Deirdre Robinson

Deirdre M. Robinson

Partner

Deirdre M. Robinson

Partner

  • Overview

    Biography

    Deirdre M. Robinson represents developers in the Northeast and across the country in all aspects of affordable housing development with an emphasis on syndication of tax credits including low income housing, historic and new markets. She represents for-profit and nonprofit organizations owners and developers in complex, mixed-use and multi-family housing projects, utilizing creative financing structures that combine private and subsidy loan programs and various tax-credit programs. Deirdre is a member of the firm's Real Estate + Development Group. 

    Affordable Housing Real Estate Development

    Deirdre specializes in complicated transactions that frequently involve historic preservation. She works with her clients to develop creative solutions to complicated structuring and financing problems faced by owners and developers that involve a wide array of private, state and federal funding sources, tax-exempt bond financing and equity investment from the syndication of federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits, federal and state Historic Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, Solar Energy Tax Credits and Brownfields Credits. Deirdre is committed to working with her clients to address the need for safe, quality affordable housing and community development.

  • Experience
    • Experience

      Experience

      • Two-phase redevelopment of Clippership Wharf in East Boston, MA. Phase 1 involved the acquisition of parcel from the Boston Redevelopment Authority and new construction of a mixed-income condominium project using workforce housing proceeds from Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency. Phase 2 involved a ground lease of property from the Boston Redevelopment Authority and new construction of a mixed use affordable housing project involving federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits and loan proceeds from Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, as well as subordinate debt from multiple local and state sources. *

      • Acquisition and financing of historic school building in Southbridge, MA utilizing financing from numerous state and local sources including DHCD HOME funds, Affordable Housing Trust Funds, Facilities Consolidation Funds and Housing Stabilization Funds as well as state and federal Low Income and Historic Tax Credits.*

      • Multi-phase redevelopment of one million square foot historic department store in Rochester, NY into mixed- use condominium involving retail, restaurant, innovation labs, market rate housing, workforce housing and affordable housing. Redevelopment involved a seven (7) phase historic project. Two phases included the use of new market tax credits combined with an historic lease pass-through; two phases involved the development of affordable housing utilizing Low Income Housing and Historic Tax Credits; and one phase involved the use of tax exempt bond financing, work force housing proceeds and Historic Tax Credits. Two additional phases involved the use of opportunity zone fund investments.*

      • $48MM HUD financing of an occupied multi-family housing project in Jackson, MS that included a joint venture with the local housing authority ground lease from the housing authority, RAD conversion and syndication of Low Income Housing Tax Credits.*

      • Acquisition and financing of historic mill building using condominium structure to bifurcate a single project into a 4% project and 9% project, using construction financing from Rhode Island Housing Finance Agency and Citizens Bank. Because of issues related to the transferability of the state Historic Tax Credits, a new ownership structure was created that allowed the tax credit investor to be admitted as a sole member of each of the condominium owners, which allowed each owner to be treated as a disregarded entity for the purposes of the tax credits.*

      • *Attorney Robinson was counsel in these representative transactions prior to joining Robinson+Cole.

    • Professional Associations

      Professional Associations

      Massachusetts Bar Association

      Boston Bar Association

      CREW Network

      National Housing & Rehabilitation Association

      Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA)
    • Honors + Awards

      Honors + Awards

      Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2015 Top Women of Law Honoree

      The Legal 500 US (2019), Real Estate

      Selected by the New England Real Estate Journal to be featured in the publication’s 2021 “Women in Commercial Real Estate” spotlight

    • Community Involvement

      Community Involvement

      Preservation Massachusetts
      Board of Directors (2021 - present)
  • NEWS + PRESS
    • News

      R+C in the News

      • July 12, 2023

        Robinson+Cole Represents WinnDevelopment in $85 Million Dollar Affordable Housing Project

        • » more info

          Robinson+Cole Represents WinnDevelopment in $85 Million Dollar Affordable Housing Project

          On July 10, 2023, Robinson+Cole client, WinnDevelopment, broke ground on an $85 million project to transform a nationally recognized historic structure, the old Landers, Frary and Clark manufacturing complex in New Britain, CT, into a 154-unit apartment community for affordable housing and workforce households. 

          A cross-disciplinary team of R+C lawyers and professionals helped Winn navigate the acquisition, tax credit syndication, debt financing and environmental issues that accompany the redevelopment of a historic factory building. The team included Michele Maresca as lead attorney with support from Deirdre Robinson, Emilee Mooney Scott, Bomopregha Julius, Austin Provost, Madeleine Laffitte, Christopher Schaut and Vee Kaur.

          When Deirdre joined R+C in 2021, she brought with her, her long-time client, WinnCompanies, an award-winning national developer and manager of affordable, mixed-income and market rate apartment communities with a strong history of leveraging Federal and State tax credits to enable redevelopment of otherwise challenged properties. 

          This adaptive reuse project will convert four buildings into 79 one-bedroom, 59 two-bedroom and 16 three-bedroom apartments geared toward young professionals, middle-income households and fixed-income seniors. The historic exterior of the brick buildings will be preserved, while the interior space is adapted into apartments for households earning 30, 50, 60 and 80 percent of Area Median Income

          Financing for this project includes numerous sources of debt and equity, including federal LIHTC equity and, with the help of Eversource, State historic tax credit equity. Bank of America provided taxable construction financing and CHFA provided a long-term tax-exempt bond loan. Other sources of debt came from the Connecticut Department of Housing, HUD, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the City of New Britain.

      • September 27, 2021

        Candace Cunningham and Deirdre Robinson Featured in New England Real Estate Journal’s 2021 Women in Real Estate Spotlight

        • » more info

          Candace Cunningham and Deirdre Robinson Featured in New England Real Estate Journal’s 2021 Women in Real Estate Spotlight

          Real Estate + Development Group lawyers Candace M. Cunningham and Deirdre M. Robinson were among those selected by the New England Real Estate Journal to be featured in the publication’s “Women in Commercial Real Estate” spotlight, which recognizes the achievements of women across all facets of the real estate industries. The Q&A spotlight of each honoree offers key insights on “what it takes to achieve success.” Candace focuses on the benefits of being and having a mentor. Deirdre shares what led her to becoming a lawyer, a characteristic she believes every woman in commercial real estate should possess, what trends she thinks may dominate her industry in the coming months, and a project from the last year that she is most proud of.

      • July 19, 2021

        Deirdre Robinson Elected to Preservation Massachusetts Board of Directors

        • » more info

          Deirdre Robinson Elected to Preservation Massachusetts Board of Directors

          Real Estate + Development Group lawyer Deirdre M. Robinson has been elected to serve on the board of directors for Preservation Massachusetts, the statewide non-profit historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s historic and cultural heritage. Preservation Massachusetts works in partnership with national, state and local organizations and individuals across the Commonwealth to advance and understanding, appreciation and utilization of our historic built and natural landscapes. Learn more about Preservation Massachusetts. 

      • March 12, 2021

        New Real Estate Partner, Deirdre Robinson, Featured in Law360Pulse

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          New Real Estate Partner, Deirdre Robinson, Featured in Law360Pulse

          Real Estate + Development Group lawyer Deirdre M. Robinson was featured in the article "Robinson & Cole Adds Real Estate Partner In Boston" published in Law360Pulse on March 11, 2021. Deirdre joined the firm as a partner in the Boston office on March 4, 2021. When asked why she chose Robinson+Cole, Deirdre told Law360Pulse "'They have a very strong reputation in the affordable housing industry and they do a lot of finance in that realm,' she said. 'It seemed like a natural extension and after talking to people, it seems like the synergies between the existing affordable housing practice and my practice would work well together. It felt like Robinson & Cole was a good place to grow that practice.'" Subscribers can read the article here.

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      R+C News Releases

      • March 8, 2021

        Robinson+Cole Continues Growth in Boston with Addition of Real Estate Partner Deirdre M. Robinson

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          Robinson+Cole Continues Growth in Boston with Addition of Real Estate Partner Deirdre M. Robinson

          Robinson+Cole is pleased to announce the addition of Deirdre M. Robinson as a partner in the firm’s Real Estate + Development Group. Robinson represents developers in the Northeast and across the country in all aspects of affordable housing development with an emphasis on syndication of tax credits including low income housing, historic and new markets. She joins Business Litigation Group lawyers Amanda R. Phillips and Seth B. Orkand as the third partner to be welcomed in Robinson+Cole’s Boston office in 2021. Read more in the press release.

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