Sean D. Hicks
Sean Hicks represents developers, investors, businesses, lenders, landlords and tenants in all facets of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing and leasing. Sean assists clients with a wide array of commercial real estate transactions, including multifamily developments, educational facilities, hotels, telecommunications transactions, medical buildings, office buildings and industrial spaces, among others.
In addition to real estate acquisitions, sales, and leasing, Sean represents lenders in the negotiation and closing of acquisition, construction and permanent loans in connection with multifamily, industrial and retail developments. He also helps clients create and register residential and commercial condominium regimes, form and operate community associations and transition developer control of community associations.
Sean is listed in Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2017, 2019-present) for Real Estate Law, and he has been named among Virginia’s “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business magazine (2017-present). Sean is also listed among the “Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers® (2021). He was named "Young Lawyer of the Year" by the Richmond Bar Association in 2020. Sean is the former chair of the Richmond Bar Association’s Real Estate Section, and, in 2017, he was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to the Virginia Manufactured Housing Board.
Prior to entering private practice, Sean was a law clerk to the Honorable Harry L. Carrico, Senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Sean earned his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Richmond School of Law, where he was an articles and comments editor of the University of Richmond Law Review. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia.
- University of Richmond School of Law (J.D.)
- cum laude
- University of Richmond Law Review - Articles and Comments Editor
- University of Virginia (B.A.)
Professional Affiliations
- Virginia Bar Association
- Richmond Bar Association, Real Estate Section - Past Chair
- Urban Land Institute
Community Involvements
- Virginia Manufactured Housing Board - Public Representative
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Virginia - Board of Directors
Bar Admissions
- Virginia State Bar
Virginia Business - "Legal Elite," Real Estate Land Use Law (2017-present)
Virginia Super Lawyers - "Rising Star," Real Estate Law (2017, 2019-present)
The Best Lawyers in America® – Real Estate Law (2025)
Best Lawyers® – "Ones to Watch" (2021)
Richmond Bar Association – "Young Lawyer of the Year Award" (2020)
Experience
- Represented pharmaceutical company with a $354 million grant from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in (i) the acquisition of 44 acres of land for development of the National Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Reserve; (ii) negotiation of a 99-year Ground Lease from a multinational chemical manufacturer for development and use as a state-of-the-art Hybrid Manufacturing Facility for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients; and (iii) negotiation of 99-year ground lease to a national nonprofit organization formed by various U.S. healthcare providers for development and use as a manufacturing facility producing finished dosage drug products.
- Represented multifamily owner, operator and developer in the conversion of existing and to-be-developed independent living site into multi-unit land condominium, including negotiation of condominium declaration, bylaws and association documents with lender counsel and prospective purchasers resulting in a sale of existing multifamily buildings for $79,500,000.
- Represented medical office building owner in $29,000,000 sale and lease back transaction.
- Represented real estate developer during $56 million sale of a 355,000-square-foot office building with two anchor tenants – one in the Fortune 100 and one in the Fortune 500. Work involved negotiating the purchase and sale agreement; amending multiple leases; amending and restating reciprocal access and parking easements within the office park and obtaining consent from other property owners within the office park; adjusting property boundaries; and closing within three days after due diligence.
- Represented industrial property owner in the conversion of existing industrial property into 10 unit commercial condominium regime and subsequent sale of commercial units allowing for 1031 acquisition of multifamily property and diversification of industrial property portfolio.
- Represented multifamily owner, operator and developer in the creation of a land condominium for the future development of low income housing multifamily buildings, including negotiation of condominium declaration, bylaws and association documents with lender counsel, which condominium structure allowed for varied financing structures applicable to each building within each unit, including utilization of 4% and 9% low income housing tax credit programs.
- Represented a national wireless carrier in regional telecommunications tower, building and raw land leasing and land use matters.
- Represented various landlords and tenants in the leasing and occupancy of medical, office, retail, industrial and ground leases.
