Sophia S. Chen
Associate
Overview
Sophia Chen is a real estate attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office for the firm's Mid-Atlantic Transactions group. Ms. Chen concentrates her practice on commercial real estate law, which includes development matters, acquisition and disposition, joint venture agreements, retail and office leasing, management and financing.
As a member of the firm’s Mid-Atlantic Transactions group, Ms. Chen represents major institutional investors, commercial developers, insurance companies and investment companies in connection with their local and national real estate investments, including the acquisition and financing of office buildings, shopping centers, hotels and other investment-grade properties. Her experience also includes commercial finance involving construction and permanent real estate loans, as well as representing developers and equity investors in connection with preferred and standard equity investments in real estate projects.
Ms. Chen is also experienced in hospitality law, including hotel management agreements, restaurant agreements and general hotel operation matters nationwide. She also represents landlords and tenants in leases of office and retail assets nationwide.
Representative Experience
- Represented a purchaser and developer in connection with the purchase, development and leasing of the former Fannie Mae headquarters; the transaction was named by the Washington Business Journal as the Best Redevelopment Project for 2023
- Represented a purchaser and developer in connection with the financing and development of a project involving commercial loan transactions, preferred equity and mezzanine transactions, and the preparation of various reciprocal easement agreements to govern the various components of a project, now valued at more than $70 million
- Represented a foreign fund in the financing of a commercial asset in Washington, D.C.
- Represented an institutional investor in the acquisition and disposition, as well as financing and re-financing, of commercial assets nationwide
- Represented a landlord in connection with the lease-up and continued leasing at an upscale retail project in Washington, D.C., including leases to many international luxury brands and high-end restaurants
- Provided leasing and legal support for a client's asset management services regarding a high-end streetscape portfolio in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
- Provided leasing and legal support for a client’s asset management services regarding trophy class office buildings in the greater Washington, D.C., area
Credentials
- The George Washington University Law School, J.D.
- Wellesley College, B.A.
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Korean American Bar Association of Washington, D.C.
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Washington, D.C., Secretary of the Board of Directors, 2021-2023
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), Real Estate Committee Member
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Washington, D.C., Real Estate Law Ones to Watch, 2025
- Hot List, Lawyers of Color, 2023
- Leadership Council on Leadership Diversity (LCLD), Pathfinder Program, 2023
- Chinese - Cantonese
- Chinese - Mandarin
- Chinese - Shanghainese
- English
- Korean