Melanie R. Clark
Partner
Melanie Clark is a real estate transactional attorney, routinely advising clients on all aspects of large-scale real estate projects, including acquisition and disposition of land, leasing, financing, and project development. She is a partner in the firm’s Corporate and Real Estate Practices and is based in the Salt Lake City office.
Melanie assists large and small real estate developers in acquiring and developing new projects, managing and leasing existing projects, and reconfiguring obsolete projects. She has worked with developers on a wide variety of real estate endeavors, including condominium hotels, mixed use subdivisions, industrial sites, timeshare programs, and fractional ownership clubs. Her experience also includes providing legal counsel with initial land acquisition, financing, and entitlements to construction completion and operation or sale.
Representative Experience*
- Negotiated acquisitions, sale, and financing of multiple apartment projects with 100+ units.
- Represented buyer in negotiating, documenting, and closing on purchase of portfolio with properties in ten jurisdictions, including performing related due diligence review of properties.
- Represented seller in negotiating and documenting sale of twelve restaurant properties.
- Represented various clients in drafting and negotiating leases for office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use premises.
- Represented multiple investors in acquisition of solar project portfolios, including performing due diligence on properties in up to 14 jurisdictions.
- Researched licensing laws in all 50 states and advised on best practices for real estate licensees.
- Prepared declarations of covenants, conditions and restrictions and related governing documents for commercial and residential condominium and subdivision projects.
- Created form purchase contracts for sale of units in condominium hotels.
- Represented multiple developers of fractional interest projects, including preparing project and sales documents and registering projects with state real estate departments.
- Researched regulatory structure, requirements and penalties in all 50 states for timeshares, exchange companies and short-term vacation products.
- Drafted and negotiated easement and encroachment agreements for residential and commercial properties.
- Obtained zoning approvals for large retailer.
*Certain of these matters were handled prior to joining Foley.
Awards and Recognition
- Recognized by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® – Real Estate Law (2024)
- Selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” (Utah) by Chambers USA (currently: Real Estate), 2020–2023
- Listed among Rising Stars (Real estate), Mountain States Super Lawyers®, 2014–2015, 2017–2019
- Included in Utah Business Legal Elite, 2020
- S. J. Quinney College of Law, Adjunct Professor, Real Estate Drafting, Spring 2019–present
Affiliations
- Real Property Section CLE Committee, Utah State Bar, 2014–2015
Presentations and Publications
- Co-presenter, “Structuring Your Deal Now to Plan for the Exit 15 Years Later,” 24th Annual Utah Housing Matters Conference (September 2020)
- “Title Insurance Dissection – Real World Examples,” NBI Seminar, Salt Lake City, Utah (May 2019)
- “Spotting and Fixing Complicated Title Commitment Issues,” NBI Webinar (January 2019)
- Co-author, “New Utah Law Prohibits Unequal Treatment for Rental Units by Homeowners Associations”, Ballard Spahr LLP Real Estate Law Blog (May 2015)
- “Form Based Zoning,” Utah State Bar Annual Convention, Snowmass, Colorado (July 2013)
Foley Attorneys Recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers in America
Foley & Lardner LLP proudly announced today that 236 of the firm’s attorneys across 20 U.S. offices have received recognition in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
Foley Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2023
Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that it has again been recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the top law firms in the country in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Silicon Slopes Reception
As part of Foley & Lardner’s support of the Silicon Slopes Summit, our Innovative Technology team and Diversified Insurance invite you to keep the conversation going at the end of the first day at Foley's new Salt Lake City office, a short distance from Vivint Arena.
Foley Participates in Pro Bono Program to Support Salt Lake Tribune Reporters
Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that it is participating in a pro bono initiative for The Salt Lake Tribune, a news outlet based in Salt Lake City, Utah, designed to support journalists in obtaining public records.
Foley Ranks Among Nation’s Top Law Firms in Chambers USA 2022
Foley has again been recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the top law firms in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Foley Continues Salt Lake City Growth with Real Estate Partner Melanie Clark
Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that the firm has continued to grow its Salt Lake City office with the addition of Melanie Clark as a partner in its Real Estate Practice. This new hire continues to cement Foley’s presence in Salt Lake City, which follows directly on the heels of the addition of the Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Team in February.