School of Law Alumni Board