Christopher C. Tsouros

Partner
Chris serves as lead transactional counsel for major real estate developers, enterprises with significant real estate holdings and interests, and entrepreneurial clients and projects.
Christopher Tsouros, ArentFox Schiff, Partner

Chris has been retained by real estate developers, entrepreneurs and business interests as lead and general counsel in the strategic planning, implementation and successful disposition of significant, complex, diverse and highly visible transactions, collectively monetized at billions of dollars in aggregate value. Chris’ background also directly brings to the table experience and expertise in the representation of clients in the conduct and resolution of substantial real estate, partnership, joint venture and business litigation.

Developers, investors, private business ventures, entrepreneurs, corporations, and business enterprises of all kinds, including colleges, professional sports franchises, non-profit entities, start-ups, and public/private partnerships, have all benefitted from Chris’ deeply experienced and insightful counsel and stalwart performance.

His approach is direct, hands-on and immersive in the projects he takes on: Commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions; project and joint venture strategic planning, equity structuring and financings; office, lab, industrial and retail leases; deal organization and tax structuring; construction, architectural, and business contracts; zoning and environmental issues; and project permitting and development entitlements at all municipal, state and federal levels. The results speak for themselves.

Client Work

Successes in the representation of clients in substantially valued real estate and business transactions and ventures are indicative of the scope and caliber of Chris’ value to a deal team.            

  • The Boston Celtics Ownership. Legal co-counsel to the top tier executive management and ownership interests of The Boston Celtics in their initial equity structuring, acquisition and financing of the NBA franchise.

  • The Boston Celtics Team and Organization. Lead counsel to the Boston Celtics in several separate key projects: Direct lease negotiations for its NBA arena – the TD Garden; leasing of its corporate offices; and leasing, development and construction of its major new state of the art practice/health/training facilities with New Balance at Boston Landing.

  • Widett Circle Development Boston, MA. Lead counsel for the developer in the 2020 (COVID year) structuring and pension fund equity investment in real estate acquisition and merger transactions resulting in the assemblage of a transformative 24-acre development tract in the heart of Boston; with ongoing representation of the joint venture in major negotiations and transactions with the MBTA, City of Boston, and Boston Planning and Development Agency on the continuing and evolving development.

  • Lafayette Corporate Center. General counsel for the developer in the acquisition and 121A transfer of a major Downtown Boston air rights office building (600,000+ sf); multiple office space leasing deals; and initial financing and refinancings.

  • The Boston Flower Exchange. Lead transaction counsel in the acquisition of major Boston site for development of over 1.5 million square feet, and negotiations with Boston Planning and Development Agency on gating permitting parameters and structural entitlements.

  • The Landmark Center. General counsel for the initial acquisition, organization structuring, construction and development, office/retail leasing, and all operations of The Landmark Center in the Fenway, Boston, MA, significantly transforming that neighborhood, and culminating in a  $530,000,000 sale transaction.

  • Boston Teacher’s Union HQ.  Lead counsel in the negotiations for land disposition and construction of new headquarters attendant to a major 20-acre waterside Dorchester private development tract.

  • The Abbey Group - Project Portfolio. General and project specific lead transaction counsel for The Abbey Group, handling all legal aspects of its major real estate development projects in Boston MA (including multiple construction and permanent financings and refinancings: Landmark Square (multifamily new construction – 100 apartments); St. Germain Street (multifamily acquisition of  48 brownstone buildings/200 apartments); The Viridian (land swap acquisition and multifamily new construction/100 apartments); Riverside Technology Center (acquisition and adaptive reuse, leasing of laboratory, office and R&D spaces); 45 Province (residential 120-unit condominium and mixed use project; workout and piloting through recession to successful sell out of all units). 

  • Huntington Theatre Company – Transactional real estate counsel in joint venture for rehabilitation of performing arts theater parcel in the context of a major adjacent site development.

  • Golf Club at Turner Hill – General counsel in the successful equity and debt restructuring and workout of the membership takeover of the Golf Club at Turner Hill, Ipswich, MA, and all organization, structural, licensing, permitting, financing, permitting and operational matters.

  • Boston College High School – Lead Counsel in a public/private partnership with UMASS Boston on joint development of adjacent land for shared athletic facilities and operations.

Chris also served as lead litigation counsel in several major actions:

  • Laz Parking – Lead negotiator for Laz Parking in major contract negotiations and FCA dispute resolution with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MBTA, and Office of the Attorney General; and special counsel in several other major business and litigation matters.
  • Liberty Mutual HQ - Abutter’s counsel in successful settlement of Land Court challenge over permitting of a major corporate HQ site in Boston, MA.
  • Fenway Access Easements – Lead counsel in management and successful reconfiguration of multi-party lawsuit in Land Court over multiple complex easement, adverse possession and right of way claims relieving development project impediments.
  • Regis College/Town of Weston – Piloted the College in successful litigation in the Land Court, Appeals Court and Supreme Judicial Court in defense of its Dover Amendment zoning rights.
  • Representation of various parties in partnership business and valuation litigation and arbitrations, before municipal and state government licensing and permitting boards, and at major development agencies.  

Awards & Recognition

  • “AV-Preeminent” designation by Martindale Hubbell
  • Bar & Court Admissions
    • Massachusetts Bar
    • US District Court, District of Massachusetts
    • US Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit
  • Education
    Boston University School of Law, LL.M., 1984
    Boston College Law School, JD
    Tufts University, BA, cum laude