Frank Whitaker is senior counsel in the Real Estate practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. He concentrates his practice on counseling buyers, sellers, developers, and lenders in a broad range of real estate matters, including purchases and sales of real property, commercial, high-rise, tract, industrial, and mixed-use development, landlord-tenant issues, commercial real estate financing, land use, as well as handling litigation cases involving real estate disputes. Mr. Whitaker also provides counsel and solutions to his clients in connection with leasing deals for all asset types, title insurance matters, corporate formation, and governance matters.
Mr. Whitaker has fostered numerous business relationships in the real estate industry, advising multi-family and commercial office condominium developers in various stages of the development process, including land assembly, identifying and negotiating entitlements, structuring and forming corporate investment vehicles, construction and permanent financing, and the sale and/or leasing of a completed residential and commercial developments. He also has extensive experience representing borrowers and national, regional, and private lenders in real estate finance transactions, including loan originations, modifications, and debt workouts.
Prior to joining Greenspoon Marder, Mr. Whitaker worked as a capital markets/real estate attorney for a prominent mid-sized business law firm in Miami. While there, he focused his practice on representing special servicers of commercial mortgage-backed securities loans in loan assumptions, transfers of interest, changes in management, flag and tenancy, debt workouts, and foreclosures.
Mr. Whitaker earned his Master of Laws in Real Property Development and his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. He also received his Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies. Before becoming a real estate attorney, Mr. Whitaker owned his own insurance inspection business and also worked as an insurance adjuster.
Mr. Whitaker also received the prestigious Carlos Arboleya Community Service Award (Participant of the Year) for Cohort 43 from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Miami Program.
Bar Admission
- Florida
Education
- LL.M., University of Miami School of Law, Real Property Development, 2015
- Florida Real Estate Commission Education and Research Scholarship
- Charles M. Haar Scholar in Planning and Zoning, F.W. “Mort” Guilford Endowed Scholarship
- J.D., University of Miami School of Law, cum laude, 2015
- B.A., University of Central Florida, 2008
Language
- German, Conversational
Representative Experience
- Represented a major Mexican construction and materials conglomerate in the acquisition and financing of a commercial property in Central Florida that became a key expansion for the client to grow its manufacturing facilities and output.
- Represented the buyer of the shopping center “Dirksen Commons” in Springfield, Ill. in preliminary steps with a letter of intent, through contract negotiations, due diligence, title, lease review, and the closing in a span of just over thirty days in a deal valued at $3.8 million.
- Represented the seller of a shopping center containing 136,803 square feet of retail space across 12 acres named “Magnolia Shoppes” located in Coral Springs, Fla., which included a related loan defeasance transaction, in a deal valued at $26.5 million.
- Represented the purchaser in connection with the acquisition of eight Tropical Smoothie Cafés located on the Treasure Coast of Florida with assignments, assumptions, and lease negotiations completed with all landlords involved in a deal valued at over $5 million. Additionally, a $5 million bank loan was negotiated and closed in connection with the transaction.
- Represented TSG group in the $53 million resale of a 44,575-square foot development site located central to Miami’s financial district.
- Represented Inveniam Capital Partners, a capital markets firm, in the property acquisition component for a first-of-its-kind multi-offering placement of real financial instruments in tokenized form, to be held in crypto wallets and sold via action. The $260 million transactions were a first in traditional and cryptocurrency markets that presented to crypto and fiat investors offerings four different partnerships: a commercial real estate partnership that bought a Miami WeWork building, a student housing partnership that purchased 917 beds in three student housing projects, an infrastructure partnership that invested in a North Dakota water pipeline project, and a multi-family housing partnership that developed projects in southwest Florida.
- Represented client GFTF, LLC in the purchase of an 87,100-square foot industrial warehouse located in Hialeah, Fla. and provided real estate and corporate counsel and served as the closing and title agents for the transaction valued at $5.05 million with institutional financing in the amount of $4 million.
- Represented TSG Group as the developer’s counsel and title and closing agents in the closing of Ofizzina, an over $50 million Class-A, 16-story office condominium that includes 54 suites totaling 96,668 square feet of office space, three ground-floor commercial retail spaces, and 331 parking spaces. Counsel included handling property assembly, financing and structuring, and closing on more than $50 million in units.
Pro Bono
- Represented several Florida residents with food and housing assistance in Greenspoon Marder’s inaugural 2021 “Project New Leaf” Expungement Workshop at Greater St. Paul AME in Miami.
Professional and Community Involvement
- Leadership Miami, Class 43
- Leadership Miami Cohort 44, Facilitator
- The Florida Bar, Eleventh Circuit Grievance Committee ‘B’
- Greenspoon Marder Diversity Council
Recognitions
- U.S. News and World Report, “Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch,” Real Estate Law, 2022-2024
- South Florida Business & Wealth, “Up & Comer Awards,” Charitable Commitment, 2022
- Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, “Carlos Arboleya Community Service Award,” 2022
In the News
- Featured, “Most Coral Gables Ofizzina Office Condos Sell for $50 Million,” Daily Business Review, January 22, 2019
- Quoted, “Greenspoon Marder Represents Client in Closing of Multi-Million Class-A 16-Story Office Condominium, Ofizzina,” Citybizlist, January 15, 2019
News
- Nov 8, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Manny Crespo and Frank Whitaker Successfully Represent Mexican Construction and Materials Conglomerate Client in Key Expansion Acquisition
- Nov 7, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Frank Whitaker and Joseph Wasch Successfully Represent Client in Commercial Property Deal Valued at $3.8 Million
- Aug 25, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Joseph C. Wasch and Frank Whitaker Successfully Represent Client in Commercial Property Deal Valued at $26.5 Million
- Jul 26, 2023 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Joseph C. Wasch and Frank Whitaker Successfully Represent Franchise Client in Connection with Acquisition of Multiple Tropical Smoothie Cafés in Excess of $5 Million
- Sep 19, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Associate Frank Whitaker Selected as Honoree for South Florida Business & Wealth Magazine 2022 Up & Comer Awards
- Jun 23, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Attorney Frank Whitaker Awarded Carlos J. Arboleya Community Service Award by Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Miami®
- Dec 22, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Associate Frank Whitaker Selected to Participate in Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Leadership Miami® Program
- Aug 19, 2021 Nine Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Listed In The Best Lawyers In America©: Ones To Watch 2022
- Jan 7, 2021 Greenspoon Marder Represents TSG Group In $53 Million Resale Of Brickell Development Site
- Feb 26, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Advises Inveniam On Florida Component of a First-Of-Its Kind Transaction To Tokenize $260 Million of Infrastructure and Real Estate Deals
- Jan 30, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Represents Client In Purchase of Multi-Million Industrial Warehouse Facility in Miami
- Jan 16, 2019 Greenspoon Marder Represents Client In Closing Of Multi-Million Class-A 16-Story Office Condominium, Ofizzina
