2019 Attorneys of the Year: Clark Opdahl

Deals that represent millions of dollars are fairly common — but when it turns into over a billion, that’s when the stakes feel particularly high. In 2019, Clark Opdahl of Henson Efron navigated through one of those rare deals when he represented Space Center Inc. and sister company Logistxs in what turned out to be the third-largest sale of an industrial real estate portfolio in the county.

At $1.24 billion, the deal involved ownership of a 45-property, 20-million-square-foot industrial portfolio of warehouses and distribution centers in 10 states. With a corporate history dating back to 1916, due diligence was extensive, and Opdahl also had to assess risk, coordinate with several global law firms, and maximize the purchase price while keeping tax implications in mind.

“This deal was notable because of its size and complexity, and I appreciated being able to work on such a sophisticated transaction,” said Opdahl. “It drew on all the skillsets we have at the firm, and we needed to pay attention to the details as well as the big picture. That was both challenging and exciting.”

Looking ahead, Opdahl believes the scope of this deal raises the profile of Henson Efron and validates the firm’s experience and capability. But, he added, that extends to transactions of every size.

“At the end of the day, we’re doing the work to help each client get the outcome they want, with the least risk and the greatest recovery,” Opdahl said. “This one happened to be a very large deal, but we like to think we bring the same level of sophistication and knowledge to every deal.”

Read more about Minnesota Lawyer’s superb class of Attorneys of the Year for 2019 here.

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