Gary J. Cohen is a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen’s Tax Department. His principal areas of practice include general corporate, business and tax planning, with a particular emphasis on representation of real estate and affordable housing clients and state and local taxation. Mr. Cohen represents developers in structuring the financing and development of affordable housing, including syndication of federal low-income housing tax credits, securing subordinate government financing, representation before state and local housing agencies and negotiation of non-profit/for-profit joint ventures.
In the area of affordable housing, Mr. Cohen is involved in all aspects of such transactions, including entity selection for non-profit and for-profit developer clients, assisting in contracting to acquire land and/or existing buildings, representing clients in applying for federal low-income housing tax credits and low-interest second mortgage financing from Florida Housing Finance Corporation through the application process and the appeals process, and closing upon such financing in order to construct new projects and rehabilitate existing projects. Mr. Cohen also regularly deals with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding existing properties. Mr. Cohen frequently represents clients applying for assistance from Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s competitive process.
In addition to representing for-profit clients, Mr. Cohen has also represented Carrfour Corporation in numerous transactions pursuant to which affordable housing for the formerly homeless has been provided. Rivermont House and Del Prado Gardens Townhouses are two such transactions, pursuant to which formerly homeless persons now live in traditional style apartments, having transitioned from homeless shelters. Another non-profit client (The Junior League of Miami, in conjunction with Greater Miami Neighborhoods) constructed 56 units of housing for domestic violence victims and their families in southern Miami-Dade County, Florida. All the foregoing transactions involve complex financing structures, utilizing a combination of regular first mortgage financing, low-interest loans from Miami-Dade County and Florida Housing Finance Corporation, and equity realized from the syndication of federal low-income housing tax credits applied for with the assistance of Mr. Cohen.
Mr. Cohen also represents the syndicators of federal low-income housing tax credits seeking to invest in new construction and/or rehabilitation projects, and clients structuring joint venture agreements in order to construct such housing. Mr. Cohen also represents clients disposing of existing affordable housing projects.
Mr. Cohen is also active in general representation of real estate developers, as pertains to structuring of transactions between partners, drafting of partnership agreements, tax structuring in order to gain the most tax advantaged position regarding ultimate disposition of properties, and negotiation and closing of loan transactions.
Recognition
- Martindale Hubbell A-V Rated
- The Best Lawyers in America®, selected for inclusion in Tax Law 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Florida Trend's Florida Elite, selected for inclusion in 2004
Education
- University of Florida, LL.M., Tax, cum laude, 1982
- University of Florida, J.D., 1981
- University of Florida, B.S., Business/Accounting, cum laude, 1978
Bar Admissions
- The Florida Bar
Affiliations
- Greater Miami Jewish Federation
- The Florida Bar, Corporate and Tax Sections
- American Bar Association, Tax Section and Housing Law Section
