PropTech (Property Technology)

The real estate and hospitality industry is being transformed by emerging technologies, and Holland & Knight's experienced attorneys are well versed in this convergence of digital tools and property management. The long period of COVID-19 restrictions required many industry companies to turn to PropTech solutions to reduce human touches, but PropTech is expected to continue to revolutionize the industry in other ways, including the development and management of residential and commercial properties, the creation of new efficiencies at hotels and resorts, increased profits for developers and construction companies, streamlined back-office functions and enhanced tenant amenities. This burgeoning market will change business processes for all real estate asset classes, including not only traditional asset classes such as office, retail, industrial and residential real estate but also specialized asset classes such as hotels, healthcare, schools and data centers.

Holland & Knight is experienced in serving users and developers of PropTech, as well as investors in PropTech companies, with wide-ranging national practices in real estate, technology and corporate services, such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Our PropTech Team stands at the intersection of this transformation. Our real estate lawyers understand the needs of clients in the real estate industry, and our technology lawyers represent and have connections with firms developing the technology that serves those businesses. These talents and connections enable us to fully serve real estate and hospitality industry companies seeking PropTech solutions and provide skilled corporate and intellectual property counsel for the firms that develop the technology.

PropTech Support for Real Estate Clients

Holland & Knight has one of the largest real estate practices in the U.S., with more than 250 attorneys assisting clients across all major markets. We work with developers, lenders, buyers, sellers, investors, owners and property managers. Our clients include shopping mall owners, construction companies, hotels and resorts, data centers, industrial property owners, as well as multiuse, residential and commercial landlords. We also counsel major companies whose core business is not real estate but that have large, diverse portfolios of owned or leased real estate. In short, we have our fingers on the pulse of real estate throughout the U.S. and in a number of global markets.

Our PropTech services for real estate clients encompass: 

• immersing ourselves in the nuances of what developers, operators, managers, investors and other real estate stakeholders need to efficiently run their businesses, with the goal of ensuring that these innovative products and services maximize profits
• advising on agreements for the use of PropTech, including advising on compliance with privacy laws and other regulatory regimes
• acting as a matchmaker, introducing real estate clients to firms in the technology sector that could best fit their needs

PropTech Support for PropTech Clients

Holland & Knight's Technology Team provides support for all types of tech companies, including early-stage growth enterprises. This includes the protection of intellectual property, licensing, assisting with financing, securing agreements with key employees and preparing companies for exit strategies. Our lawyers work closely with allied practices – such as our attorneys in intellectual property, data privacy, and corporate and transactional groups – to protect client innovations and optimize their value. Our corporate services cover the gamut, and we have extensive experience in financing, M&A and advising on the sale of emerging companies to both strategic buyers and private equity investors.

We have represented dozens of sellers in M&A transactions, including many to leading buyers of PropTech companies, and our future clients gain from the relationships and knowledge from those previous transactions. We know and understand the buyers in this space, who are often private equity firms that can achieve economies of scale because they are active in the real estate and hospitality industries.

Beyond Buildings: Smart Cities and More

Our PropTech experience extends beyond the walls of our clients. For example, we have helped build Smart City partnerships between technology companies and the state and local governments that regulate them. In addition, we have negotiated the commercial development of routes for autonomous vehicles (AVs), handled the financing for AV transactions and the licensing of AV software, as well as advised on related insurance issues. In addition, Holland & Knight's Drone Practice can assist with contracts and regulatory issues where drones are used to assist in construction.