Mike Austin represents clients in complex real estate transactions. His practice includes joint ventures, real estate private equity fund formations, sale-leaseback transactions, acquisition and disposition of real estate, and commercial leasing of retail and industrial space throughout the United States. In addition, he has assisted clients involved in developing public-private partnerships (P3s) with states, municipalities, and universities for the operation of major infrastructure assets, such as tollways, bridges, utility systems, and parking systems. Mike has been involved in some of the largest P3 infrastructure transactions in the United States, including representing The Ohio State University in connection with the monetization of its energy facilities for more than $1 billion.
In addition to Ohio State, Mike works regularly with clients such as MARK Capital Management, Orion Capital Managers, Mill Creek Residential Trust, TriGate Capital, and Shake Shack. He also helped represent the City of Detroit in the confirmation of its plan of adjustment, focusing on the City's infrastructure assets, including its electrical system, art collection, and real estate.
Prior to attending law school, Mike worked as a legal management consultant, providing consulting services to in-house legal departments for Fortune 500 companies.
Experience
"Michael Austin is a pleasure to work with. He is responsive, knowledgeable and able to effectively communicate complex topics in a manner that is digestible for lawyers and non-lawyers alike."Legal 500
- Stanford University (J.D. 2011; Hilmer Oehlmann, Jr. Award for excellence in legal writing; Winner, 2010 Jean Monnet Prize for EU law-related research paper; Pro Bono Distinction); Carleton College (B.A. in History magna cum laude 2006; Phi Beta Kappa)
- Illinois
Chambers Global — Public-Private Partnership (2022-2024)
Chambers USA — Real Estate (2017-2024) and PPP (2021-2023)
Legal 500 — Real Estate (2024) "Next Generation Partners"
Illinois Super Lawyers "Rising Star" (2017-2024)
- Judicial Extern to Ronald Robie, Associate Justice, California Courts of Appeal, Third District (Summer 2009)