A New Boutique, Built on Big Law Judgment — Founded 2026
A firm rooted in something different.
Oakes Noll was founded in 2026 by partners who spent their entire careers at national law firms, advising REITs, private equity funds, institutional investors, developers, and lenders. We built this firm to offer big-firm experience with the direct partner attention of a boutique.
A full-spectrum practice, built around one industry.
We don't dabble across unrelated fields. Every matter we take on touches commercial real estate, which means less time spent explaining the deal, and more time spent structuring it well.
Acquisitions & Dispositions
Purchase and sale agreements, structuring, and closing execution for single-asset and portfolio transactions.
Real Estate Finance
Senior and mezzanine debt, construction financing, and borrower and lender-side representation across the capital stack.
Joint Ventures & Preferred Equity
Equity structuring, operating agreements, and governance for sponsors and their institutional partners.
Development & Redevelopment
Project counsel from land acquisition to stabilization, and exit for large scale development and redevelopment projects, across the retail, multifamily, industrial sectors.
Leasing & Property Management
Ground leases, retail, office, and industrial leasing, and the operating agreements that keep assets running.
Workouts & Restructuring
Loan modifications, recapitalizations, and negotiated resolutions when a deal needs to change course.
Our Approach: What we mean by rooted.
Strong advocates, practical dealmakers
We use our experience and judgment to provide practical advice and focus on negotiating positive outcomes on the points that really matter to you. We argue your position firmly and know which points are worth the fight, but we do not lose sight of the ultimate goal of getting the deal done.
A client-focused experience
You work directly with partners who know your business and return your calls. We plan the process with you, keep you informed at every step, and make a complicated transaction feel manageable.
We care about our clients and our people
Our clients and our people are our most important relationships. We are selective about who we represent. We believe the best client relationships are built on shared values, not just shared objectives. We prioritize fit and alignment over volume.
Fun to work with
Closings run long and deadlines get tight. We take the work seriously and ourselves a little less so, because a deal goes better when everyone at the table enjoys working together.
What clients and Chambers say
“Jared brings substantial experience to our transactions, providing valuable insight.”
“Kelly is great and provides excellent communication and service. She fights for her clients.”
“He is always there for us and willing to quarterback.”
“Kelly Noll is an outstanding lawyer. She is a trusted advisor and is highly skilled at understanding clients’ business objectives before applying legal analysis.”
“Jared Oakes has particular skill in handling complex development and sophisticated financing work, including distressed debt.”
Quotations are from Chambers USA publications, reflect the opinions of those quoted, and were published about the individual attorneys while at a prior firm. They are not a guarantee or prediction of the outcome of any matter.
Our Team
Jared Oakes
Co-Founder & Partner
Represents REITs, private equity funds, and institutional lenders across acquisitions, dispositions, development, and complex financings, with particular depth guiding assets through distressed and workout situations.
Kelly Noll
Co-Founder & Partner
Counsels developers, REITs, private equity funds and investors on sophisticated deals, with particular depth in shopping center redevelopment and parcelization, acquisitions and dispositions, financing, asset management and leasing.
Careers at Oakes Noll: Build your career on firm ground.
We are a new Cleveland boutique founded by partners who spent their careers at national law firms. We are building a team of people who want sophisticated real estate work, real responsibility early, and colleagues who enjoy working together. We are always on the lookout for candidates who are the right fit.
Send a note and your résumé to info@oakesnoll.com. Oakes Noll LLC is an equal opportunity employer.