Real Estate Practice Group Co-Deputy Chair Allison Nelson, Construction Practice Co-Chair John M. Neary, Florida Land Use and Entitlements Practice Chair Dennis A. Kerbel, Real Estate Practice Group Partner Rachel E. McRoskey, and Real Estate Practice Group Partner Paul J. Russo have been selected as recipients of the 2025 Lawyers in Real Estate Award by Connect CRE. The award recognizes standout commercial real estate attorneys from across the country who have made a significant impact through their legal practice and meaningful contributions to the industry and their communities.
Allison was recognized for the Phoenix & Southwest region; John for the Washington, D.C. & Mid-Atlantic region; Dennis for the Florida & Gulf Coast region; Rachel for California; and Paul for the Chicago & Midwest region.
Allison is a nationally regarded advisor to major healthcare systems on complex real estate transactions and compliance matters, guiding clients through acquisitions, dispositions, joint venture developments, and large-scale leasing arrangements with a focus on regulatory requirements. She leads a team responsible for more than 400 transactions annually and serves as primary real estate counsel for healthcare organizations with portfolios totaling more than 6,000 locations. Her recent work includes multimillion-dollar land purchases for medical office developments across Texas and nationwide leasing and acquisition initiatives valued at more than $175 million. In addition to serving on Akerman’s Board of Directors, she chairs the Women’s Bridge Network and is a frequent speaker and author on medical office and life sciences leasing.
John advises owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals on high-stakes construction, government contracts, and digital infrastructure matters involving data centers, renewable and conventional power facilities, higher education projects, and major public works. His recent experience includes supporting the development of approximately 1 GW of new power generation for large-scale data center campuses and negotiating critical EPC, O&M, and other definitive agreements. He also represents national data center developers, public entities, and higher education institutions on transformative capital projects, drawing on his prior engineering background to provide technical and legal insight. John is widely recognized for his mentorship, thought leadership, and engagement in leading construction and contracting organizations, with rankings in Chambers USA and recognition from Best Lawyers and The Legal 500.
Dennis is a leading authority on land use and local government law, guiding clients through complex zoning, entitlement, and regulatory matters across Florida. He recently led the unanimous approval of the Sports Performance Hub of Miami-Dade, an 80-year ground lease and multi-facility project in the City of Homestead, and played key roles in the Continuum Waterfront District Special Area Plan in North Bay Village and zoning approvals for a 50-story Class A office tower in Miami-Dade County's Rapid Transit Zone. His prior service as chief of the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office Zoning, Land Use & Environment Section included drafting and advising on critical regulations related to environmental resilience, mobility fees, transit-oriented development, and stormwater standards and litigating the County's land use decisions and regulations in administrative, trial, and appellate courts. He is recognized by Best Lawyers and The Legal 500 and currently chairs the Miami-Dade County Charter Review Task Force.
Rachel is a driving force behind Akerman’s expanding West Coast real estate platform, advising institutional investors, private equity firms, and owners on major acquisitions, joint ventures, financings, and dispositions nationwide. She leads teams handling some of Southern California’s most significant transactions and serves as relationship partner to a private equity client for whom she has overseen more than $500 million in self-storage acquisitions, negotiated a joint venture with Ares Management, and guided the acquisition of a 100-plus-acre winery in Santa Barbara County. Rachel also advises clients on data center land assemblages and multifamily transactions across multiple states. Within Akerman, she plays a central role in associate training, lateral integration, and professional development, and her commitment to community service—including her work supporting families displaced by the Palisades fire—reflects her dedication to mentorship and pro bono service.
Paul is a nationally respected commercial real estate attorney who represents REITs, investment funds, developers, and office, industrial, and retail operators in high-value, multi-jurisdictional transactions. His experience includes acquisitions, dispositions, complex leasing, development, and financings, as well as advising major developers on sophisticated build-to-suit projects, including data center land assemblages and data center lease negotiations. He also supports private equity and corporate clients on the real estate components of multimillion-dollar transactions across several industries. Paul is active in ICSC, ULI, and the Chicago Bar Association and leads community engagement initiatives through Akerman’s Chicago Community Impact Team, while also mentoring associates through the firm’s training programs. His achievements have earned recognition from GlobeSt., Best Lawyers, and The Legal 500.
Connect CRE is a commercial real estate news and information service provider. Its editorial team solicited nominations for the 2025 Lawyers in Real Estate Awards from real estate industry participants and conducted independent research to determine awardees.