ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of
Miller Canfield announces that it served as legal advisor to Second
City Capital Partners II, Limited Partnership on the spin-out and
"roll-up" of over 20 companies holding 16 office properties
containing 1.85 million square feet of net rentable area in five
states and the initial public offering of City Office REIT, Inc.'s
common stock (NYSE: CIO).
The Miller Canfield team, which was led by real estate principal
Joseph M. Fazio (Ann Arbor, MI) and corporate and M&A
principal Jeffrey L. LaBine
(New York, NY and Ann Arbor, MI), included tax principals
Gary R. Glenn and Ryan J. Riehl (Troy,
MI), corporate and M&A principal Brad B. Arbuckle (Troy, MI), real estate principal Blake E. Schulman (Chicago, IL), real estate senior attorney
Joseph C. Huntzicker (Ann Arbor, MI) and associate Amita
Gopinath (New York, NY).
"We have been pleased to work with Second City and its portfolio
companies on this multifaceted transaction and to lend our
expertise to this milestone achievement," said LaBine. "The
consummation of the spin-out and IPO in the current choppy IPO
market affirms the company's objectives and growth strategies and
City Office REIT provides a stable platform for growth with equity
and financing in place to accelerate acquisitions in the both the
near- and long-term to the benefit of the local business
eco-systems and investors alike."
Fazio added, "Transactions such as this one with complex tax,
corporate structuring, real estate and financing components
exemplify Miller Canfield's holistic approach to complex
transactions; having specialists in each of the legal areas
implicated by a transaction of this type allows us to seamlessly
incorporate subject matter experts into the deal team as and when
needed to ensure that the particular implications and potential
ramifications of each specialty area are considered and
appropriately handled."
"Jeff, Joe and the rest of the Miller Canfield team have been an
invaluable resource for us as we navigated this complex series of
interrelated transactions," stated Jamie
Farrar, CEO of City Office REIT. "Given our history of
working with Miller Canfield, having them lead the real estate,
financing and restructuring aspects of this transaction was
natural. Their guidance and attention to every aspect of the
transaction was instrumental in achieving the excellent execution
needed to bring all of the disparate elements together in a unified
whole."
Miller Canfield has been
representing clients in complex global business transactions for
many years, since the establishment of its first offices in
Poland over 20 years ago to the
more recent opening of its office in Mexico. In the past year
alone its Mergers and Acquisitions practice has led transactions in
and with Canada, China, Mexico, India, Brazil, Eastern
Europe and Russia in
addition to those throughout the United
States.
About City Office REIT, Inc.
City Office REIT, Inc.
is a real estate company formed to acquire, own and operate
high-quality office properties located within our specified target
markets, which are located in metropolitan areas in the Southern
and Western United States. The
Company owns six office complexes comprised of 16 office buildings
with approximately 1.85 million square feet of net rentable area in
the metropolitan areas of Boise
(ID), Denver (CO), Portland (OR), Tampa (FL), Allentown (PA) and Orlando (FL). The Company intends to elect to
be taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. City Office REIT, Inc. is publicly
traded on the New York Stock Exchange under symbol "CIO."
About Miller Canfield
The Corporate and M&A
Practice at the law firm of Miller
Canfield handles sophisticated M&A
transactions for strategic and financial clients across
multiple industries around the globe. Miller Canfield offers
businesses, governments, nonprofits, individuals and families a
broad array of integrated legal services. With Michigan roots
for 162 years and a global reach for two decades, the firm has
offices in Michigan, Illinois, Florida, New
York, Ohio, Canada, Mexico, Poland and China. For more information, visit
www.millercanfield.com.
SOURCE Miller, Canfield,
Paddock and Stone, P.L.C.