Hilary Strong, Local Chair of the Orange County Corporate Department, advises clients on a full array of complex commercial real estate transactions, including real estate investment trust (REIT) matters.

Drawing on her breadth of experience in the real estate market, Hilary delivers pragmatic and commercially driven counsel to REITs, private equity sponsors, sovereign wealth funds, individuals, and other institutional clients across a multitude of asset classes, including:

  • Healthcare and life sciences
  • Senior housing
  • Data centers
  • Logistics

She regularly advises on acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures involving complex real estate portfolios, as well as the development of commercial real estate.

Hilary brings particular experience advising on REIT transactions, including in connection with roll-ups, initial public offerings, mergers, and matters involving sovereign wealth funds. She also guides clients on converting commercial property owners and operators to REITs, as well as on acquiring stock in commercial property owners and operators and concurrent asset restructuring for REIT compliance. 

Hilary serves as a go-to advisor to many clients throughout their growth stages. She offers first-hand insight into real estate investment companies’ and developers’ needs by leveraging her prior experience as Vice President, Senior Counsel of Irvine Company.

A recognized leader at the firm, in addition to her current role as Chair of the Corporate Department in the Orange County office, she has served as a member of Latham’s Associates Committee, Chair of the firm’s Mentoring Committee, and Co-Chair of the Orange County office’s Women Enriching Business Committee.

Hilary's experience includes advising:

Healthcare and Life Sciences

  • A purchaser on its US$610 million acquisition of a three-building life science campus and a 49% joint venture interest in a fourth property on the same campus for US$54 million
  • A purchaser on its US$371 million acquisition of 14 medical office properties
  • A purchaser on its US$310 million acquisition of an office and laboratory property

Senior Housing

  • A purchaser on its US$382 million acquisition of and joint venture relating to a portfolio of nine senior housing facilities
  • A purchaser on its US$445 million acquisition of a portfolio of nine senior housing facilities
  • A seller on its US$334 million disposition of a portfolio of 10 senior housing facilities
  • A seller on its US$312 million disposition of 12 senior housing facilities
  • A REIT on its contribution of a portfolio of 18 senior housing facilities to a joint venture with a sovereign wealth fund

Data Centers

  • Digital Realty Trust on:
    • A joint venture with GI Partners involving the US$900 million disposition of a 65% interest in two stabilized hyperscale data center buildings and their associated equipment in the Chicago metro area
    • A joint venture with Blackstone to develop four hyperscale data center campuses across three metro areas in Europe and North America 
    • A joint venture with TPG to sell an 80% interest in three stabilized hyperscale data center buildings and their associated equipment in Virginia
    • A joint venture with Brookfield Infrastructure and Reliance Industries to develop data centers in India
    • A joint venture with Brookfield Infrastructure to invest in Ascenty Data Centers e Telecomunicacoes, a Brazil-based provider of data center, connectivity, and colocation solutions

Logistics/Industrial/Storage

  • A purchaser on its $1 billion acquisition of a portfolio of 48 industrial facilities
  • A purchaser on its US$193 million acquisition of a portfolio of four warehouse facilities
  • A REIT on its contribution of a portfolio of 12 self-storage facilities to a joint venture with a sovereign wealth fund
  • A borrower on its US$2.35 billion commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loan secured by temperature-controlled warehouse facilities located throughout the United States
  • A borrower on its US$1.32 billion CMBS loan secured by warehouse facilities
  • A borrower on its US$235 million CMBS loan secured by self-storage facilities

Other

  • A sovereign wealth fund on its acquisition, joint venture, and financing of a portfolio of single-family townhome communities
  • A sovereign wealth fund on its acquisition, joint venture, and financing of an office building
  • A private equity sponsor on its acquisition, joint venture, development, and financing of a site for redevelopment as a residential master planned community
  • A private equity sponsor on acquiring and financing a portfolio of four properties for redevelopment into residential master planned communities

Bar Qualification

  • California

Education

  • JD, Northwestern University School of Law, 2005
  • BS, Northwestern University, 2002

Practices

2024 PWP Studio Corporate Event Photographers
October 18, 2024 Recognition

Law Firm of the Year Winner: Latham & Watkins

Latham captured the top prize in the 2024 California Legal Awards for navigating the complexities of various legal landscapes, diverse areas of expertise, and deep industry knowledge to advise clients on their most challenging matters.