J. Kelly Bufton, who has almost 40 years of experience handling complex real estate transactions nationwide, has joined Haynes Boone as a senior counsel in the Chicago office.
Across a range of market and geographic sectors, Kelly has handled large-scale development projects; finance transactions (on behalf of lenders and borrowers); acquisitions and dispositions; joint venture agreements; and leases, among other matters.
He also has handled both sides of every kind of real estate transaction, representing sellers and buyers; landlords and tenants; and developers and investors; including private equity funds and large public pension funds in various states.
“Kelly’s background has afforded him a particularly broad-based perspective on the real estate industry, which allows him to help clients consummate transactions in the most effective and efficient manner possible,” said Brack Bryant, co-chair of Haynes Boone’s Real Estate Practice Group. “He will be a huge asset to our clients and significantly bolsters our Real Estate Practice and our Chicago office.”
Kelly most recently was a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP. In addition to his transactional experience, he has created form documents and how-to explanatory material for clients to use in leasing matters. He also conducts training seminars for clients to provide their managers with the context needed to most effectively implement their responsibilities.
Kelly has long been an advocate of Habitat for Humanity, providing them with pro bono counsel on acquisitions and leases and previously serving as the board president for DuPage Habitat for Humanity.
“I was attracted to Haynes Boone because of its longstanding commitment to the Real Estate Practice and its particular orientation towards the transactional side of the practice,” Kelly said. “I look forward to helping the firm grow that practice and its Chicago office.”
Haynes Boone’s Real Estate Practice Group advises clients in the U.S. and overseas, handling every facet of buying, selling, developing, operating, leasing and financing real estate. The group represents institutional owners, developers, financial sources, borrowers, operators, investors, landlords and tenants, among others.
Haynes Boone is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With more than 575 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It also was recognized across the board for excellence in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2020 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.
The following publications reported Kelly's move to the firm: