Simpson Thacher
In the filings we read, Simpson Thacher appears most often for one client: Blackstone. It was Blackstone’s counsel buying Retail Opportunity Investments and Alexander & Baldwin, and Chambers lists 18 CMBS financings for Blackstone totaling more than $17B. It is Chambers Band 1 for real estate but Legal 500 Tier 2 for large-cap deals, so the two guides disagree on where it sits.
Last verified: 2026-10-20
Unscored
Private law partnership.
Not scored. Chambers and Legal 500 positions shown as published.
Not legal advice. This section describes law firms from published rankings and SEC filings. It does not recommend a lawyer for your matter, and reading it does not create a lawyer–client relationship with anyone. For a legal question, talk to a lawyer licensed where the property is.
At a glance
| Legal entity | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP |
| Headquarters | Multiple U.S. offices (headquarters not stated in the sources we read) |
| Segment | Real estate transactions / Counsel to private equity buyers |
| Scale (as published) | Chambers Real Estate Nationwide Band 1; REITs Band 2 |
| Score | Unscored |
What the sources reveal
In the filings we read, Simpson Thacher appears most often for one client: Blackstone. It was Blackstone’s counsel buying Retail Opportunity Investments and Alexander & Baldwin, and Chambers lists 18 CMBS financings for Blackstone totaling more than $17B. It is Chambers Band 1 for real estate but Legal 500 Tier 2 for large-cap deals, so the two guides disagree on where it sits.
Key facts
| Fact | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Chambers USA 2026 Real Estate: USA Nationwide, Band 1 (15 years ranked). | source | |
| Chambers USA 2026 REITs: USA Nationwide, Band 2. | source | |
| The Legal 500 US Real estate large cap ($500m+): Tier 2. | source | |
| Chambers work highlight: represented Blackstone and a portfolio company on 18 separate CMBS financings totaling more than $17B. | source | |
| Blackstone’s legal counsel on its acquisition of Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. (Nov 2024; ROIC used Clifford Chance). | source | |
| Blackstone’s legal counsel (with Carlsmith Ball) on the ~$2.3B take-private of Alexander & Baldwin (Dec 2025). | source | |
| One of the legal advisors to members of the buyer group acquiring Veris Residential for ~$3.4B (Feb 2026). | source |
Who it’s actually for
- Large real estate funds buying portfolios or whole REITs.
- Sponsors running big CMBS financings.
What we could not verify
- Fees and billing rates.
- Headcount of the real estate group, unless the firm states it.
Related
Kirkland & Ellis vs Simpson Thacher · Real estate law firms hub · All profiles
Last verified 2026-10-20. Figures were re-read from the linked sources that day.
View changelog
- Profile published from sources read this day.
Sources
- Chambers USA 2026, Real Estate: USA Nationwide ranking table · accessed 2026-10-20
- Chambers USA 2026, REITs: USA Nationwide ranking table · accessed 2026-10-20
- The Legal 500 United States, Real estate: large cap ($500m+) firm rankings · accessed 2026-10-20
- Chambers USA 2026, Simpson Thacher, Real Estate department profile · accessed 2026-10-20
- Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. 8-K, Ex. 99.1 (Nov 6, 2024): Blackstone acquisition · accessed 2026-10-20
- Alexander & Baldwin 8-K, Ex. 99.7 (Dec 9, 2025): take-private · accessed 2026-10-20
- Veris Residential 8-K, Ex. 99.1 (Feb 23, 2026): Affinius-led acquisition · accessed 2026-10-20
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