The National Law Journal named partner Linda White, chair of Dentons’ US Real Estate practice, to its 2022 list of Trailblazers in the area of Real Estate/Construction Law. White was honored as a legal professional who has made significant contributions to policy and technological advancements in the real estate sector.

White was recognized for her many years working on real estate acquisitions, dispositions, workouts, restructurings, leases, joint ventures and financings. She has handled groundbreaking projects, most recently the more than US$650 million renovation of the Willis Tower, a world-famous landmark and home to Dentons’ Chicago office, where she is based. Culminating in mid-2022, this project created 300,000 square feet of new retail, dining and family entertainment areas, in addition to a 30,000-square-foot outdoor deck and garden, and an expanded revitalized Skydeck Chicago attraction, which draws more than 1.7 million visitors every year. This work guarantees that Willis Tower will continue to be a vital hub for occupants and visitors from around the world who will enjoy its reinvigorated presence in Chicago.

White has represented Willis Tower since 1986, through successive ownerships, including current owner Blackstone. She has leased the four million square feet in Willis Tower—a city unto itself—numerous times to many Fortune 50 tenants such as United Airlines and Abbott Labs. In addition, her work on behalf of other clients has spanned numerous projects across the globe, including the representation of Lehman Brothers in connection with the foreclosure/workout and disposition of Lehman’s debt and equity positions during its bankruptcy with the post-bankruptcy goal of maximizing the value of the debtor’s estate.