Thompson Hine brings on new partner to anchor real estate practice in L.A.

Veteran commercial real estate attorney William Ticknor has joined Thompson Hine LLP as a partner in Los Angeles, bringing with him decades of dealmaking experience and a portfolio of transactions valued at more than $850 million--an appointment the firm said will help anchor its growing West Coast presence.

Ticknor said in an interview Thursday that he had been excited by the Ohio-originated firm's entrance into the California market a year ago. "They have a very deep bench of sophisticated real estate attorneys," he said.

Joining the firm, "felt very much like a return to my roots," he said.

Thompson Hine opened its first West Coast office on July 1, 2024, with the acquisition of Conkle, Kremer & Engel PLC, which had 11 attorneys in Santa Monica. The law firm has 400 attorneys in 10 offices, mostly in the Midwest. In March, the firm added construction attorney R. Michael Viayra Jr. to its roster in Santa Monica.

Ticknor, who spent 21 years at Pircher, Nichols & Meeks LLP before it merged into Holland & Knight and more than four at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP, said he was unconcerned about joining a law firm that was just getting its start in a new market. On the contrary, "that was sort of the selling point," he said.

Thompson Hine "has a proven track record of opening new offices in new areas," he said.

Ticknor advises real estate funds, developers, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors on acquisitions, dispositions, and complex financing transactions. His work includes single- and multi-asset portfolios; acquisition and construction loans; refinancings; workouts; syndicated and securitized loans; mezzanine financings; and preferred equity.

He has handled deals across a broad range of property types--industrial, hospitality, office, retail, self-storage, student housing, and multifamily--and has facilitated the acquisition and financing of high-value projects totaling more than $850 million across California and the U.S.

In a statement announcing that Ticknor was joining the law firm, Tom Coyne, chair of the firm's national Real Estate Group, said: "Bill will be of particular value to our many clients who have significant real estate assets in California, as this is a key market for some of our largest clients." 

And John Conkle, office partner in charge in Los Angeles, said: "Bill's depth and breadth of experience, combined with his collaborative approach and strong client relationships, make him an ideal anchor for our real estate practice in Southern California."

In the interview Thursday, Ticknor acknowledged that clients are experiencing turmoil at the moment.

"Real estate and development have faced headwinds over the last couple of years and that is continuing," he said. "These headwinds are very unpredictable at the moment, and it has a chilling effect.

"But I'm hopeful, my clients are hopeful. There's a lot of demand. You hear things like dry powder. Clients are very anxious to get back to business."